Introduction
©️2023 by Solution Tree Press
As the field of education increasingly demands evidence-based supports and interventions that help all students succeed, the concept of multitiered system of supports (MTSS) has become a critical part of the discussion on how schools and districts can meaningfully address the education system’s inequities. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 defines MTSS as “a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to students’ needs, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision making.” This definition calls out several features of MTSS. • A continuum of practice: The intensity of supports increases with students’ needs. • Rapid response to students’ needs: Educators put supports in place immediately after identifying a student need. • Regular data use: Educators collect and review student data in a timely, consistent manner and use those data to inform decision making to address student needs. These are the basic characteristics of an effective MTSS framework. If schools and districts are to build and sustain an MTSS framework, leaders will need to promote the practice of using data to create a continuum of practices that support students’ educational needs in a timely manner (Rogers, Smith, Buffum, & Mattos, 2020). These characteristics—a continuum of practice, rapid response, and consistent data use—are deeply interconnected. In MTSS, educators provide supports of varying intensity to respond to students’ academic and behavioral needs. They adjust those supports up or down the continuum as soon as they identify challenges or improvements. MTSS requires data as the primary driver for adjusting supports and services. In other words, educators regularly assess all students and use the results to determine what supports they need. Educators must use evidence-based intervention and support practices (that is, strategies that researchers have found to be effective) and data (such as assessment results) to monitor how well those practices are working for their individual students. MTSS is more than a check-the-boxes framework; it requires creating a systemic way to develop schoolwide strategies and holistic perspectives (Rogers et al., 2020). Often, schools or districts implement new educational programs or initiatives in isolation with just a few teachers or leaders. This siloed approach often results in failed efforts and initiative fatigue. Instead, MTSS implementation is designed to incorporate all aspects of how students experience school, from how the bus driver interacts with students as they are picked up and
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