Data, MTSS, and Taking Action: How It’s All Connected
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
In this post, Olivia and I collaborated to write about why data and intervention go hand in hand. Because if we can’t make it all work together for us, how will we do it for our students?
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
In our day to day work as educators, we compartmentalize our work—hearing a personal story here, analyzing data there, and doing systems change over here. It’s understandable—we need to focus on things one at a time so we can get our work done, no matter what our role in education is.
But when we separate these things in our minds for long enough, we forget they’re all connected in some way. It’s all part of the tapestry we work in that provides a positive environment for our students.
Interested in how personal stories, data work, and systems work tie together? Read on for more.
A Success Story That’s Close to Home
When my teammate Olivia Rivera trains school districts on equity or PBIS, she tells a very personal story. Her parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States before she was born. Olivia’s first language was Spanish. So when Olivia started kindergarten, she had to learn two things at once: First, she had to learn the lessons her teacher planned for the day. And second, she had to learn English.
Through a combination of effort, a nurturing environment, and a loving support network, Olivia succeeded. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. She became a school psychologist and then an administrator. This was particularly remarkable when you consider Olivia’s father didn’t have the opportunity to attend school in Mexico (despite having taught himself to read and write in Spanish and English as an adult).
And now as an education leader promoting equity in schools, Olivia uses her experience as a young English learner to draw from a deep well of empathy for students like her.
“I’ve heard Olivia’s story many times. And still I must acknowledge that not every student has the experience that Olivia had.”
I’ve heard Olivia’s story many times. And still I must acknowledge that not every student has the experience that Olivia had. And that’s where her story teaches me an important lesson about how I use data.
Data Won’t Be Enough
If we want our schools to be a place where our students meet their full potential, we have to use our creativity as educators to build systems where that’s possible—a place where our systems support students like Olivia, and all other students. We need data to help us build these systems, but data won’t do the building for us.
When I started with ED&D, I set out to build tools that help people use data easily. What I learned is that these data tools can only point us towards the next step. What’s needed after that are frameworks for behavior and instruction that give a platform to all our students to succeed.
Why We Provide MTSS and PBIS Training
Just like there is more than one data tool to help us do our jobs well, there are also more than one behavioral and instructional frameworks we can build for our students. At the ED&D project, we focus on two in particular: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for behavior and our newest offering, a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) for academics.
If we want to create an environment where all students can experience the success Olivia has, we have to pair data use with systems change. Between our EDDS training, our multi-tiered systems of support workshops, and our positive behavior interventions and supports classes, we support your goals for your students.
If you’re interested in learning more about combining how you use data and how you improve your academic and behavior systems, visit our website’s events page. You’ll find links to register for upcoming events and links to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!