Educators and school administrators are continually seeking ways to improve student behavior and attendance. A well-designed continuum of supports is a crucial element for establishing a common response based on underlying issues. This approach recognizes that students have unique needs and that a one-size-fits-all solution won't work. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of creating a continuum of supports for behavior and attendance and discuss how it can benefit both students and schools.
Understanding the Continuum of Supports
A continuum of supports is a multi-tiered system that offers various levels of assistance to students, depending on their needs. In Collaborative Response, a continuum of supports includes four tiers:
Each tier provides a layer of support intended to be clearly articulated by each school, beginning with excellent classroom instruction (Tier 1) to differentiated supports in the classroom (Tier 2) to accessing school wide supports (Tier 3) and finally to the most intensive individualized layer of support (Tier 4). Access a video that provides an overview of the continuum of supports.
The establishment of a continuum of supports is essential for all schools, to organize, articulate and tier the strategies, accommodations and interventions available to students and teachers in the school to support the diverse needs of students. For more information about the continuum of supports access resources on our website.
The Benefits of a Continuum of Supports
Early Intervention:
By using a multi-tiered approach, schools can identify and address issues early. This proactive approach can prevent minor problems from developing into more severe issues.
Customized Solutions:
Not all students require the same level of support. A continuum of supports allows schools to tailor supports to individual needs, ensuring that every student gets the help they need according to their profile.
Improved Outcomes:
Research has shown that schools implementing a continuum of supports experience improved outcomes in the areas of focus. This ultimately leads to higher academic achievement and a more positive school culture.
Collaboration:
This approach encourages collaboration among educators, school staff, parents, and community resources. Working together, they can provide comprehensive support to students.
Data-Informed Decision Making:
Schools can use data to assess the effectiveness of their supports and make adjustments as necessary.
Creating a Continuum of Supports for Behaviour or Attendance Concerns
As we explore the development of a continuum of supports for behaviour and/or attendance. We will focus primarily on behaviour but much of the process can be applied to attendance concerns as well. To create an effective continuum of supports for behavior and attendance, there are a few additional steps that schools should consider:
- Reflect on Behaviour as Communication
Ensure time is provided for staff to reflect on what is behind the behaviour and/or attendance concern. Typically, attendance and behavior concerns are symptomatic of other underlying issues that are occurring for a child. The following visual provides a glimpse into the potential internal vs external behaviours:
2. Identify Behaviour or Attendance Concerns
The second step is to clearly identify behaviour and attendance concerns that are currently exhibited in your school and explore possible reasons for why you may be seeing these behaviours. Using this template can support teams in identifying behaviours and brainstorming what those behaviours may be trying to communicate.
For example, if a student is destroying property, there could be a number of reasons that are contributing to this behaviour such as anger at something or someone, frustration over the task, loss of control or perhaps there are sensory issues. Our response or support will be different depending on the reason behind the behaviour.
3. Articulating Supports to Respond to Underlying Issues
The third step is to identify supports that we provide that address the underlying issues or concerns. Articulating the support, identifying what type of support it is and then clarifying the tier in which it belongs (Tier 1, 2, 3, 4). The type of support you are providing will fall into one of three categories (for additional information on the three types of supports please access this blog):
Interventions are meant to effectively bridge a gap for students, provided in addition to regular classroom instruction and are characterized by three criteria:
- Provides targeted assistance focused on teaching a specific skill
- Delivered by a highly qualified class teacher or another specialist
- Provides additional instruction for an individual or small group
Strategies which provide support for students at the tier two level and ensure the greatest point of impact for students is found in the classroom and in the hands of the classroom teacher.
Accommodations are put in place to help students cope with any gaps that may exist limiting their success or provide access to components that they would not otherwise be able to access.
This template provides a tool for gathering the possible supports, identifying the type of support and declaring the tier in which it belongs.
Through this process, we now have defined actionable supports that would allow a student to take the next steps in managing their behaviour. We then organize the supports into a visual that is readily available for all team meetings. The continual review and revision of the strategies identified are necessary to ensure our supports are current and responsive to the needs of our school community.
View additional menus of support samples contributed by our partners in a variety of focus areas.
Creating a continuum of supports for behavior and attendance is a holistic approach that promotes a positive school environment and provides targeted assistance to students in need. By addressing the diverse needs of students through tiers of supports, schools can significantly improve behavior, attendance, and academic success. This approach not only benefits individual students but also contributes to a healthier and more productive learning environment for everyone involved.
If you have resources developed related to this concept, we would love to see them! Email or if you have something you wish to share.
