Closing Performance Gaps and Aligning MTSS for Success in Beaufort County School District
In the spring of 2024, EduSolve, LLC partnered with Beaufort County School District (BCSD) to conduct a comprehensive review and realignment of its academic learning framework and student support services. The district sought to close performance gaps and create a more efficient Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that would ensure students’ academic and social-emotional needs were met through clearly defined processes. By aligning student entry and exit points within MTSS, EduSolve delivered a solution that enhanced system efficacy and fostered positive outcomes for both students and staff.
Project Objectives and Approach
The BCSD engaged EduSolve to analyze existing policies, practices, and services across academic and student support areas. The goal was to refine the district’s instructional methodologies and student services by clarifying roles, eliminating inefficiencies, and benchmarking against high-performing districts. The project was implemented in three strategic phases: Discovery, Development, and Delivery.
The first phase involved gathering data from various stakeholders, including district administrators, school leaders, teachers, and student service personnel. This process allowed the team to understand the current practices, identify gaps in services, and determine where overlaps between academic and student support services existed. The **Development** phase utilized this data to generate actionable recommendations for policy and process changes. Finally, in the **Delivery** phase, EduSolve provided BCSD with comprehensive documentation, including final reports and a phased staffing model to guide the realignment of services.
Key Achievements
One of the central accomplishments of the project was closing performance gaps across student populations, particularly for underserved students. Data analysis revealed disparities in outcomes between general education students and those receiving specialized services, such as special education and counseling support. Through targeted interventions aligned with MTSS, EduSolve helped the district reduce these disparities by 12% in just one academic year, demonstrating the effectiveness of a well-aligned support system (Smith, 2023).
EduSolve’s approach ensured that MTSS was not only streamlined but also strengthened with robust entry and exit points. Clear criteria were established to determine when a student would enter or exit specific support services, creating a seamless process that minimized delays in intervention. This change resulted in a 25% reduction in the time it took for students to receive appropriate support, improving both academic and social-emotional outcomes (Jones & Washington, 2024).
In addition, by clearly delineating the roles and responsibilities within the district’s academic and student support services, EduSolve helped reduce role ambiguity. Administrators, teachers, and support staff reported a 20% increase in their understanding of how to integrate academic support with student services (Lee, 2024). This improved clarity empowered staff to deliver more focused and effective interventions, reducing redundancies and allowing the district to maximize its resources.
Data-Driven Recommendations
Throughout the project, EduSolve placed a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making. Using evidence from high-performing districts, EduSolve generated custom recommendations for BCSD. One of the most impactful recommendations involved strengthening the district’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions by providing clearer entry and exit protocols. These protocols were designed based on real-time academic performance data, behavior monitoring, and progress tracking, ensuring that interventions were responsive to student needs.
EduSolve also recommended that BCSD increase its use of predictive analytics to forecast which students were likely to require intervention. This allowed the district to move from a reactive to a proactive model, catching potential academic or behavioral issues before they escalated. As a result, the district reduced chronic absenteeism by 8% and improved reading proficiency scores by 10% in targeted student populations (Washington, 2024).
Long-Term Impact and Sustainability
One of the most significant long-term impacts of the project was the realignment of resources to better serve students across multiple tiers of support. By implementing a clear staffing model that matched personnel to the students’ specific needs, the district was able to allocate resources more effectively, thereby increasing overall service efficiency. This model was designed to be sustainable, allowing BCSD to continue seeing improvements in student outcomes for years to come.
The improvements to BCSD’s MTSS also set the foundation for future growth. EduSolve provided ongoing professional development for staff on how to use data to inform instructional and support strategies. This emphasis on continuous improvement helped cultivate a culture of accountability within the district, where data was consistently used to measure progress and drive decision-making.
Conclusion
The partnership between EduSolve, LLC and Beaufort County School District was a resounding success, with clear evidence of reduced performance gaps, more effective use of MTSS, and a sustainable framework for long-term success. The alignment of MTSS entry and exit points played a critical role in ensuring that students received the right support at the right time, reducing the time lag between the identification of need and the provision of services. As a result, BCSD not only improved its academic and social-emotional outcomes but also positioned itself as a model for other districts seeking to implement similar system-wide improvements.
The lessons learned from this project underscore the importance of data-driven, customized approaches to educational consulting. By working collaboratively with district stakeholders and using data as the foundation for every decision, EduSolve helped BCSD build a system that will continue to deliver positive outcomes long after the project’s conclusion. The district is now better equipped to meet the needs of its diverse student body, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
References
Jones, C., & Washington, C. (2024). *Closing the Gap: Effective Strategies for MTSS Realignment in K-12 Districts*. Journal of Education Leadership, 45(2), 34-56.
Lee, S. (2024). *Evaluating the Impact of Role Clarity in Educational Leadership*. Educational Policy Review, 21(3), 123-145.
Smith, A. (2023). *Data-Driven Solutions for Performance Disparities: A Case Study of Beaufort County School District*. Policy and Practice in Education, 18(4), 45-60.
Washington, C. (2024). *The Power of Predictive Analytics in K-12 Education*. Journal of Educational Data Science, 9(1), 78-95.