What is MTSS?
MTSS or Multi-Tiered System of Support is a popular framework that helps schools not only identify students who may be struggling academically or socially and emotionally, but also provides next steps for addressing such concerns in a hierarchical manner. MTSS is a universal approach that has broadened the focus from special needs students to all students. It relies on evidence-based strategies that are steeped in educational research to take a more holistic approach to meaningful and personalized instruction and support.
According to the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University, MTSS is a preventive framework that integrates high-quality instruction, assessment, increasingly intensive and individualized levels of instructional or behavioral intervention, and data-based decision making to address the needs of all students, including struggling learners and students with disabilities.
In practice, MTSS ensures that high-quality instruction is delivered to all students. Universal screening helps to identify those who are still not meeting key benchmarks. Those students then receive additional individual or group support. By continuously monitoring students’ progress based on these interventions, teachers can regularly modify their instruction and means of support to promote student achievement.
The three tiers of MTSS
The framework is broken into three tiers. Each of the three tiers supports proportionately fewer students. However, students receiving Tier 2 and Tier 3 services still receive the support found in Tier 1:
- Tier 1: Universal Support. These universal instructional approaches and strategies address the majority of classroom needs (80–90% of students).
- Tier 2: Targeted Interventions. These small-group, differentiated strategies target skill building that is needed beyond general instruction (5–15% of students).
- Tier 3: Intensive Interventions. These supports are designed to address highly individualized needs, whether they be academic or behavioral (1–5% of students).
The needs-based approach of MTSS encourages educators to lean on assessments that will provide screening, diagnostic testing, and progress monitoring. In order to optimize implementation of MTSS, there are several key components schools must adopt:
- Universal screening: Schools screen all students early in the year and again in winter and spring
- Tiered interventions and supports: Students receive differentiated instruction and support through a tiered support system
- Data-driven decision making: Schools use student data and evidence-based practices to make informed decisions about methodology
- Continuous monitoring: Educators assess and evaluate students in an ongoing manner to refine instructional practices as needed
- Collaborative approach: School personnel work collaboratively alongside family members and caregivers to address areas of need
How MTSS relates to RTI and PBIS
MTSS can be traced back to the 1960s, when there was a focus on tiered prevention frameworks in public health. Fast forward to 2004 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and schools adopted Response to Intervention (or RTI) as a systematic way to provide support in general education classes. They shifted away from the previous “wait and see” approach to decide who should be referred to special education classes. RTL primarily focused on academic support. Around the same time, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) gained traction. PBIS focused on overall school climate by encouraging positive behaviors and providing proactive behavioral interventions.
MTSS then sought to extend these two earlier frameworks. The goal behind folding both preexisting approaches into the MTSS framework, often viewed as a problem-solving model for a whole school community, was to better support all students, in a more holistic way, and in a more collaborative manner. Following the endorsement of MTSS in ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015), states have been adopting this unified framework to guide their local schools and agencies.
Why MTSS matters
MTSS helps take the guesswork out of better targeting instruction to address individual students’ academic, social-emotional, or behavioral needs. By having everyone subscribed to the same framework, there becomes a universal process to identifying and responding to students’ needs. While previous frameworks sought to support students with learning and behavioral challenges, MTSS supports all students through more customized, individualized instructional provisions.
Likewise, there is a structured approach to leveraging schools’ resources and support systems to drive student progress. With MTSS, schools are proactive versus reactive in using data to make informed decisions to meet school and district goals that address the whole child. Plus, MTSS promotes a data-driven strategy, which drives clear and consistent decision making across all stakeholders.
Putting MTSS into practice
Renaissance makes it turnkey to not only gather universal screening data early, but to then address individuals’ needs in a decisive manner. The data-informed approach of MTSS makes it easier to monitor and intervene with evidence-based approaches where necessary. Our comprehensive resources support the whole child, provide effective points for collaboration, strengthen instruction, establish a robust infrastructure, and provide tools for evaluation to improve outcomes for every student.
Through shared understanding around MTSS goals and best practices, schools and districts can stay proactive in meeting students where they are and setting high expectations for their continued learning journeys.