MTSS framework supports high school learning and student mental health

The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework helps ensure high school students receive the academic support they need to succeed while also providing social-emotional and mental-health support across the White Plains City School District. 

Through data analysis, classroom strategies and access to mental health professionals, the district’s MTSS approach helps remove barriers to learning while giving students multiple pathways to demonstrate their understanding. 

High School MTSS 

At the high school level, administrators and teachers meet regularly to review student performance data and determine appropriate interventions. 

“Some of those supports might happen in the classroom,” said Douglas Cronk, Coordinator of English 7-12. “So, it might be offering a particular kind of scaffold that will allow students to access what the rest of the class is doing.

“Sometimes it might be an opportunity to check in; it could be some type of additional support that could be offered through the school day. Sometimes support might only need to be for a few weeks. Sometimes, a support might be something that’s ongoing,” he added. 

To ensure equitable access to curriculum, the district incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which provides students with multiple ways to engage with content and demonstrate understanding. 

“There’s not really one way that you could demonstrate how you learned, and by giving all the students an opportunity to pick how they demonstrated what they learned, we could really assess them better and know what they’re learning instead of in one particular format,” said Emory Davis, Coordinator of Social Studies 7-12. 

For example, students completed research projects and were able to present their findings through a traditional paper, poster board or podcast. One group of freshmen chose to create a podcast about pioneering cancer researcher Dr. Jane Cooke Wright. 

“We wanted to do a podcast because we wanted it to be original and have our voices within the project and not just a poster where it’s just information about her and facts,” one of the three female students said. “We could incorporate what we think along with the facts.” 

In teacher Jawanda Weston’s Global 1 Honors class, students recently discussed topics related to leadership, demonstrating how classroom activities can be structured to allow multiple ways of engaging with material. 

Ms. Weston said UDL helps ensure that students can approach material in ways that work best for them. 

“Sometimes, if they’re doing work by themselves, I make sure that they have choices,” she said. “Some students might work better if they’re watching a video, or some students might do better with text. They have choices based on how they work best.” 

Her students said that flexibility is common across many of their classes. 

“I think it mostly depends on the subject,” one female student said. “In biology, I might study more by memorization, but in history or English it’s more reading comprehension.” 

A freshman said students often have input into how they demonstrate learning. 

“How I study and absorb information in my history class is very different than my math class,” he said. “But in most cases, I do have input on how I’m studying and what I’m doing to show that I know the information.” 

Another student added that teachers often provide materials in multiple formats, helping students revisit lessons when needed. 

“Most of my teachers put everything in Schoology so we can go back and look at it,” he said. “Sometimes there are videos. There are different ways to see it, and I feel like I’m flexible in the way I learn.” 

Mental Health Support in MTSS 

Mental health and social-emotional development are also key components of the district’s MTSS framework, said Dr. Karen Tesik, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Pupil Services. 

She said the district is developing structures within the MTSS handbook while ensuring students have access to mental-health professionals throughout the school day. 

“We have school psychologists, social workers and school counselors available to all of our students K through 12,” Dr. Tesik said. 

Those professionals provide a range of services, including counseling, social-emotional support, and group work designed to help students navigate challenges in school and relationships with peers. 

“The purpose of school counseling, whether that be mental health counseling, academic counseling or social-emotional groups, is really to help eliminate barriers within the school so students can focus on learning,” Dr. Tesik said. 

Mental-health support is delivered through the same tiered structure used for academic supports. 

At Tier 1, social-emotional skills such as empathy, compassion and resilience are taught to all students through classroom lessons and everyday interactions with staff. 

Tier 2 interventions involve small-group support for students who may need additional guidance, such as reflecting on social conflicts or understanding the impact of their words and actions. 

At Tier 3, students may receive individualized counseling and, if necessary, referrals to outside mental health providers. 

“We work collaboratively with mental health professionals to support our children throughout the day," Dr. Tesik said.

The goal of these supports is to ensure students feel safe and ready to learn. 

“Again, the goal is to remove barriers so students can have a wonderful school day and be able and ready to learn,” she said. 

Dr. Debbie J. Hand, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, stated: “Through this multi-tiered, structured, data-informed approach, the district aims to ensure that every student — at every grade level — receives the support needed to succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally.”