Quality education for all is one of the EU’s top priorities. However, several European education systems are regularly pointed out as being underperforming, inequitable or segregated.
The core objective of the 4-year MTSS-K project is to adapt, implement and assess the effectiveness and efficiency of a promising North-American educational approach for kindergarten in five European countries. The so-called Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) aims at reducing inequalities by training teachers to improve the socio-emotional, literacy and numeracy skills of all students and more particularly of the most vulnerable ones. This model calls to adopt evidence-based teaching practices and to regularly and monitor students’ progress on the basis of objective data (Tier 1); to provide early and more intensive group interventions to students who do not progress as expected (Tier 2); and to provide even more intensive interventions to students who continue to need it (Tier 3).
The MTSS approach has been shown to improve equal opportunities of school success and inclusion by significantly diminishing the number of students with learning and behavior difficulties and referred to special education services. However, data is missing as regards comprehensive implementation of this model, its efficacy in kindergarten, its applicability in the European educative systems, and the cost-benefit ratio of this measure. The MTSS-K project is structured in 3 phases (1.Development and validation of MTSS instruments; 2.Randomized controlled trials; 3.Follow-up analysis) and 6 work packages (WP1: Project management and scientific coordination, WP2: Assessment and observation instruments development, WP3: Development of the MTSS approach interventions, WP4: Teachers’ professional development and MTSS implementation in schools, WP5: Data collection, management, and analysis, WP6: Project communication, dissemination, exploitation, and sustainability). The participation of the consortium partners will take different forms (Table 1).
Five countries will take part in one of the two multi-country clusters randomized controlled trials (RCT 1 and RCT 2). RCT 1 will be conducted in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The focus will be placed on a MTSS model targeting the SEB and early numeracy domains. RCT 2 will be conducted in France and Switzerland and will assess the impact of an MTSS model targeting the SEB and early literacy domains.
The MTSS-K project also aims at making accessible for stakeholders, schools and teachers on a dedicated free-access website evidence-based syntheses, intervention tools, and skills’ assessment instruments developed for the study, to disseminate the results and data in the perspective of the open-science framework, and to make policy recommendations for EU and national authorities.
WP1 - Project management and scientific coordination (Leader: ULUX)
WP 1 provides the organizational framework of MTSS-K, gives clear guidance and provides support mechanisms to enable a smooth project workflow. An impact-oriented project management will help reaching the objectives by the timely submission of high-quality deliverables and ensures that milestones will be met on time.
WP2 - Assessment and observation instruments development (Leader: ULO)
WP2 will develop and validate assessment instruments in early literacy, early numeracy and social-emotional behavior skills. Monitoring and observation will be developed to assess teaching practices and to monitor intervention's implementation.
WP3 – Developments of the MTSS approach interventions (Leader: UNICA)
WP3 will develop Multi-Tiered-System of Support (MTSS) interventions based on evidence of effectiveness and contextual needs of European school settings. Two main MTSS interventions will be developed: an intervention focused on early numeracy and social-emotional behavior and an intervention focused on early literacy and social-emotional behavior.
WP4 - Teachers’ professional development and MTSS implementation in schools (Leader: HEPV)
WP4 will define and ensure the respect of the conditions that enable an MTSS implementation in schools. This will include visits of schools that are experimented in the MTSS implementation, the definition for the local schools’ authorities of the school organization required within the MTSS model, as well as the teachers’ professional development to the Tier 1 and Tier 2 tools.
WP5 - Data collection, management, and analysis (Leader: ULIEGE)
WP5 pursuits the objectives of collecting high quality data by developing adequate instruments and procedures necessary to underpinning the overall findings of the MTSS-K project. Further, WP5 will ensure proper data management, and perform adequate and rigorous statistical analyses.
WP6 - Project Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation and Sustainability (Leader: ULUX)
WP 6 will ensure consistent dissemination and communication, safeguarding optimal visibility and wide outreach to relevant stakeholders, leading to strategic planning and operational support of project exploitation through dedicated stakeholder engagement and policy activities. WP 6 will ensure that high-quality results are captured, assessed and used to maximise impact.