Student Support Services: 

Who Are We? 

Student Support services are made up of several team members offering different types of support including: English as an Additional Language (EAL), Special Education/Learning Support and School Counseling. ISK does not have full time related service providers (Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy) but collaborates with International Diagnostic Services (IDS) to provide these services to our students in a virtual setting. ISK also collaborates with outside educational psychologists for families who are requested to get an educational evaluation for their student to better understand the student’s learning needs. 

 

What Do We Do? 

The Student Support Team (SST) collaborates with general classroom teachers and specialist teachers (PE, Arts, Library, etc) to identify students’ academic and behavioral needs to provide targeted interventions that are individualized to each child. 

 

At ISK, we use a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) approach. MTSS is a proactive approach to identifying students with academic and behavioral needs. Most students’ learning and behavioral needs are met within the general classroom setting, which is called Tier 1. There are times when a student needs additional support in a more targeted and individualized approach. This is the Tier 2 and 3 of the MTSS approach. The Student Support Team is here to provide additional support to students who are in Tier 2 and Tier 3. While it is our aim to meet the needs of all students, we understand that part of being responsibly inclusive means that we are honest about the scope of services we can provide. Currently, we are not able to provide services for students with significant emotional or behavioral needs; or with severe, complex cognitive needs.

 

A More In-Depth Look at the MTSS Approach at ISK: 

Tier 1: Aim to see 80 - 90% of all students in Tier 1

Universal best instruction is given to all students in the general education classroom. This means differentiated learning and some co-teaching in the general classroom. 

 

Differentiation may look like:

  • Using varied text to engage students in areas of personal passion

  • Allowing student choice in assessment and mastery of content

  • Students may use a different process to learn the same material, such as create a timeline, perform a skit, make a 3D model, etc.

  • Chunking material and directions into smaller pieces of information

  • Providing manipulatives

 

All students in kindergarten through grade 8 receive Social Emotional Lessons (SEL) from the school counselors one time per week. Students in grades 9 through 12 receive advisory lessons weekly from their grade level advisor teachers.

 

If students are not reaching expectations within Tier 1 in the general classroom, they are referred to the Student Support Team (SST) to brainstorm ways to help the student find success within the classroom. Students are then transitioned into Tier 2 to be monitored by the SST to ensure that progress and growth are being made. 

 

Tier 2: Aim to see 5-15% of all students in Tier 2

We know from the research that Tier 1 services do not work for all students and some students do need more intensive support. Tier 2 is designed for such support. This is a place where the Student Support Team (Learning Support, Language Support, Counseling services and maybe even other specialists such as Occupational Therapy, or Speech and Language Therapy) target some students that need more intensive support, along with additional accommodations in the general classroom. They provide this support for 6-8 weeks with ongoing data collection during this time. After 6-8 weeks the team then re-evaluates to see if the student is ready to be released from Tier 2 small groups and services.

 

Tier 2 Services may look like: 

Elementary School

  • Small groups during WINN (What I Need Now) Time

  • Guided Reading Groups as needed based on teacher recommendation and reading data

  • Co-teaching in some classes

  • Check-ins/regular sessions with the school counselor 

  • EAL Classes

Middle School

  • Lit Lab

  • Math Lab (Transitions to Algebra Program)

  • Small groups during WINN (What I Need Now) Time

  • Co-teaching in some classes

  • Check-ins/regular sessions with the school counselor 

  • EAL Classes

High School

  • After School Math Assistance

  • Co-teaching in some classes

  • Check-ins/regular sessions with the school counselor 

  • EAL Classes

Accommodations may look like: 

  • Extended time

  • Small group or separate setting for some assessments

  • Speech to text or a scribe

  • Movement breaks

If students are not making substantial growth and progress in Tier 2 after 6-8 weeks the team will brainstorm other strategies to try for another 6-8 weeks with ongoing data collection. After three rounds of 6-8 weeks of having Tier 2 services, and a student is still not achieving as expected, the SST will have a meeting with the family to discuss the student potentially needing an educational evaluation completed by an educational psychologist to further understand the student’s needs and how to better assist them at school. After having an educational evaluation completed and the student was found to qualify for special education services, the student would then be transitioned into Tier 3 of MTSS. 

Tier 3: Aim to see 1-5% of all students in Tier 3

This tier is designed for very few students who need intensive support – those typically

who need an Individual Learning or Language plan to support their personal learning goals and objectives. Students in Tier 3 have a specific plan with individualized accommodations listed in order for the student to be successful in class. Students continue to receive differentiated teaching and small group interventions, along with other accommodations, modifications and services outlined in their individualized learning plan (ILP)

Tier 3 Services may look like: 

  • Individualized Learning Plans (ILP)

  • Individualized Language Plan 

  • Instruction with the Wilson Reading System 

  • Instruction with the Readtopia program

  • Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSP)

  • Behavior Tracking Sheets 

ISK is fortunate to have a supplemental learning support classroom for students who have a need for more in-depth support and modifications in their academic programming. This classroom is for students with Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) that need more intensive individual instruction. Students must meet the criteria to enter the supplemental learning support classroom:

  • Recent (within 3 years) educational evaluation completed by an educational psychologist

  • Have an ILP with data showing that other interventions in Tier 2 and Tier 3 have not been successful

  • Performing significantly below their current chronological grade level in English Language Arts and/or Math.