Designing School Health Services to Provide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for All Students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Educational Psychology
• Pediatric Nursing

Background:

• A system-level health equity lens is crucial for addressing contemporary student needs.
• School nurses are uniquely positioned at the nexus of health and education.
• Reframing 'learning and health losses' to 'learning and health recovery' is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for a system-level health equity lens in schools.
• To highlight the role of school nurses in improving student health and academic outcomes.
• To demonstrate how integrating health into the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) can enhance educational equity.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Literature review on health equity and school-based interventions.
• Analysis of the intersection between health services and educational support systems.

Main Results:

• School nurses can collaborate with education colleagues to address student needs holistically.
• Integrating health into the MTSS framework supports academic success and addresses 'learning and health recovery'.
• A system-level approach is necessary to achieve health equity for all students.

Conclusions:

• School nurses are vital in promoting health equity and academic achievement.
• The Multi-Tiered System of Support can be augmented by incorporating health considerations.
• A collaborative, system-level strategy is key to fostering student well-being and educational success.