Roanoke City Schools named in new MTSS cohort

The Roanoke City School system recently hosted a media blitz to celebrate with Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) as partners for officially becoming a Multi-Tier Support System (MTSS).

On the day of the media blitz, members of the ALSDE were warmly welcomed by the RCS community as they visited Handley High School to officially recognize the partnership and give an informational presentation.

Handley band students showcased the pride, ethic and talent of the RCS system by giving a pep performance before the official program began.

RCS Superintendent Greg Foster opened with a welcome then turned the program over to Kristie Shankles, education specialist at the ALSDE, who explained to administrators, parents, students, media and community stakeholders how the partnership would benefit RCS.

Shankles explained that MTSS is a proactive framework that ensures student-focused support intended to be in place prior to a situation.

Shankles expounds, “MTSS is not a program, it’s not a class, it’s not an intervention. It is a framework to make sure that we are providing the supports needed for all of our students, faculty and staff.”

MTSS focuses on three areas of support which are combined to address students as a whole person.

The three areas are: academic support, behavioral support and foundational wellness, which includes fine arts, physical, social, emotional and mental health, college and career preparation and more. Shankles summaraized the three areas by saying, “It’s everything that makes a person a whole person.”

Shankles introduced Roanoke’s regional coaches Andrea Walker and Dr. Andrea Beall, who will work directly with RCS in supporting and implementing interventions. “With MTSS it is our commitment that we are at your beck and call,” said Shankles.

During the question and answer period, Shankles expounded on the process through which the framework is designed to gadge student success in order to better support individual needs. Shankles explained the use of qualitative and quantitative data collected through student and instructor surveys in the system.

By communicating with intsructors, Shankles explained that MTSS can use quantitative data to back up qualitative satisfaction reviews to support students and teachers and provide more need-pecific resources.

“Our vision and our motto that we say every day is ‘Every child. Every Chance. Every Day’,” Shankles stated. “We understand that with MTSS it is encompassing that … whole child, and when we say, ‘Every child,’ we mean all students.”

Before closing the program, Shankles pledged partnership to RCS on behalf of the ALSDE. “We are here to walk this walk with you (RCS) for the next five to eight years and beyond,” Shankles promised.