This month’s column is by Rebecca Cain, the department’s administrator of student wellness and supports.

It’s early January, that stereotypical season of grand resolutions. They’re admirable, but we all know that by mid-January the gyms will be quiet again and that magical diet will be cast aside for the tempting bag of chips.

I read an article recently that recommended seeking to create “rituals,” rather than “resolutions.” The author is a writing coach, but I think her advice has wide-reaching application. She describes her morning writing ritual, which she sticks to with near-religious zeal and finds great success.

As an educator, you know that students also thrive on ritual, or routine, and having in place clear expectations and rules. Surely there are few more chaotic times in a school year than the excitement and anticipation leading into the winter break and the struggle to return to normalcy once classes resume in the new year.

Where am I going with this? I promise I’m not trying to trim your waistline.

I want to draw your attention to the application window for implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), a framework that helps educators provide academic and behavioral supports for all students. MTSS grew out of the integration of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Response to Intervention (RtI).

As with diets and exercise equipment, there are many magic fixes promoted to help students do better academically and behaviorally, but what works best is a systemic approach backed by strong support. That is what schools that choose to implement PBIS, RtI, or both, get.

If you want fast change and expect literacy or behavior in your district to improve overnight, MTSS isn’t for you. But if your district is ready to commit to long-term growth and improvement, state-level support is available through these valuable programs. South Dakota’s MTSS initiative provides districts with the training, tools, and support to implement a multi-tiered approach for meeting students’ needs in proactive and positive ways.

MTSS is a continuous-improvement framework in which data-based problem solving and decision making are practiced across all levels of the educational system to support all students. To ensure efficient use of resources, schools begin with the identification of trends and patterns using school-wide data. Students who need interventions beyond what is provided universally for academics (RtI) or positive behavior (PBIS) are provided with targeted, supplemental interventions delivered at increasing levels of intensity.

And you don’t have to just take my word for it. Hear from colleagues in Baltic and Sioux Valley, who are in various stages of implementation of RtI, in this informational webinar.

I encourage you to visit the MTSS webpage to learn more and find applications, which are due Feb. 18. Schools can apply to become part of the 2022-23 cohort in RtI, PBIS, or both.

Thank you for all you do for South Dakota students. This year let’s resolve to carefully and gradually build healthy routines over time for more student success.