Message from Superintendent

CORVID-19 immediately changed our district in a manner that we never envisioned.  When we were struck with the unforeseen pandemic, we were engulfed with uncertainty.  However, we knew that it was imperative for the learning experience of our students to continue.

Our district is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by addressing the needs of the whole child.

During the 2019-2020 school year, Williamsburg County School District implemented in all schools the Multi-tiered System of Support Framework (MTSS). The MTSS Framework supports students in reaching their potential and meeting the goals of the South Carolina Graduate as follows:

• In order for students to receive support towards meeting expectations, we modified schedules making certain that all students had access to academic, behavioral and socio- emotional support as needed. In addition, each school created a MTSS Plan outlining their school’s procedures and specifics. During the school -year leadership teams attended monthly workshops on the self-assessment rubric and used the self-assessment to develop action plans.
• All schools selected and implemented evidence-based interventions for both Math and Reading. Most schools selected evidence-based computer programs to assist with Math interventions. While others utilized evidence-based Reading Programs and/or What Works Clearinghouse strategies for adolescent literacy learners.
• All schools-maintained data binders as a structure for monitoring student progress to inform instruction. All students were screened in both reading and math. In addition to screening we triangulated data to support placement into Intensive instruction. As well as to determine which students needed targeted support. With the three times a year screening, schools implemented progress monitoring to ensure that students were progressing.

MTSS addresses the needs of the whole child – academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally – through a holistic and personalized system of learning that incorporates academics and social emotional behaviors into one framework.

This approach recognizes the connection between academics and behavior and addresses both areas simultaneously; such an approach enables educators and support professionals to use data to drive their instructional interventions with students, allowing the student the most growth potential.

This process uses interventions that match the skill that needs to be addressed, which was identified through data driven decision making and progress monitoring to increase that student’s potential for success and graduating high school college and career ready. This

SCMTSS framework is proactive rather than reactive because it is a system that challenges educators and support professionals to be lifelong learners by analyzing current systems and making decisions that will improve instructional approaches.

The goal of a MTSS is to deliver early intervention for every student who struggles to attain or maintain grade-level performance by effectively utilizing best instructional practices within an evidence-based instructional model. An ongoing, systematic process of using student data to guide instructional and intervention decisions is required.

SCMTSS is founded on six core principles that are essential for students and educators to succeed:

Leadership,

Building Capacity and Infrastructure

Communication and Collaboration

Data-Based Problem-Solving

Tiered Instruction

Data Evaluation

Rose Wilder, Superintendent

Molly Spearman State Superintendent