Intervention and Referral Services and MTSS

Maple Shade School District Mission Statement

The Maple Shade Public Schools believe all students are capable of academic success while acknowledging that interventions and assistance are occasionally necessary to facilitate that success.  To that end, the Maple Shade School District upholds each building I&RS team's commitment to supporting educators, parents, and students with learning strategies, behavioral modifications, and other assistance needed to succeed in Maple Shade Schools and in life.

Moving toward MTSS: Supporting Every Student Through MTSS

Our school is committed to supporting the academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and developmental needs of every student. Through our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), we use a team-based, problem-solving approach to identify student needs early and provide the right level of support.

MTSS includes multiple levels of support. Tier 1 represents the high-quality instruction, schoolwide practices, and social-emotional supports provided to all students. When a student needs additional support, Tier 2 provides targeted interventions, often in a small group or through additional individualized support. Tier 3 provides more intensive, individualized interventions based on a student's specific needs.

How MTSS and I&RS Work Together

Beginning this school year, our MTSS and I&RS teams will work collaboratively as one coordinated support system. Rather than viewing MTSS and I&RS as separate processes, we will use the strengths of both teams to identify concerns, review student data, develop targeted interventions, monitor progress, and adjust supports as needed.

This collaborative process allows us to look at the whole child and bring together the expertise of teachers, school counselors, administrators, interventionists, and other staff members to develop a plan that meets each student's individual needs.

Parents and guardians are an important part of this process. Communication and partnership with families help us better understand each student and ensure that supports are responsive, purposeful, and focused on helping every child experience success.

What is I&RS? 

I&RS (Intervention and Referral Services) is a confidential student assistance program in which school staff or parents can request assistance for problems encountered in the general education program.  Every New Jersey school must have an I&RS team, which uses a collaborative approach to assist students who are having academic, behavior, or health difficulties.

Who qualifies for I&RS?

I&RS is designed to assist the teachers and parents of general education students who have having academic, behavior, or health difficulties.  Special Education students who are classified with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) receive assistance from the Child Study Team (CST)-this is different from the I&RS team and process.  

Who serves on the I&RS Team?

The following can be members of the team:  Staff members, teachers, school counselor, administrators, Child Study Team members, school nurse, and parents. 


Maude Wilkins Team for 2026-2027 school year:

  1. Steven Ormsby, Principal

  2. Jennifer Buckman, Vice-Principal 

  3. Kelly Stokes, School Counselor and I&RS/504 Coordinator

  4. Jessica Wells, School Counselor/504 Coordinator

  5. Amanda Finley, General Education Teacher 

  6. Bobbilynn Loomis, Special Education Teacher 

  7. Taylor Kuehn, General Education Teacher 

  8. Lisa Muniz, LDT-C, Child Study Team Member 

  9. Elizabeth Gray, School Psychologist-Child Study Team Member 

  10. Basic Skills Team

How do you request assistance?

Staff members can make a request by completing the google form in the staff information folder.  A parent can request assistance by calling their child's teacher, school counselor, and/or I&RS Team Coordinator.

Anticipated Meeting Dates For The 2026-2027 School Year (dates subject to change)

  • September 17th

  • October 22nd

  • November 11th

  • December 17th

  • January 21st

  • February 18th

  • March 18th

  • April 15th

  • May 6th

  • May 13th (504 reevaluation)

  • May 27th (504 reevaluation)

  • June 3rd (504 reevaluation)

  • June 10th (end of year documents; team only)