MTSS and Branching Minds: Comprehensive Notes

Overview and goals
- District-wide MTSS implementation aims to reduce disproportionality and inequality in supports across tiers (tier 1, tier 2, tier 3) and to prevent suspensions. MTSS is framed as preventative, with a focus on early, documented interventions and data-driven decisions.
- The superintendent’s strategic goal centers on reducing disproportionality and ensuring students receive appropriate tiered supports early, with a strong emphasis on staying front-facing with students (8:20 rule).
- Elementary counselors are central to delivering student-facing support, and there is a planned shift toward having principals take on a more explicit MTSS coordination role in the future.
Roles and governance
- MTSS leadership committee is responsible for tier decisions; teachers do not independently change student tiers anymore.
- Only managers (e.g., principals, APs, counselors with manager access) can change tiers, and changes must occur within MTSS committee meetings with data presented.
- The MTSS playbook is being developed via a Google form to capture questions and challenges for flowcharts, ensuring clear next steps (e.g., when to pursue a Functional Behavior Assessment).
- Parents are not typically invited to MTSS tiering decisions; those decisions occur in principal/counselor/teacher committees or with the MTSS leadership team.
- District leadership envisions gradually moving MTSS coordination away from counselors toward designated campus MTSS coordinators (appointed at the campus level) while preserving the essential, ongoing MTSS work.
Behavior tiers: rules, workflow, and documentation
- Initial tiering is driven by MAP data and other available data; end-of-year data can be used as a starting point for behavior levels, but changes require committee decisions.
- There is no auto-tiering; tier changes are manual and must be made through the MTSS committee in Branching Minds.
- If a student already has a Tier 3 designation for behavior (e.g., from prior data), you still review it in committee before any changes, to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of the plan.
- A student’s behavior tier may be single-context (e.g., needs more support with a particular teacher) rather than across all settings; counselors should consider the Tier that applies in the specific context, following a Texas model approach.
- If a student requires a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) and is identified under a 504 plan or IEP, the decision and changes to the BIP occur in the 5 0 4 committee or the IEP process, not unilaterally by teachers.
- If a student has a BIP within a 504 plan (5 0 4), the 5 0 4 committee reviews the BIP and determines changes; documentation and service additions align with the relevant committee decisions.
- The decision to escalate to a BIP or IEP-related support follows data points and committee review, not based solely on a single incident.
Branching Minds platform: key features and navigation
- Log in via ClassLink; each user is connected to a school and specific students; remove or adjust associations via the three-dots menu if a student should no longer be associated.
- Student dashboard overview:
- Toolbar includes:
  - Behavior incidents: log and view incidents; there is a dedicated button for behavior data.
  - Missing plans: indicates how many behavior/plan gaps exist across the student’s profile (counts all tiered plans that have missing BIPs or related documentation).
  - Services button: new this year; all students are tiered regardless of IEP/504; this replaces the old “services per grade/tier” view.
  - Topics and progress: shows current behavior and academic drills; progress monitoring data is captured here.
  - Family communications: documents letters to families (e.g., SB 153 letters) describing interventions.
  - Supporting documents: stores DOLs, sped eval letters, and other necessary documents; timelines (e.g., 15 days for expedited meetings in some sped processes).
  - Current school year vs all school years: view historical data; you can toggle to see prior years’ plans and progress.
- The initial tier indicator is map-driven for academics; behavior data is current year and can be updated via committee decisions.
- Tiering controls and permissions:
- Manager access is required to change tiers; teacher access cannot change tiers.
- Changes must be made in MTSS committee meetings and documented in Branching Minds.
- If a student already has Tier 3 this year and a change is proposed, the committee must review and decide; changes outside the committee should be avoided.
- Data visualization and filtering:
- Use the Filter button to sort students by subpopulations (e.g., race) to examine disproportionality and ensure equitable supports.
- Clear the filter to return to the full dataset.
- Insights and surveys:
- Insight surveys can be sent to teachers to gather data on a student’s behavioral health; there are 35 Likert-scale questions to guide planning.
- The survey results are stored by school year and can be reviewed in the Behavioral Health topic under Survey Results.
- Behavior incidents reporting:
- The Reports area shows all incidents (e.g., $1{,}590$ incidents across the district); this data informs need for guidance lessons or a sequential escalation to a plan.
- Plans and progress tracking:
- Behavior plans (e.g., PBIS tier one classroom management) and missing plans are tracked; progress is monitored and documented.
- Progress monitoring data contributes to the student’s trajectory (theme: “topic” progress and plan outcomes).
- Family communications and FERPA considerations:
- Family communications are logged and available for review to ensure consistent outreach.
- Access controls (FERPA) restrict who can view or modify student data.
- Documentation and roles in branching minds:
- The platform maintains documentation for academic and behavioral interventions, and supports the district’s aim to document all MTSS actions for accountability and future planning.
- Practical navigation tips:
- The left navigation ribbon shows To-Do lists, grouping, and staff management; use the Manage button to review staff permissions if you’re coordinating MTSS on a campus.
- The Insights tab and Behavior Health sections are central for data-driven decision-making.
Insight survey and data collection specifics
- Purpose: to capture teacher input on a student’s behavior and performance to drive behavior planning and tier decisions.
- Process: level setting in Behavioral Health; update grade level before launching the Insight Survey (e.g., do not use a third-grade baseline for a high school student).
- Steps:
- Identify student in Behavioral Health topic; click the pencil to set the grade level if needed.
- Click Insight Survey; answer 35 Likert-scale questions; results feed into planning for PBIS and behavior supports.
- Outcome: survey results help determine next steps, including whether a PBIS tiered approach, a Behavior Support Plan, or a more intensive intervention is warranted.
- Data persistence: survey results persist by school year and can be reviewed to track progress over time.
Data usage for equity and disproportionality
- The Filter tool enables district-wide and campus-level analyses to identify disproportionate discipline patterns by subpopulations (e.g., race).
- The goal is to ensure consistent, equitable supports across all student groups and reduce suspensions and disproportional discipline.
- Examples: if district data show disproportionate Tier 3 referrals among a subgroup, focus on Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports and guidance lessons to address root causes before escalating.
Incident reporting and tier decision flow
- Frequent behavior incidents should trigger a review of PBIS tier one supports and potential Tier 2/3 interventions.
- When incidents accumulate, consider conducting an insight survey and a MTSS committee meeting to address student needs.
- The recommended sequence:
- Document incidents via Branching Minds.
- Review data in MTSS committee; determine if a Tier 2 or Tier 3 plan is warranted.
- If a plan is warranted, create and document the plan in Branching Minds and begin progress monitoring.
- Teacher workload considerations: avoid overburdening teachers with incident logging; address campus-wide behavioral trends through guided professional learning and targeted guidance lessons.
- Faculty-level professional learning: principals can support teachers by allocating brief PLC-style discussions on behavior strategies to reduce incidents campus-wide.
Documentation, 504/IEP, and related processes
- BIPs are managed by the 5 0 4 committee (or relevant IEP processes); changes to BIPs should be coordinated through this committee.
- If a student has a BIP within a 504 or IEP, the 5 0 4 or IEP team determines modifications; the MTSS committee may discuss behavior data, but changes to the plan must follow the appropriate committee.
- For students with a 504 plan or IEP, the presence of a “S” (services) entry indicates the student is receiving related services; this “S” field is managed in Branching Minds and tied to the student’s status.
- Documentation for sped-related activities (e.g., letters to families, DOLs) should be uploaded to Branching Minds and tracked with timelines (e.g., 15 days to schedule an individual meeting with parents if a sped evaluation is requested).
Family communications and DOLs
- Family communications (e.g., SB 153 letters) describe interventions and supports implemented for the student.
- Supporting documents, including any letters or DOLs (diagnostic or instructional plans), should be uploaded to the student’s Branching Minds profile for transparency and accountability.
Practical guidance, next steps, and support
- MTSS playbook development: gather questions via a Google form to produce clear flowcharts and next-step guidelines (e.g., steps toward a FBA or other assessments).
- Focus areas for immediate work: tier one framework and IPC DOLs remain the district focus; the immediate task is to examine behavior incidents and apply tier one supports while developing tier two/three strategies.
- Timeline and next steps:
- Teachers and staff should begin with PBIS tier one and classroom management strategies, escalating to tier two/three via MTSS committee as data warrants.
- Principal and MTSS leadership will determine roles and may appoint a campus MTSS coordinator to assume coordination responsibilities from counselors over time.
- Key reminder to campuses: maintain the momentum of MTSS work; the goal is to keep students supported and to document all decisions and interventions.
- Questions and conversations: an open Google form will collect campus-specific questions; experts (e.g., MTSS director, counselors, and principal stakeholders) will respond and refine the playbook.
Quick recap of essential concepts to remember for exams
- MTSS is preventive and data-driven; changes to tiers must occur via MTSS committees, not by individual teachers.
- Managers (not all staff) have permission to adjust tiers in Branching Minds; all tier changes must be documented and tied to data.
- 504/IEP processes govern the modification of BIPs; MTSS decisions focus on placement of supports and data-informed plan development.
- Branching Minds is the central repository for behavior incidents, plans, surveys, and family communications; use the filter tool to analyze disproportionality and to drive targeted interventions.
- The 8:20 rule emphasizes principal goal: 80% of time should be student-facing; MTSS aims to streamline coordination so counselors can focus more on direct student support.
Important examples and hypothetical scenarios (from the session)
- A student previously leveled as Tier 3 for behavior: the committee must review and decide if Tier 3 is still appropriate based on updated data; avoid making unilateral changes.
- A student with BIP in a 504 plan: the 5 0 4 committee handles modifications; behavior incidents are data points but do not automatically change the tier unless the committee approves.
- An incident log spike across multiple classes: use this to trigger a campus-wide guidance lesson or a targeted Tier 1/2 intervention, and consider an MTSS committee meeting to plan a formal response.
- If a staff member has manager access but is not authorized to change tiers for certain students, campus leadership must ensure proper governance and role alignment.
Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance
- Aligns with PBIS and MTSS frameworks: emphasize proactive supports, data-driven decision-making, equitable treatment across student populations, and collaboration among counselors, teachers, and administrators.
- Encourages data-informed, collaborative decision-making rather than unilateral actions by any single staff member.
- Focus on reducing suspensions and improving long-term outcomes by providing appropriate supports early in a student’s schooling.
Ethical, philosophical, and practical implications
- Emphasizes transparency and accountability through documented committee decisions and data-driven discussions.
- Seeks to minimize disproportionality by ensuring equitable access to supports and avoiding biased or rushed decisions based on isolated incidents.
- Practical shift toward student-facing roles for counselors, with the expectation that MTSS coordination will transition to campus-level leaders over time.
LaTeX-formatted data references and numerical points
- District requirement for MTSS team members: $3$ teachers on the grade-level MTSS team.
- 8:20 rule: front-of-student time should be $80\%$ of the time.
- Behavior incident reporting sample data: $1{,}590$ incidents in the reports area.
- Inquiry about grade-level prompts and survey sizes: Insight Survey contains $35$ questions.
- All-year vs current-year data views; ability to review data from all school years (historical) vs the current year for ongoing planning.
Final notes for exam preparation
- Be able to explain who changes tiers and under what governance: MTSS committee decisions with manager access; no teacher-only tier changes.
- Understand how Branching Minds structures data: logging incidents, plans, services, and family communications; filters for equity analysis; timeline for documentation.
- Describe how the insight survey feeds into planning and the recommended workflow when data indicate rising behavioral concerns.
- Be prepared to discuss the district’s strategic goal of reducing disproportionality and how MTSS supports that through tiered interventions and data-driven decisions.