District outlines MTSS, child study teams and behavior‑intervention supports; board asks for clearer dashboards and capacity options

Polk County School District behavior and student‑support staff reviewed the district’s multi‑tiered behavior supports, child study team procedures and crisis‑response processes at the Oct. 14 work session, describing school‑level and district‑level resources available to identify and intervene with students whose behavior disrupts learning.

Denise Santos, part of the district behavior support team, summarized the MTSS approach as prevention‑focused, student‑centered and data driven, noting tiered supports and the district’s child study team (CST) referral criteria. "Our CST helps identify and support students with serious or repeated behavioral concerns," Santos said, and noted that students with three combined referrals for defined serious misconduct are referred for review; teams also may be convened immediately for severe single events.

Santos and colleagues described behavior intervention plans (BIPs) as tools for adults and schools to modify how staff respond, identify replacement behaviors, and define reinforcement. "A behavior intervention plan is for the adults, not the kids," Santos said. The district stressed that BIPs are appropriate for all students — not only for students with disabilities — and that plans specify the observable target behavior, function, prevention steps, replacement behavior and reinforcement.

Staff explained a new discipline dashboard intended to help principals and assistant principals identify students meeting CST criteria and to flag students with high referral totals. Board member Miss Miller asked whether the dashboard is accessible to school administrators and teachers; staff confirmed it is intended for principals, APs and deans, with regional and district access for monitoring and casework.

Board members asked about timelines from observation to a formal plan and about capacity options for students whose behavior indicates the need for an interim instructional placement. Superintendent Hyde said district staff are exploring an intermediary placement option for students who demonstrate new patterns of behavior while undergoing reevaluation; he noted prior countywide programs had been dismantled and staff are working to design a program that provides safeguards and avoids past issues.

Staff said they offer nonviolent crisis‑intervention training, youth mental‑health first aid, targeted professional learning for principals and assistant principals, and regional behavior specialists who assist schools. A monthly case review process tracks student progress and fidelity of plan implementation. No disciplinary actions or individual student placements were taken at the work session; the board received the presentation for information.