What is the IL MTSS-N?

Illinois MTSS Network (IL MTSS-N) At-a-Glance

Vision

The vision of the IL MTSS-N is to be an innovative, solution-oriented, technical assistance model nationally known for promoting equitable education, career, and community opportunities for each and every student.

Mission

The mission of the IL MTSS-N is to provide high-quality training, coaching and technical assistance to support and empower educational entities in creating and sustaining improved positive outcomes for each and every student.

WHO is the IL MTSS-N?

The IL MTSS-N exists to enhance and empower district implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). MTSS is a framework for continuous improvement that is systemic, prevention-focused, and data-informed, providing a coherent continuum of supports responsive to meet the needs of all learners.

The overarching goal of the IL MTSS-N is to provide professional learning, including coaching, to support districts to implement a multi-tiered system of supports framework with fidelity that results in improved and sustained student outcomes.

The Network promotes MTSS as an organizing framework for districts statewide and strives to increase district capacity to implement evidence-based programs and practices proven to improve the progress and performance of ALL students in grades K12, including those with disabilities.

WHO does the IL MTSS-N serve?

Local education agencies (LEA), including districts, special education cooperatives and regional offices of education, may participate to varying degrees in the services provided.

• The IL MTSS-N serves districts across the state through high-quality professional learning that includes the following topics:
  • Multi-Tiered System of Supports
    • Getting Started with a Systems Framework
    • Implementation Drivers: Leadership, Organization and Capacity
    • Leading a Culture of Effective Data Use
    • Engaging in Data Analysis
    • Adaptive Schools: Building Collaborative Capacity in Systems
    • Coaching in an MTSS Framework
    • Principles of High-Quality Coaching
  • Evidence-based Programs and Practices to Support
    • Academics
    • Behavior
    • Trauma-Informed Practices
• Additionally, the IL MTSS-N provides targeted and intensive coaching and technical assistance to districts identified by ISBE through existing data.

WHAT does the IL MTSS-N do?

• The IL MTSS-N’s goal is to provide Illinois educational entities with professional learning that builds leadership and educator capacity to improve practice and make a positive impact on student growth and outcomes.
• The IL MTSS-N provides three types of professional learning—training and learning opportunities, coaching and technical assistance described as:
  • Training and learning opportunities is a purposeful, skill-based, and adult-learning informed process designed to support educators’ knowledge, skills, and practices. Training is formal or experiential instruction intended to meet a specific, pre-established outcome or learning objective.
  • Coaching is a process that supports educators to utilize with fidelity their knowledge and skills developed during training. Coaching is based on building capacity through relationships and facilitative questioning to help an individual or group take action toward goal-setting and achievement of desired goals. Coaching includes modeling, observation, reflective questioning, feedback, or other individualized supportive assistance.
  • Technical Assistance (TA) is a process designed to facilitate the transference of specialized information and skills through consultation,  problem-solving and connection to resources. By participating in a community of practice, including network and coaches meetings, people with common interests, concerns, and organizational issues will have an opportunity to continue learning with and from each other. TA works with and supports the training and coaching processes.

WHY does the IL MTSS-N do what it does?

IL MTSS-N offers supports to build the local capacity of LEAs so that they may:

• Establish an MTSS framework for continuous improvement and for the implementation of evidence-based practices in curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• Ensure that ALL Illinois students will be college and/or career ready
• Meet the unique needs of ALL students
• Positively impact outcomes for students with disabilities, so they, like their peers, are prepared for “further education, employment and independent living” (34CFR §300.1(a))

HOW does the IL MTSS-N work?

Services available to all LEAs are provided by regionally based IL MTSS-N staff members. LEAs that meet criteria established by ISBE for more intensive levels of support will be assigned a small team of IL MTSS-N staff who will provide individualized coaching and technical assistance. Because the IL MTSS-N delivers individual services through a coach-the-coach model for the purpose of building capacity and sustainability, the IL MTSS-N support team will work directly with the district and building leadership teams as well as district and building level coach(es). IL MTSS-N Capacity Coaches coach and support the District and  Building Coaches who facilitate teams and coordinate efforts with the authority to implement. The District and Building Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the district and buildings take the necessary steps to implement and sustain district-wide MTSS.

How We Connect

WHAT can districts expect from the IL MTSS-N?

The IL MTSS-N approach to district involvement is typically two-pronged. First, it is important that we address the reason that prompted the initial connection. While this does not mean that we will “fix” the issue, it means that we will honor the concerns and keep them in the foreground of our interactions. The second prong is more global in nature in that we link the areas of concern to the larger district system in order to ensure sustainability of improved practices.

Our core concept, as noted previously, is the value of a multi-tiered system of supports as an organizing framework. As a result, our initial interaction is focused on gathering data, through a variety of means, to develop a complete picture of the existing district capacity to implement and sustain such a system. Based on that data, the IL MTSS-N staff will utilize coaching conversations to support the district in thinking about their district improvement plan, their system and subsystems, their long and short term goals and their professional learning needs. Ongoing IL MTSS-N support, as specified in the plan, will be provided through a coach-the-coach model with supporting technical assistance and training.