SUPPORTIVE POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

ESTABLISHING SUPPORTIVE POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Supportive environments are “safe” environments for students and staff. Supportive environments require the commitment from all staff and a belief that all students can learn and succeed with the right relationships within the school and the appropriate supports in place. Developing supportive environments requires all staff to be part of a proactive system that considers the unique needs of all students. To this end, the Brandywine School District utilizes an approach known as MTSS or Multi-Tiered System of Support as the guiding framework to support students academically and behaviorally. The MTSS Framework aligns perfectly with the core principles of the District’s longstanding and award-winning Positive Behavior Support (PBS/PBIS) Program centered on social behaviors. Together, these two frameworks will provide essential supports to all students, with targeted supports based on need.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework that provides targeted support to struggling students. It focuses on the “whole child.” MTSS supports academic growth and achievement, but it also supports behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students. A system of support includes three tiers to categorize students. Using these tiers and student behavioral data, students can be grouped in order to receive the appropriate support.

MTSS Tier 1

A primary responsibility of the classroom teacher is establishing and maintaining a positive learning environment in which all students can learn and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Effective classroom management requires an Educator to teach, model, reinforce, and affirm desired behaviors. Effective classroom management requires the strategic, proactive deliberate re-teaching and reinforcement of expectations embedded in teaching and learning of course content throughout the entire school year. Essential components of classroom management also include the establishment of clear classroom rules and expectations, consistent enforcement of expectations, adult-driven development of positive student-tostudent and student-to-teacher relationships, creation of a student-focused classroom, clear communication, and strong teaching practices that engage students in learning.

MTSS Tier 2

Occasionally, students are disruptive and do not respond to Tier 1 interventions and require additional strategies to be devised by the teacher. These interventions are plans that are designed to systematically understand the nature of the misbehavior and proactively provide supports to the student. This is a deliberate process that examines relationships, classroom routines, the student’s environmental stressors, trauma, miscommunications, or interactions with other staff members or students to better support the student. Teachers will consult with colleagues to better understand the student needs and identify strategies that are effective with this student.

MTSS Tier 3

There are a small number of students that need intensive, individualized interventions. These students present challenging behaviors that impede other students’ ability