A Framework for All: Building Capacity for Service Delivery in Catholic Schools

Abstract

: The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive system of service delivery to meet student need and avoid pathologizing individuals as problems. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework for organizing resources, delivering services, and measuring success that directly addresses the mission of Catholic Schools to truly serve all students. MTSS is a research-based and systematic service delivery model that provides tiered supports based on individual learner need. MTSS is defined and contextualized to address both academic and behavioral supports for all students. A brief review of evidence to support the framework is provided. Finally, specific features of the framework are presented with examples to illustrate how Catholic educators might implement across the entire school. scholarly interests focus on disabilities, literacy, reading education, special education, diverse learning needs, instructional design, secondary education, and school reform. Christine M. Bonfiglio , serves as the Director for both the Office of Professional Standards and Graduate Studies and the Program for Inclusive Education in the Alliance for Catholic Education. She is a faculty member within the Institute for Educational Initiatives, teaching for PIE and ACE Teaching Fellows. With a background in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and academic and behavioral interventions, she works to collaborate with Catholic schools in supporting all students inclusively.