The intentional fusion of our tiers of support with the layers of teams is an absolutely critical step in understanding the function, purpose and integrated connections between all three pieces of the puzzle o. Of course, this reference is to the key visual that demonstrates the foundational components of Collaborative Response and their interconnectedness. We often share that, in isolation, it is important to understand the importance and purpose of each piece. The complexity for school leaders is to connect them together!
As we delve into the heart of this discussion, we must make an admission — an admission that we did not understand or realize the connections bridging our tiers of support and layers of teams.
Continuum of Supports
Initially, we had defined the tiers of support in the Continuum of Supports, a foundational component of Collaborative Response, to include four tiers as described below in the visual. This was a departure from traditional three-tier models of support. This delineation facilitated a nuanced approach, wherein tier one and two found a home within the classroom, while tiers three and four extended beyond, embracing school wide and external expertise when necessary.
Simultaneously, we had been working to define Collaborative Structures and Processes which articulates the specifics necessary to attend to the needs of all students. We had designed the framework to include a layer of team that does not typically exist in schools called the collaborative team meeting. In retrospect, as we dug deeply into the process of the collaborative team meeting, we unearthed early indicators of a crucial missing link.
Initially, the collaborative team meeting was designed to have collaborative groups of leaders, teachers and paraprofessionals convene to identify the needs of students in their classrooms and to commit to actions to ensure that supports were in place for all children. However, over time and much reflection, the advent of the collaborative team meeting unveiled a paradigm shift, which redirected our attention to refining the process of the collaborative team meeting to attend to classroom student support and staff empowerment, through the identification and articulation of key issues. To learn more about the collaborative team meeting process, explore this blog.
In the beginning exploration in our school and others, teachers would consistently lament that while they appreciated the opportunity to collaborate around student needs in their classroom, they also needed a forum to address intensive individual student needs. As leaders, we would respond with “meet me after the meeting and we’ll talk about that student”. The intention was to ensure we were focusing on differentiated instructional strategies that would impact more students than just one at a time but this unsurfaced the need of creating a collaborative team to focus on individual students as well as having the opportunity to collaborate as professionals.
This epiphany led us to discern the existence of layers of teams. These layers, ranging from collaborative planning sessions to individualized case consult meetings, formed the scaffolding upon which our collaborative teams would ensure that every child regardless of their needs would have a team that could convene to discuss actionable support. In addition, it led to the design of a process that would ensure teachers were sharing their expertise while learning from each other.
The layers of teams became an integral part of the puzzle for schools. The following two articles will provide you with a detailed understanding of the importance of layering collaborative teams: Scaffolding our Collaborative Response: Purposeful Layering of Team Meetings and Reduce the Number of Student Meetings…By Adding One More!
Defining the layers of teams led us to the convergence of tiers of supports and layers of teams, recognizing that each team would attend to a layer of the Continuum of Supports. From tier 1 discussions on curriculum and pedagogy which was conducted by the collaborative planning team to tier 2 which would be addressing differentiated instructional practices in the classroom through the collaborative team meeting. Tier 3 would attend to more intensive needs being addressed by intervention supports that were provided by someone other than the classroom teacher, determined in the school support team meeting. Tier 4 deliberations involving external stakeholders and focusing on one student at a time, which we came to describe as case consult meetings. This resulted in every layer of team finding its place within the broader continuum of support.
Schools are encouraged to articulate the teams that they identify as responsible for the functioning of each tier within the continuum. Here are a few examples of schools who have created visuals to provide clarity to the staff and school community about their layers of support:
Through this alignment, we espoused a guiding mantra — every child deserves a team. It is through the synergy of tiers and layers that this mantra finds its fruition, going beyond individual casework to embrace collective efficacy and responsibility across the school.
Let us reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principle that underpins our collaborative efforts — every child, without exception, deserves a team. We extend an invitation to share your insights, your challenges, and your triumphs along with your questions, resources or suggestions related to this concept. Please reach out - we would love to chat with you! Email us at or .
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Join Jennifer as she walks through the Collaborative Team Meeting process in WeCollab, ensuring that multiple student profiles are updated with the determined supports and actions simultaneously through the collaborative conversation and that staff remain informed through transparent communication processes.