Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is designed to serve students in grades K – 5 who are at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level proficiency, as defined in the state Early Intervention Program Guidelines. The purpose of EIP is to help students reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time.    

Students may qualify for EIP in reading and/or in mathematics. Atlanta Public Schools, in conjunction with the guidance provided by the Georgia Department of Education, has a rigorous, data-based identification process for determining if students will benefit from interventions through EIP.

The Remedial Education Program (REP) This program provides additional instructional support and resources to help students in 6th -12th grades obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade-level performance in the shortest possible time.   It provides individualized basic skills instruction in the areas of reading, mathematics, and writing.

In Atlanta Public Schools, we use a team approach and the problem-solving model to identify students in need of interventions in academics and behavior.   Whole Child Intervention teams also identify students who need attendance or social emotional supports. These teams are comprised of MTSS contacts, counselors, social workers, graduation coaches, psychologists (as needed), teachers, and administrators. Whole Child Intervention teams review universal screening data, progress monitoring, attendance, behavior, and course credits to ensure all students receive the supports and interventions needed to be on grade level and graduate college or career ready.

In Georgia, General Education includes a three-tiered system of academic, social-emotional and behavioral supports. Tier 1 is core educational practices, Tier 2 is moderate intensity support, and Tier 3 is intensive support through the Student Support Team (SST) process. SST is a Federal and State initiative and is defined in Georgia Board Rule 160-4- 2-.32.    

The Student Support Team (SST) is a problem-solving process in every Georgia school. Its purpose is to find ways around roadblocks to success for any student referred to it.   

The Key Components of SST are below:  

• Targeted students are provided with core instruction at Tier 1 along with learning that is personalized to include intensive support(s) to address identified skill-specific needs by including:  
• Informal diagnostic assessment to identify foundational skill needs for struggling students  
• Tier 3 referral form and current (within 1 calendar year) vision and hearing screening completed and uploaded to Custom RTI Documents in Infinite Campus  
• Intense interventions provided individually or in groups of 1-2 students 3-5x per week for 30-45 minutes  
• Interventions selected from the APS Intervention Bank that are matched to the  
• student’s specific skill needs, delivered with fidelity, and documented with  
• fidelity in Infinite Campus RTI Module with monitoring and support by school level  
• teaming or administrative structures  
• Ongoing skill-specific progress monitoring of student response to instruction/intervention with an appropriately matched progress monitoring tool   
• Systematic data review process to make informed decisions about student  
• support needs based on screening assessments, progress monitoring, and  
• response to instruction/intervention  
• Frequent progress monitoring (at least weekly) and analysis of student response  
• to intervention  
• Formalized problem-solving and response to intervention review meetings every  
• 4-6 weeks with parents to assess student growth and needs, and to make data informed decisions about next steps  
• Parent(s) are to be informed of Tier 3 support(s) and invited to all SST Meetings  

Every school has a Student Support Team (SST) Chair that organizes and facilitates SST meetings for students who receive Tier III interventions. These individuals understand the structures, processes, and people needed to create plans for student success.  

Georgia Department of Education  

The Georgia Department of Education gives guidance on SST requirements.  

Georgia’s MTSS/SST Process Guide    

Student Support Teams use the problem-solving model to create intervention plans and monitor progress towards goals.