Lever 3
Integrated Student
Support Systems
Lever 3: Integrated Student Supports
The district establishes proactive and responsive holistic student supports to provide student supports focusing on a positive school culture by developing, implementing, and monitoring behavior and safety plans, empowering staff to address student needs Pre-K through 12th grade.
Board of Trustees Commitments:
Board commitments describe what the governance teams do to ensure that local education agency systems are set up for success. These commitments are under review and will be available soon.
3 . 1
Framework for a Comprehensive Multi-tiered System of Supports
Establish and communicate an integrated multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework aligned to evidence-based prevention and intervention practices to support the academic and non-academic needs of all students, providing guidance on routine progress monitoring and data-driven decision making (supportive of Essential Action 4.1)
3.1.1: Student Support Teams – District sets expectations for implementing student support teams to use data to identify individual student strengths and needs, implementing individualized support strategies, and using a case management system to monitor student progress. +
Success Criteria
District identifies clear purposes, roles, and responsibilities for student support teams on each campus, ensuring that teams are comprised of individuals with expertise in diverse areas.
District provides guidance and training on effective student support teams, including research-based student support strategies that can be a mixture of classroom-based, school-based, or community support-based approaches.
District ensures campuses establish student support teams focused on both academic and non-academic data and the needs of the student.
District provides a step-by-step process for identification and support to ensure appropriate, accurate, and timely placement of students.
District provides guidance for campus leaders and student support teams on best practices in individualized support, case management, and student progress monitoring.
3.1.2: Professional Learning Supports– District provides resources and training to enable staff to implement the comprehensive MTSS framework to address academic support, behavioral health and mental health services and support. +
Success Criteria
District provides resources and training for campus leaders to effectively support campus implementation of the MTSS framework.
District provides ongoing training and guidance tailored to the specific needs of staff based on their roles, ensuring they are equipped with best practices to support students’ academic, behavioral, mental health and wellness needs in the implementation of the MTSS framework.
District provides training for campus leaders and student support teams that focus on best practices in identifying at-risk students, individualized support, case management, and student progress monitoring.
3.1.3: Universal Screening – District provides procedures and training in implementing universal screening processes for academic, mental health and behavior, provides time and support for a multidisciplinary team to analyze data, and reinforces the value of universal screening with staff, students, and families. +
Success Criteria
District has established a system for regular/ongoing assessment of behavioral/mental health student needs, utilizing universal screening tools that are fully integrated into school programs and routines across all campuses.
District has outlined clear expectations for campus personnel to review screening data and progress monitor all students (academic and non-academic), with a focus on at-risk students, ensuring prompt adjustments for individual students, classes, and grade levels (aligns with 4.2.4).
District has established a universal screening system for PK-2 students to identify academic and developmental concerns using commissioner approved tools (aligned to 3.4.3).
District provides regular training to staff on mental and behavioral health, including look fors in student behavior and appropriate responses.
District defines and socializes universal screening practices within the entire school community.
3.1.4: Family Engagement – District sets expectations and provides staff training and time to meaningfully engage parents/caregivers, promote parent/caregiver understanding of student progress and campus expectations, and facilitate a parent/caregiver partnership to support overall student development and success. +
Success Criteria
District provides campus with best practice resources and tools to engage families, with an emphasis on families of at-risk students.
District provides training and guidance for every campus to create a family engagement strategy plan aligned to district vision and criteria for success (goals, family needs assessment, calendar of workshops and events aligned to goals, key resource dependencies and follow-up procedures for families of students identified as at-risk).
District gathers formal (e.g., survey, focus group) and informal (e.g., conversations with teacher) feedback on family/caregivers’ perceptions of their engagement in their children’s education (e.g., frequency and quality of communication, input into decision making, understanding of information shared) and adjusts based on the data.
District ensures written communications are readable and accessible to wide audiences (e.g., home languages, plain text, 508-compliant for accessibility).
District establishes clear expectations for campus-based staff to maintain strong, two-way communication with families about interventions and support strategies, focusing on the knowledge and skills needed to promote the whole child’s academic progress, well-being, and mental health.
3 . 2
School-wide Culture, Behavior, Safety
Establish strong school culture, behavior, and safety systems (aligned to 3.1)
3.2.1: School-wide Culture – District sets clear expectations for campus-level culture-setting aligned to district-level guiding commitments and vision and inclusive of aspects of culture foundational to student readiness to learn. +
Success Criteria
District provides guidance, resources, and support where needed to ensure campuses promote a positive and inclusive school culture across academic and non-academic settings.
District ensures campus culture expectations are aligned to the district’s vision, mission, and guiding commitments.
District establishes systematic processes with clear expectations, and strategies to implement a multi-tier system of supports to foster a positive school-wide culture for all students in every classroom.
District establishes walkthrough protocols/tools that include criteria to evaluate communicating high academic expectations to students, fostering positive relationships, modeling positive reinforcement, and prompting students to drive their learning.
3.2.2: Routines for a Productive Learning Environment – District sets clear expectations for implementing school-wide and classroom-level procedures for a safe, productive learning environment. +
Success Criteria
District sets expectations for campus leaders to implement school-wide procedures that ensure safe and efficient student transitions and gatherings.
District sets expectations for campus leaders to support teachers in implementing effective practices for establishing and maintaining a productive and respectful classroom learning environment that supports all learners.
District sets expectations for explicit instruction with practice and reinforcement for students to learn routines to maximize instructional time.
3.2.3: Universal Behavior and Discipline Strategies – District sets expectations for campus-level implementation of a system of prevention, incentives, and consequences that promotes positive behavior. +
Success Criteria
District implements evidence-based behavioral support strategies and intervention frameworks that allow all students to access tier one instruction.
District provides written guidance and training for effective classroom management practices that includes specific, tiered disciplinary interventions and positive behavior incentives.
District monitors the implementation of strategies that allow campus-level trends for analysis and action planning.
District analyzes the effectiveness of behavior and discipline strategies to make adjustments, as needed.
3 . 3
Interventions and Support
Establish systems, resources, and training to enable staff to identify and respond to needs and provide timely targeted responses to reduce barriers to learning and promote trust, belonging, safety, growth mindset, and self-
regulation (aligned to 3.1.)
3.3.1: Resource Mapping and Referral Pathways – District establishes partnerships and identifies resources to develop effective referral pathways for coordinated support for student and staff behavioral, mental health, and wellness needs; develops procedures to maintain a supportive, student-centered focus when reacting to unforeseen community, campus, or student challenges. +
Success Criteria
District has outlined a clear process of identifying and responding to student and staff behavioral, mental health, and wellness needs.
District has an updated, detailed resource map identifying district and community support for mental and behavioral student needs/concerns.
District has operationalized partnerships with local, state, and county mental health organizations for increased student and family access to a wider network of support.
District sets expectations for staff training on how to recognize signs that a student needs additional support, including special education child find requirements, and effective, immediate strategies to implement.
3.3.2: Special Populations Support – District provides effective special populations supports for students through a variety of structured programs and services to address students’ unique psychological, emotional, and behavioral needs. +
Success Criteria
District ensures that a school counselor is readily available at each campus to provide preventative support and responsive services, which include guidance curriculum, individual student planning, and referrals to external agencies as needed.
District systems and processes are connected to the overall MTSS framework, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Content-Based Language Instruction (CBLI).
District provides training and resources to campus leaders and staff on legal and recommended practices for supporting students from special populations.
District establishes a clear process for referral to special education services, connected to the overall MTSS framework, ensuring these processes are implemented with fidelity.
District provides access to the MTSS tiers for all students, including those in special populations.
3.3.3: Threat Assessment – District establishes threat assessment teams integrated into ongoing student support structures, provides aligned staff and student training, communicates the responsibility to report, and establishes mental health crisis response protocols. +
Success Criteria
District has outlined a clear channel for students, families, staff, and the broader community to immediately report threats.
District sets clear expectations and criteria for campus threat assessment team development, meeting requirements, and training.
District establishes a system for campus threat assessment team to access and regularly utilize universal screener data to target threat assessment protocols and interventions.
3.3.4: Postvention Services – District sets expectations, provides support, and ensures district and campus staff have training to support suicide postvention services, provide trauma-informed care, and facilitate school re-entry following outpatient care. +
Success Criteria
District has clear procedures and protocols to support student re-entry.
District has clear communication protocols and procedures for campuses by stakeholder group.
District provides staff training and guidance to support follow-up resources for a range of situation types.
3 . 4
Early Childhood
Establish systems, resources, and programming to engage and support the
development of young children
3.4.1: Early Childhood Programming – District implements early childhood programming (independently or through intentionally structured partnerships) that delivers on a strong readiness model (aligned to 4.1.5). +
Success Criteria
District offers full-day prekindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds as stated in TEC §29.153 (b) and follows requirements for high-quality prekindergarten under TEC §29.153 (c-1).
District implements a plan to expand access for eligible students which could include prekindergarten partnerships with local childcare providers and partners as well as offering prekindergarten 3 programming.
3.4.2: Family Support and Partnership – District implements research-aligned best practices for family support, such as home visitation and home instruction support. +
Success Criteria
District develops, implements, and revises a HQPK Family Engagement plan that includes activities and strategies that meet the needs and concerns of their community.
District establishes partnership with early childhood families before the first day of school to ensure students and families are set up for success.
District strategic partnerships with other community agencies invested in early childhood are leveraged to support students and families.
3.4.3: Early Identification – District provides and uses screening instruments to facilitate the early identification of cognitive and developmental concerns based on readiness competencies and develops individual support plans to address student needs and/or a referral for formal assessment for a disability. +
Success Criteria
District has implemented a standardized timeline for administering required commissioner-approved instruments and communicating instrument results to parent/guardians across prekindergarten through grade 2.
District has developed a system to track and analyze PK-2 instrument data over time to identify trends and inform instructional practice, including an analysis of the effectiveness of the instrument in meeting the needs of stakeholders.
District has established guidelines for creating and monitoring individual support plans by providing training, resources, and tools to address school readiness and student needs.
District has established a system for identifying academic and developmental concerns using screening instruments and/or commissioner-approved instruments.