In the past few months, a new Early Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (Early MTSS) and Strengthening Families pilot project was introduced in Franklin/Grand Isle, Orleans/Northern Essex, and Northern Windsor/Orange in partnership with Dr. Lori Meyer from the University of Vermont, Building Bright Futures and Pyramid 802 PLUS. This is an opportunity for Early MTSS coaches and BBF coordinators in each of these regions to work towards a common goal of providing, implementing and supporting Early MTSS work to benefit children and families through February 2021. By implementing practiced based coaching, an external coaching system, BBF coordinator support, and creating an Early MTSS Regional leadership team, we are hopeful in creating a sustainable, accessible system of Early MTSS framework throughout our communities.
This Early MTSS-123 project focuses on three essential aspects:
- Strengthen one Vermont Early Childhood system: Regional leadership teams will explore factors related to the adoption of two social and emotional frameworks, map community assets, support a needs assessment survey and help to identify programs in their respective regions to enhance use of the two frameworks.
- The two social and emotional frameworks (Pyramid Model, and Strengthening Families™). These frameworks have been used in the state in the past but never intentionally together. This project will examine how these two together strengthen and support the social and emotional growth of children as well as what resources are needed in the state in order to have early education programs implementing these frameworks to fidelity.
- There are three core groups at the heart of all activities – children, families, and early childhood practitioners. Selected early childhood educators will receive training on both frameworks as well as coaching. The primary goal of coaches is to support sites in implementing The Early MTSS and Strengthening Families innovations with high fidelity. Coaches are prepared to work with site leadership to determine what stage of implementation they are in for the two innovations and build support around site-specific needs.
Throughout this process participants will be asked to provide input on their experiences and perspectives so that collectively a statewide sustainability and scale up plan can be created. This will help inform state partners and future funding on what is needed in order to truly allow Strengthening Families and Early MTSS to be available to all children in Vermont.
The project is funded by the PreSchool Development Grant.
