The ASCA Model and a Multi-Tiered System of Supports: A Framework to Support Students of Color With Problem Behavior

Abstract

Designed to improve preK-12 student academic and behavioral outcomes, a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), such as Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) or Response to Intervention (RTI), is a broadly applied framework being implemented in countless schools across the United States. Such educational restructuring and system changes require school counselors to adjust their activities and interventions to fully realize the aims of MTSS. In this special issue of The Professional Counselor, the roles and functions of school counselors in MTSS frameworks are examined from various angles. This introductory article summarizes the key issues and the basic themes explored by the special issue contributors.

School Counselors' Roles in RAMP and PBIS a Phenomenological Investigation (Part Two)

“…School counselors commonly provide a host of services that serve students in Tier 1 efforts, such as school-wide bullying prevention and intervention programming, universal screening for students in need of social/emotional support, addressing problematic student behavior, and creating a school culture that supports interethnic and interracial friendships McCormac, 2015;Pica-Smith & Poynton, 2016). Recent research also has illuminated culturally responsive and effective school counseling interventions aligned with Tier 2 or 3 supports, such as school counselors serving low-income students and school counselors implementing a more equitable framework for supporting students of color whose behavior has been seen as problematic (ASCA, 2012;Belser, Shillingford, & Joe, 2016;Williams et al, 2016). At the same time, school counseling literature has not typically conceptualized school counselors' roles within the three tiers as was done by the school counselors in the present study.…”

School Counselor Experiences of Response to Intervention With English Learners

“…When compared to their English-native peers, ELs tend to be overrepresented in remedial or lower level courses and underrepresented in advanced placement, honors, or upper tier courses (Callahan & Shifrer, 2016; Robinson-Cimpian et al, 2016). Other academic disparities for ELs include higher risks for exclusionary discipline and special education placement and lower high school completion and college-going rates (Belser, Shillingford, & Joe, 2016; Carter, Skiba, Arredondo, & Pollack, 2017; DOE, 2016).…”

“…RTI has a long history in public schools, but the use of RTI frameworks gained popularity after the reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004 and 2008 (Belser et al, 2016; Patrikakou et al, 2016). The frameworks offer the potential of early identification of and interventions for struggling learners through a multitiered model paired with continuous progress monitoring (Artiles, Bal, & King Thorius, 2010; Brown & Doolittle, 2008; Burns, Jacob, & Wagner, 2008).…”

Reflecting on Maltese school‐based counselling practices: An autoethnographic collaborative writing project

“…Two general models of school counselling are found in the literature—the American multi‐tiered support system (MTSS), which originated from special education and leans more towards the systemic (e.g., American School Counseling Association [ASCA], ; Clark & Breman, ; Sink, ); and the British model (Cooper, ; Department for Education, UK, ), which focuses more on individualised counselling. The American School Counselling programme follows the ASCA national model which embraces an MTSS framework (Belser, Shillingford, & Joe, ). The Maltese model follows the British model (Cauchi, Falzon, Micallef, & Sammut, ), which is based on individual support and advocacy.…”

“…The Maltese model follows the British model (Cauchi, Falzon, Micallef, & Sammut, ), which is based on individual support and advocacy. ASCA's () national model started as a three‐tiered model (Ockerman et al, ) that was adapted to a MTSS to respond to the latest trends (e.g., Belser, Shillingford, & Joe, ; Sink, ; Sink & Ockerman, ). To address the needs of all students, American School Counselling programmes include programmes at class, small‐group and individual levels, which Ockerman, Mason, and Hollenbeck () referred to as the three tiers.…”