Implementation of a Multi-

Tiered System of Support

By: Kevin Dobson

Student Discipline
● One such way to make tangible change on a school campus is to abdicate power to
those who are most affected by administrative decisions.
● Providing students a tangible say on campus can be a tremendously important step
toward equity and inclusion on campus.
● Numerous research has already shown the impact that student voice can have within
the classroom (Alkharusi, Aldhafri, Alnabhani, & Alkalbani, 2014; Bennett, 2011;
Ford-Connors, Robertson, & Paratore, 2016).
Discipline Policies
● Research has indicated that current discipline policies are largely inadequate in solving student misbehavior
(Black, 2016; Buckmaster, 2016; Nance, 2016a). In addition, they disproportionately impact students of
color.
● Black (2016) points out these schools with punitive environments produce lower student achievement and
higher rates of suspension and expulsion.
● Teachers in negative environments are more likely to miss school or quit the profession all together. This has
a compounding effect that ultimately results in a lowering of instructional and teacher quality.
● As Black (2016) indicates, the key to reducing suspensions is to engage students in an active dialogue where
they, their parents, and the staff work collaboratively in the development of a school-wide discipline plan.
 Social Emotional Learning

● Research shows Social Emotional

Learning leads to greater student
learning outcomes
● This includes: building students’
skills to manage their emotions,
appreciate diversity, establish
goals, make responsible decisions
and handle personal situations
effectively.
Classroom Management Strategies
● Research from Black (2016) indicates that when teachers consistently have to discipline a student it can take
away from the learning of others
● Effort should be spent cultivating a positive classroom culture that preventively addresses misbehavior before
they arise.
● The approach to classroom discipline does vary depending on grade level.
○ Praise for elementary grades
○ Relationship building in high school
● Common traits of effective classroom management regardless of grade level include: teacher responsiveness,
movement, and pace have on the overall creation of a positive classroom environment
● That positive teacher student relationships are an important component in classroom management that
translates into greater student learning outcomes as students become more willing to take academic risks and
take on challenging concepts.
School Wide Systems of Support
● In order for proper implementation Jolivette, Kimball, Boden, & Sprague argue that
numerous supports must be put into place for the teaching staff. This includes
professional development, clearly articulated data indicators, and the development of
clearly defined entrance and exit criteria for Tier II and Tier III students.
● Well-functioning screening system is critical to the correct placement of students
Continued…
● The goal, therefore, is to reduce the numbers of
students being referred to Tier II interventions.
● Attention must be paid that PBIS is not intended
to create compliant behavior but rather to
improve academic behavior
● Expectation is that students face the same set of
regulations as they move from one class to
another
● Emphasis should be placed on the whole child
and the overall school climate
Pre Survey Findings
● The initial survey indicated that
teachers were already implementing
some elements of strong instructional
strategies
● These strong classroom strategies
were then followed by small group
interventions often led by teachers
● Tier 3 interventions were seemingly
only incorporated when initiated by
support staff or administration.
Survey Takeaways
One underlying theme within all the responses was the dedication teachers had
toward student success. Teachers expressed frustration when they were unable
to utilize an intervention strategy successfully. It also became clear that much of
the frustration seemed to stem from a lack of time available to fully implement the
interventions
LIST Form Analysis
● Every teacher within the academy had at least one log
● The 145 total entries which was made up of 84 students represented nearly one-third of the academy
● Out of these 84 students, five students had behavior logged on five or more different occasions.
● Out of these five:
○ two of the students qualified for special education services.
○ Another two out of the five were African American
○ The final student was on academic probation the previous trimester
● Clear trend with all of these students who were struggling both behaviorally and academically
○ All students had at least one course grade below a C
Recommendations
Recommendations