Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi) is funded by the Michigan Department of Education to develop a multi-tiered system of support for both reading and behavior. The mission of MiBLSi is to develop support systems and sustained implementation of a data-driven, problem-solving model in schools to help students become better readers with social skills necessary for success. MiBLSi provides professional development and technical assistance to school leadership teams with coaching support.
School-wide effective reading support is a multi-tiered approach to the prevention of reading problems in schools. The approach involves team-based training in strategies to prevent reading problems, supporting students along a continuum of reading skills and needs, and integrating effective instructional systems. Critical features of this approach include strong, research-based core instruction that is comprehensive and addresses the needs of most students. This requires a valid assessment system that involves screening and progress monitoring to providing well matched, high quality supplemental interventions for struggling readers.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive, team-based process for creating and sustaining safe and effective schools. PBIS is a systems framework designed to increase the capacity of schools to educate all students utilizing research-based schoolwide prevention paired with secondary and tertiary interventions for behavior. An emphasis is placed on preventing the occurrence of problem behavior as well as data-based problem-solving for addressing existing behavioral concerns.
As a Multi-Tiered System of Support / Response to Intervention process, MiBLSi utilizes data-based decision-making in a problem-solving model. MiBLSi asks schools to collect and submit data for two main purposes. The first is to evaluate the effectiveness of project activities in supporting schools implementing Response to Intervention. This information is used to allocate resources for more effective programming and support. The second is for participating schools and districts to use data as part of a continuous improvement process, leading to better outcomes for students. In order to effectively implement a problem-solving model, information must be collected and used to continuously evaluate and improve the systems of supports. This document provides various data collection tools in the areas of process and systems evaluation and student outcome measures.