Tier 1: Program- and School-wide Supports
The recommended policies and practices are organized to parallel the structure of a multitiered system of support. Tier 1 recommended policies and practices focus on program-wide policies, procedures, and practices that help program leaders reduce exclusionary discipline practices occurring in the program. Tier 1 recommended policies and practices address building a program climate that (1) promotes collaboration, problem solving, teacher capacity building, and prevention-based approaches, and (2) reduces teacher stress, ineffectiveness, and the negative effects these have on child behaviors and outcomes.
1.1: Collect and examine data on behavior incidents to make disciplinary practices and policies more fair for all children
…1.2: Implement processes for developing family-program/school partnerships
…1.3: Integrate developmental screening and assessment into the program/school
…1.4: Implement and use appropriate teacher-child ratios
…1.5: Provide reasonable provider/teacher work hours with breaks
…1.6: Create a culture of support and collaboration among staff
…1.7: Train staff on cultural awareness and implicit biases, focusing specifically on bias based on race, gender, and mental and physical ability
…1.8: Consider implementing a program- or school-wide multitiered system of support
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Tier 2: Supports for Working with Individual Classrooms
Tier 2 recommended policies and practices address how program leaders can work with individual classroom providers/teachers to support a positive, culturally inclusive environment and provide evidence-based supports for preventing and managing children’s behavior challenges.
2.1: Integrate infant/early childhood mental health consultation into program/school
…2.2: Support teachers/providers to modify the classroom environment to prevent challenging behaviors
…2.3: Support providers/teachers to implement evidence-based practices for supporting positive social-emotional development
…2.4: Work with providers/teachers and staff to create a culturally inclusive, positive school and classroom climate
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Tier 3: Supports for Teachers Working with Individual Children
Tier 3 recommended policies and practices help program leaders support providers/teachers in addressing the needs of individual children through functional behavior assessment and tailored behavior support plans.