Question: Why is it important to ensure students with disabilities are part of multi-tiered frameworks?

Answer: It is very important when you think about multi-tiered systems of support that you make sure that you include students that have already been diagnosed and are receiving special education services. Often times with RTI [Response to Intervention] and PBIS [Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports] being more general ed initiatives, special ed is seen as a destination. And once they get there, students may not be part of the problem solving team. And so, as we think of ways to try and support all students, particularly with intensive intervention, we want to make sure that students with special needs are being progress monitored and that there are more intensive interventions available for them. Some schools are finding that Tier 2 students are receiving a higher level of support than some students in special ed, due to special ed teachers case loads and scheduling. And so it is really important that being found eligible for special ed services isn’t the end point. We need to really pay attention and focus on meeting the needs of students even after they have been found eligible for special education beyond just a one [time] annual IEP meeting.