The Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards (MCCRS) outline what students in Mississippi are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level. These standards help guide the curriculum in subjects like English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies from kindergarten through high school. The goal is to prepare students for success in both college and the workforce. The standards can be found here on the Mississippi Department of Education website.

The targeted interventions your child’s school is using to support their learning challenges include:

• iReady:
  An adaptive learning program that helps identify areas where your child may struggle. It provides personalized lessons and assessments in both reading and math. iReady aims to address specific gaps in your child’s knowledge and skills by tailoring activities to their current level of understanding.
• S.P.I.R.E.:
  A structured literacy program designed to help children with reading difficulties, including those with dyslexia. It focuses on phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. S.P.I.R.E. uses a multisensory approach to engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning to improve reading skills.
• Small Group Teacher-Led Standards-Based Remediation:
  This intervention involves targeted, small group instruction where the teacher focuses on specific academic standards that your child is struggling with. This approach allows for more individualized attention, with the teacher providing guided practice and reinforcement of concepts that your child finds challenging.

These interventions are designed to meet your child’s academic needs and provide additional support to help them succeed in the classroom. If you have concerns or would like more details, contact the school or teacher for more information about how these interventions are implemented and monitored.

Data collection and progress monitoring are ongoing in every classroom. However, when students have been placed on a Tier for academics or behavior, progress monitoring data is collected weekly for Tier 3 students and bi-weekly for Tier 2 students. Data is then analyzed at the end of a 9- to 18-week period to determine if the intervention has been successful.

You will be informed of the progress your child is making via Progress Reports & Parent Conferences. Intervention teachers may send home updates indicating student progress on their weekly progress monitoring measure or anytime within 9 to 18 weeks. Tier 3 phone conferences are held at the end of every nine weeks to communicate student progress in Tier 3 interventions with parents.

Modifications are made if an intervention is not working. The MTSS/Teacher Support Team meetings are held to discuss modifications and next steps.

Behavior coaches and counselors support students by teaching them skills to manage and overcome various social-emotional challenges. They work with students to develop coping strategies for stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation, as well as skills for building positive relationships and improving behavior. Through individualized guidance, they help students improve self-awareness, manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and navigate social situations. Their goal is to foster emotional resilience, promote positive behavior, and create a supportive environment for academic and personal growth.

When behaviors are severe or pose a safety risk, the school asks for an FBA to be conducted and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) with crisis response protocols is developed, such as de-escalation techniques or access to a safe space. Other techniques that are used are teaching Skill building Interventions:

• Social Skills Training: Help your child practice turn-taking, conflict resolution, or making friends.
• Emotion Regulation Skills: Teach coping mechanisms like deep breathing, using a calm-down corner, or expressing feelings with words.