Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Whitney High School’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) aligns with the California Department of Education’s model for an integrated, comprehensive framework that promotes academic, behavioral, and social success for all students. Grounded in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), our approach emphasizes high-quality instruction, student-centered learning, differentiated support, and system-wide alignment to meet the diverse needs of every learner.
Key components of our MTSS include:
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Data-Driven Systems: We analyze academic and behavioral data to provide timely and effective support for all students, including gifted and high-achieving learners.
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Our staff is committed to UDL strategies, ensuring students engage with content in multiple ways and demonstrate their understanding through various formats.
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Proactive Intervention: Instructional and intervention supports are built around CCSS-aligned lessons to help students succeed before challenges become barriers.
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Ongoing Professional Development: Educators receive training in research-based strategies to strengthen first instruction and targeted interventions.
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Collaborative Practices: We are rethinking traditional approaches to foster collaboration across all school environments and ensure cohesive support for every student.
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Tier I Interventions
Universal - Utilized by 80% of the school population.
Academic Supports
WHS Offerings:
- Intervention
- Senior mentor
- Curriculum essential skills
- Standards-Evidence based instruction
- Research based instruction
- Cocoa and cram
- Schoology
- Intervention period
- A few extra minutes
- Goal setting
- Teacher office hours
- Parent and guardian resource night
Student Strategies:
- Grade reporting checklist
- Study skills
- Learning styles-Learning inventories
- Study strategies
- Goal setting
- UDL strategies
Teacher Strategies:
- Tutoring and extended office hours
- Communication with parents
- Mandatory reporting
- Student/parent meetings
- Parent/teacher meetings
- Schoology
- Intervention appointments
Behavioral Supports:
WHS Offerings:
- Senior offering positive referrals
- Rewards for perfect attendance
- Referrals/detentions/Saturday school
- Breaking down the walls
- Whitney unified the movement and the curriculum-school resource
- School Resources Officer
- Parent conference
- Every 15 Minutes
Student Strategies:
- Coping strategies
- Communicate with teachers
- Goal setting
- Seek a trusted adult
Teacher Strategies:
- Engaging activities
- Student-centered activities
- Behavioral management system
- Seating changes
- Teacher/parent/student conference
- Mandated reporting
Social-Emotional Supports:
WHS Offerings:
- Senior mentor
- NAMI club
- September suicide prevention week
- March mental health awareness week
- "R word" week
- Health class
- Whitney United lessons were developed to connect students to the campus
- Whitney united movements
- Curriculum-kindness lessons
- Mental Awareness Week
- Teacher/parent meetings
- Mandatory reporting
- Teacher training and strategies (KOGNITO)
- Breaking down the walls program
- Every 15 Minutes
- Submitted, presented, and approved the suicide prevention board policy
- Staff presentation on student mental health and signs
- Immediate attention and suicide risk assessment are provided as needed daily
- Mental health incorporated into freshman success classes
Student Strategies:
- Anxiety checklist for classrooms
- Reflective listening
Teacher Strategies:
- Student-centered activities-classroom
- Behavior expectations-documented
- Intervention meetings
- Counselor-Special Ed representative-teacher feedback
- Feedback
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)?
A systemic approach including several Tiers of support to address all students’ academic, behavioral, and social/emotional needs.
A systemic approach including several Tiers of support to address all students’ academic, behavioral, and social/emotional needs.
Why is WHS committed to the implementation of MTSS?
This is a result of school and parent interest in developing aligned supports and interventions integrated within current, effective school practices to ensure all students are academically and socially successful at WHS.
Who is involved in this work, and what are they doing?
School teams continue to meet and examine data about student learning and site implementation of mathematics and reading initiatives. This helps the school understand how instructional and socio-emotional programs and staff can continue to be leveraged or redesigned to become a more tightly integrated system of services and supports.
What evidence can parents and staff see at school sites as evidence of MTSS implementation?
There are various entry points for WHS to begin coordinating academic and behavioral support services for students. On the educational side of the WHS's developing tiers of support, staff are starting to utilize Universal Designs for Learning, or strategies for students to engage in learning, experience a range of representations of content, and various options for demonstrating their understanding of what they’ve learned. WHS is utilizing screening and progress monitoring assessments to collect data about student learning and use this to provide additional supports, including interventions throughout the week. Behaviorally, WHS has launched the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to provide all students with school and classroom behavioral expectations. WHS is implementing social skills groups for students who need additional support and school-based therapy for students with more intense socio-emotional needs. These components create an integrated system of research-based practices to ensure all students succeed.
How will MTSS be sustained over time?
MTSS's success will be sustained over time through data-informed decision-making and targeted professional development around our implementation of evidence-based practices for academic and behavioral support. This continuous improvement cycle will ensure the effectiveness of MTSS.
This is a result of school and parent interest in developing aligned supports and interventions integrated within current, effective school practices to ensure all students are academically and socially successful at WHS.
Who is involved in this work, and what are they doing?
School teams continue to meet and examine data about student learning and site implementation of mathematics and reading initiatives. This helps the school understand how instructional and socio-emotional programs and staff can continue to be leveraged or redesigned to become a more tightly integrated system of services and supports.
What evidence can parents and staff see at school sites as evidence of MTSS implementation?
There are various entry points for WHS to begin coordinating academic and behavioral support services for students. On the educational side of the WHS's developing tiers of support, staff are starting to utilize Universal Designs for Learning, or strategies for students to engage in learning, experience a range of representations of content, and various options for demonstrating their understanding of what they’ve learned. WHS is utilizing screening and progress monitoring assessments to collect data about student learning and use this to provide additional supports, including interventions throughout the week. Behaviorally, WHS has launched the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to provide all students with school and classroom behavioral expectations. WHS is implementing social skills groups for students who need additional support and school-based therapy for students with more intense socio-emotional needs. These components create an integrated system of research-based practices to ensure all students succeed.
How will MTSS be sustained over time?
MTSS's success will be sustained over time through data-informed decision-making and targeted professional development around our implementation of evidence-based practices for academic and behavioral support. This continuous improvement cycle will ensure the effectiveness of MTSS.
Tier II Interventions
Targeted Intervention - utilized by 15% of the school population.
Academic Supports:
WHS Offerings:
- Co-taught classes
- Intervention period
- Modified instruction
- Summer school
- Night school
- After-school homework club
- AVID program
Student Strategies:
- Accountability
- Peer tutors
- Math tutoring
- After school, study hall
- Intervention appointments
Teacher Strategies:
- Intervention appointments
- Modified instruction
- Peer tutors in intervention for math and science
Behavioral Supports:
WHS Offerings:
- Referral/detention
- SARB process
- Administration meeting with student/parent
- Unified sports participation
- Admin talks
Social-Emotional Supports:
WHS Offerings:
- Various clubs and sports teams
- Unified sports participation
- Counseling appointments
- ”Eyes On” by the teacher
- Peer tutors
- Breaking down the walls
- Counseling availability on an appointment basis, including connections with outside resources and suicidal risk
- assessment when needed
- Suicide prevention, Mental health presentations
- Kognito training for high-school teachers and counselors
Student Strategies:
- Counseling appointments
- Unified Sports
Teacher Strategies:
- Teacher-initiated peer counseling
- "Eyes On” student
- Tutors on campus and in classes