Prevention & Intervention

MTSS stands for multi-tiered system of supports. It’s a framework many schools use to give targeted support to struggling students. You may also hear it called the MTSS framework, the MTSS process, or the MTSS model.

MTSS is designed to help schools identify struggling students early and intervene quickly. It focuses on the “whole child.” That means it supports academic growth, but many other areas, too. These include behavior, social and emotional needs, and absenteeism (not attending school).

The tiers of support are a huge part of MTSS. They get more intense from one level to the next. For example, a child getting small group interventions may need to “move up” to one-on-one help.

MTSS isn’t the same thing as Response to Intervention (RTI). MTSS is more comprehensive, but may include RTI.

• Tier 1: The whole class. All students in the general education classroom are in this tier. Teachers use instruction that’s proven to work. Students may work in small groups based on their strengths and areas of need. The school monitors all kids’ progress. A student who is struggling may move to Tier 2.
  
• Tier 2: Small group interventions. Students in Tier 2 still attend Tier 1 lessons with the rest of the class. But they get more targeted support through small group lessons. It can also mean special teaching, called interventions. A student who isn’t making progress may stay in Tier 2 or move to Tier 3.
  
• Tier 3: Intensive individualized support. This tier can mean small group work or individual lessons. Most kids in Tier 3 still spend a lot of the day in the general education classroom.

The Student Behavioral Safety Assessment (also referred to as Threat Assessment) is a set of assessment protocols and safety planning procedures used by designated school teams in order to detect and prevent planned acts of targeted violence. The model used at NWCSD is the Salem-Keizer Behavioral Threat Assessment model.

The whole system consists of school building teams, referred to as the Level 1 Team and a Community Safety Assessment Team (CSAT), referred to as the Level 2 Team.

Each school Level 1 Team is overseen by the building administrator (or designee) and is made up of staff trained in the assessment process.

The Level 2 Team, or Community Safety Assessment Team (CSAT) is made up of community partners from The Dalles Police Department, Wasco County District Attorney's Office, Mid-Columbia Center for Living, Oregon Youth Authority, Wasco County Youth Services,and the Department of Human Services; Division of Child Welfare