MULTI-TIERED
SYSTEM OF SUPPORT
A Blueprint for Massachusetts Educators
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT | BLUEPRINT FOR MA
This document was developed in collaboration with
Novak Education Consulting and Rodriguez Educational
Consulting Agency (RECA); with additional contributions
from the University of Connecticut and the HILL for Literacy.
Special thanks to the multitude of district, school, and
state stakeh
o
l
d
e
rs who provided input in the design of this
reenvisioned MTSS Blueprint.
EDUCATIONAL
CONSULTING
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Why MTSS?
All students are capable of success. While
Massachusetts leads the nation in performance on
multiple measures, we still have students who are
not experiencing the success they deserve.
Recent reports such as the “Review of
Special Education in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts: A Synthesis Report” by Hehir
and Associates (2014) and “No. 1 for Some:
Opportunity and Achievement in Massachusetts”
by the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership
(2018) demonstrate the consequences of an
inequitable education system for students with
disabilities, students who are English learners,
economically disadvantaged students, and
students of color in Massachusetts.
This is not because these students can’t or don’t
want to learn. We must recognize that many of our
schools are not organized to meet the needs of all
learners (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014).
Although some students face barriers that have
the potential to interfere with their ability to make
optimal progress, there is evidence that schools
and classrooms can raise student achievement
despite these barriers (Hattie, 2018; Meyer, Rose,
and Gordon, 2014).
services, the use of high-quality core curricular
materials, evidence-based interventions, trauma
informed practices, and strategies to engage
all learners, schools have the ability to address
factors that may impact student learning. Schools
can minimize or eliminate barriers and improve
student outcomes when they design equitable,
tiered, universally-designed systems of support
that address students’ academic, behavior, and
social emotional well-being in ways that are
culturally sustaining.
MTSS is a framework designed to meet the needs
of all students by ensuring that schools optimize
data-driven decision making, progress monitoring,
and evidence-based supports and strategies with
increasing intensity to sustain student growth.
MTSS is not just about tiered interventions, but
together to ensure a high quality education for all
students.
To realize this success, multi-tiered systems must
be supported by leadership, competency, and
implementation drivers to ensure that district
all students, who can and will learn and succeed
with our support.
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SECTION 1
What is MTSS?
According the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA, 2015), a multi-tiered system of support is
“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.’’
Harlacher et al. (2014) described six key tenets of the
MTSS framework:
All students are capable of grade-level learning
with adequate support.
MTSS is rooted in proactivity and prevention.
The system utilizes evidence-based practices.
Decisions and procedures are driven by school
and student data.
The degree of support given to students is based
on their needs.
Implementation occurs school-wide and requires
stakeholder collaboration.
The current MTSS model in Massachusetts has been
blueprint more explicitly focuses on equitable access
and universal design for learning (UDL) and fully
integrates social emotional and behavioral supports
with academic supports (Lane, Oakes, Cantwell, &
Royer, 2016).
What is the dierence
between MTSS and RtI?
Response to intervention (RtI)
was added to the Individuals
with Disabilities Education
Act in 2004 as an alternative
evaluation procedure.
The goal of RtI was to provide
screening for all students, deliver
academic interventions, monitor
student progress, and use the
students’ responses to those
interventions as a basis for
determining special education
eligibility (Turse & Albrecht, 2015).
ESSA distinctly references multi-
tiered systems of support, but there
is no reference to Response to
Intervention (RtI), and in fact they
are two distinct tiered approaches.
While RtI focuses on direct services,
supports, and interventions
for students at risk, MTSS is
a systematic approach that
addresses conditions for creating
successful and sustainable
system change while also
As opposed to a reactive
model that responds to student
achievement declines as a
rationale for resources and
services, MTSS puts the onus
on the system, not the student,
and is proactive in getting all
students what they need.
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BLUEPRINT
COMPONENTS
Foundational
Framework
& Focus
Tiered Support
System
Drivers
Foundational Framework and Focus
This blueprint will unpack the components of a
multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) through the
foundational framework of universal design for
learning (UDL) and a focus on equitable access.
Tiered Support
MTSS provides a continuum of supports, which
are typically conceptualized across three levels of
increasing intensity (Rodriguez, Loman & Borgmeier,
2016).
These tiers represent the level of support a student
may need at any point in his/her/their schooling. All
tiers are universally designed using the principles of
UDL and ensure equitable access for all students.
Academic
Behavioral
Social Emotional
System Drivers
This section will review the conditions and systems
approach, inclusive of the following drivers.
Leadership Drivers
Competency Drivers
Implementation Drivers
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MTSS VISUAL
Intensive
Support
TIER 3
Targeted Support
TIER 2
Universal Support
TIER 1
Academic Behavioral
Social Emotional
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Leadership
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Competency
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Implementation
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MULTI-TIERED
SYSTEM OF SUPPORT
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SECTION 2
FOUNDATIONAL FRAMEWORK & FOCUS
UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework that reduces barriers in instruction,
proactively provides appropriate accommodations and supports, and allows for high-
achievement expectations for all students, regardless of their unique strengths and
challenges. This is done by providing options and choices for students to personalize
their learning. UDL is an educational framework based on research in cognitive
accommodate learner variability.
U D L
F R A M E W O R K
COMPONENTS
Multiple Means of
Engagement
The Why of Learning
Multiple Means of
Representation
The What of Learning
Multiple Means of
Action & Expression
The How of Learning
of Education and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in the 1990’s, calls for
creating curriculum from the outset that provides:
Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners’ interests, challenge them
appropriately, and motivate them to learn,
Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring
information and knowledge, and,
Multiple means of expression to provide learners with options for demonstrating
knowledge and skills.
materials, and assessments (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014). UDL is intended to increase
access and engagement in learning by reducing physical, cognitive, intellectual, and
organizational barriers, as well as other obstacles. Instructional goals, through the UDL
lens, focus on standards-based instruction and the design of instruction that allows all
students to have equitable access to grade-level standards in learning experiences that
are engaging and personalized to their needs. UDL principles also lend themselves to
implementing inclusionary practices in the classroom, including behavioral and social
emotional teaching and learning.
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Equitable Access
All students receive challenging, grade-appropriate tier I instruction and have equitable
access to high quality, universally designed academic, behavioral, and social emotional
curriculum and instruction that integrates culturally sustaining pedagogy and is
linguistically responsive. In our planning, it is important to ensure equitable access to
receive services, whereas equity is the ability to obtain that seat or service regardless
of “ethnicity, language spoken at home, gender, rural or urban location, or regional
status, income, race, or academic performance can receive tier 1, 2, and 3 services.
Culturally sustaining pedagogy “describes teaching and learning that seeks to
perpetuate and foster linguistic, literary, and cultural pluralism as part of the democratic
project of schooling and as a needed response to demographic and social change”
(Paris, 2017, p.2). To provide equitable access to tier 1, districts need to ensure that all
teachers have access to high-quality curricular materials that support them in crafting
learning experiences that are inclusive and socially just for all students. To do this, school
systems have to implement asset and strength-based approaches to teaching and
learning.
For example, we must ask ourselves how we can support the dynamic mix of abilities,
races, ethnicities, classes, genders, neighborhoods/regions, religions, and interests of our
critical questions like, “Do our schools represent the students and families as they
community?,” and “How do we leverage the skills, capacities, and strengths within our
community as we design learning experiences that meet the needs of all students?”
To ensure equitable access, districts must recognize all students as general education
the focus of MTSS should be creating strong tier 1 systems and supports that are
supplemented, not replaced, by tier 2 and tier 3 supports.
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SECTION 3
TIERED SUPPORT
making at all levels of the system and across all three tiers (Council of the Great City
Schools, 2012). The tiers in this model represent instruction and supports.
Within the MTSS model, universal supports such
as high quality, universally designed, culturally
sustaining, and evidence-based curriculum,
instruction, and assessments are provided for all
students.
designations, such as diagnosed disabilities.
Rather, movement is supported by data from
universal screeners, diagnostic assessments,
progress monitoring, and how a student responds
to one level of intervention.
Any and all students should have access to
supports when they need them. In addition,
obtaining services at one point does not mean that students will always need that level
of support. The MTSS process is not always linear, but rather oriented around problem-
solving.
When data suggests that students require more or less intensive supports to aid either
remediation or enrichment, they will move throughout the tiers based on that need.
No student should be labeled by an intervention tier. For example, a child is not a “tier 2
In addition, when a student receives interventions in tier 2, it should not replace tier 1
through tier 1, 2, and 3 supports as needed. For example, if data suggests that students are
not meeting the standards, what additional supports may they need? Similarly, if students
challenge and promote growth? It’s also important to note that students may need tier 2
supports in one area (e.g., math standards) but may need only tier 1 supports in another
area (e.g., relationship-building).
Intensive
Support
TIER 3
Targeted Support
TIER 2
Universal Support
TIER 1
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Intensive
Support
TIER 3
Targeted Support
TIER 2
Universal Support
TIER 1
Intensive
Support
TIER 3
Targeted Support
TIER 2
Universal Support
TIER 1
Intensive
Support
TIER 3
Targeted Support
TIER 2
Universal Support
TIER 1
Tier 1
These are supports available to all students through a general
education program. Inclusive practice, which is linguistically
responsive and culturally sustaining, is a cornerstone of tier 1.
strategies that improve academic and social emotional
outcomes for all students, with and without disabilities, in general
Inclusive Practice, 2017). For example, providing students with
a high-quality, coherent curriculum that provides options and
choices for how they learn (i.e, access to books, videos, or direct-
need to learn (i.e., visuals, exemplars, graphic organizers, rubrics,
etc.), and how they can express what they have learned will allow
more students to access rigorous, standards-based instruction.
Tier 2
Tier 2 supports occur in addition to the supports that are
provided in tier 1 settings. These supports are generally done in
small groups and include additional opportunities to practice
the skills necessary for core instruction or strategies for
enrichment.
Tier 3
Tier 3 provides more intensive support. These are often explicit,
focused interventions that occur individually or in very small
groups. It is important to note that tier 3 is not synonymous with
special education. Students with disabilities may not need tier 3
need tier 3 supports.
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Case in Point: Tiered Support
Imagine a grade 6 classroom where all students
have access to a high-quality core curriculum
that is universally designed and attends to
social emotional learning in all content areas.
There is also a
strong school-wide
Positive Behavioral
Interventions and
Supports (PBIS)
system, which
is supported by
teacher classroom
management.
The classroom
teacher utilizes
universal screening tools with all students,
consistently monitors their progress, and
receives high-quality professional development
in evidence-based practices and ongoing
coaching support aligned to the curriculum.
All students receive tier I supports in the
classroom and the teacher frequently monitors
student progress. While reviewing student data
with the school data team, the team notes
that there are a few students whose needs are
not being fully met by the tier I supports.
The teacher has two students who have recurring
behavioral challenges during her literacy class.
The grade/cohort level team should compare
notes on whether those students have persistent
behavioral challenges or if they only occur during
literacy. If the former, they may collectively confer
with the student support worker and decide
whether a social skills/
tier 2 or tier 3 support
would be helpful and
appropriate. If the
latter, it may have
more to do with that
particular teacher’s
instructional style
or relationship with
the students.
Two additional
students struggle with decoding multi-syllabic
comprehension. In addition to working with
the students in small groups during reading
workshop, the teacher refers those students to
the reading specialist who determines that they
intervention. After six weeks, the data team will
review student progress and determine next steps.
Although these students have varying needs,
MTSS allows all of them to access rigorous and
engaging learning opportunities in tier I as well
as research-based supports in tiers 2 and 3.
Although students have a range of
them to access rigorous and engaging
learning opportunities in tier I as well as
research-based supports in tiers 2 and 3.
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SECTION 4
SYSTEM DRIVERS
Leadership Drivers
Implementation requires leaders who address the adaptive issues (such as consensus
building and identifying/removing barriers that interfere with the development of an
teachers to collaborate and providing curriculum resources). Hall and Hord (2011) found
administrator and implementation success. This driver also refers to the structures that
foster collaboration and stakeholder input.
Shared Responsibility & Collaboration
loops and purposeful meeting structures. District and school leadership teams regularly use
formative and summative data to evaluate systems, strategies, policies, and student outcomes. This
data is used to inform action plans at the district, school, classroom, and individual student levels.
Leaders are encouraged to consider the process of supporting MTSS as a long term commitment.
Robust changes take ongoing prioritization and commitment along with long-range planning.
refer to this pattern as the “rain not hitting the ground” (i.e., high level decisions are made but the
changes and practices are not seen at the classroom level).
Leaders should consider the following stages in their planning. The planning stages below were
adapted from the National Implementation Research Network
1
:
EXPLORATION
During the exploration stage, the team learns more about multi-tiered systems and recognizes
the need to build a system that meets the needs of all students. During this stage, teams may ask
themselves:
What is MTSS?
What will it take to implement a multi-tiered system of support in our school or district?
How will we assess our readiness for change so we can eliminate barriers that may prevent
successful implementation of MTSS?
1. National Implementation Research Network, 2018. Used with permission.
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PLANNING
During the planning stage, teams create strategic plans for how they will acquire the resources needed
access to high-quality curricular materials are steps that need to be in place before the work can be
What early professional learning needs to occur to build the foundation for implementation?
How will we measure success?
How do we engage all stakeholders in understanding the relevancy of this work?
INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION
During the initial implementation phase, schools and districts begin to implement a multi-tiered system
of support. During this stage, teams may ask themselves:
What structures are in place (e.g., new schedules) to support early implementation changes?
How are we using data to drive our work?
(Senge & Kleiner, 1999).
FULL IMPLEMENTATION
During this stage, teams may ask themselves:
How will we scale up the professional learning options to meet the needs of the early adopters as
well as those just beginning?
How do we maintain a focus on this work through transitions in leadership?
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Leadership Team - There is an active leadership team that takes on the responsibility of ensuring
that systems meet the needs of all learners. The team has the authority to make resource,
stakeholders (including curriculum & instruction, student support, special education, and English
learner departments).
Communication & Collaboration Structures -
not only collaborate internally (e.g., agendas, protocols), but to regularly seek input and feedback
important information and decisions. All stakeholders are committed to the work and regularly
participate in planning and implementation activities.
Policies and Procedures - Policies are established by the school committee to support equity
(e.g., ensuring the annual budget funds schools equitably according to need; requiring an equity
audit to be conducted on a regular basis to determine factors such as institutional bias). Similarly,
(e.g., proportional scheduling is used to ensure that all students have access to higher level courses;
codes of conduct are developed with an equity lens). All policies and procedures are followed with
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Scientically-Based Planning Model - A multi-year planning process is used to
thoughtfully examine data and identify priorities, conduct a root cause analysis and
develop a logic model for how to address those priorities, and create an action plan to
through the logic model. The action plan is integrated into existing district and school
improvement/strategic plans and details who is responsible for what, by when, and what
foundational actions need to be taken so that the work can occur.
Resource allocation
It is essential that resource mapping occurs and districts prioritize and allocate their people,
time, and funding in a way that optimizes the tiered systems needed to support their students.
The National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) (2018) outlines how proactive, vigorous,
and enthusiastic attention by the administration is used to reduce implementation barriers while
supporting practitioners.
Resource allocation is a tangible way that leaders show their priorities. If MTSS is a focus,
systems of support? How have we organized our schedules to support tiered instruction? Do we
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Tiered Scheduling - The schedule allows time for evidence-based instruction and
interventions to be delivered across all three tiers in order to meet the academic, social
emotional, and behavioral needs of students. In addition, the schedule does not remove
students from the school’s educational program to receive intervention (i.e., schools are
supplementing and not supplanting tier 1 services and are not removing students from
lunch/recess and specials like physical education and music). The schedule allows for time
Common Planning Time - Time is scheduled for department-, grade-, and student-level
team collaboration and critical follow-up activities. Common planning times allow for
planning across grade levels and content teams and are inclusive of interventionists, special
and determine the appropriate supports for each student (e.g., who needs support in
intervention blocks; time for the pre-referral process) and what monitoring is needed.
Inclusive and Equitable Resources -
are reviewed with a lens of inclusion and equity (e.g., do we ask questions like, “What is the
typical proportion of learners with diverse needs in the general education classroom—for
example, students who are English learners (ELs) or students with individualized education
programs (IEPs)?” and “What is the composition of students enrolled in advanced, honors,
and AP courses?”). Based on answers to those questions, the team makes decisions to
modify the schedule and allocation of resources to move toward a more inclusive learning
process.
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Student, Family, & Community Engagement
engagement are essential, such as the use of collaboration protocols, communication plans,
Ðurišic & Bunijevac,
development of culturally sustaining and linguistically appropriate models of support.
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Welcoming Environment & Relationships - The district and schools create a welcoming
members. Stakeholders are valued and connected to each other in support of high
academic expectations, achievement, and healthy development and wellbeing.
Eective Communication -
engage in regular, meaningful dialogue about learning, high academic expectations, and the
healthy development of students. Schools systematically share information using multiple
communication pathways and solicit input about school goals and initiatives with students,
families, and the broader community.
Engagement in Student Support - Families/Caregivers and students are actively engaged
in student support processes/decisions and regularly informed about progress. Families/
caregivers receive the information they need to advocate for their children and are informed
of their rights to request a special education evaluation at any time during the tiered support
process.
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Competency Drivers
systems for feedback and evaluation (NIRN, 2018).
Sta Recruitment, Selection, & Onboarding
to meet them. This requires a mindset and belief that all students can learn at high levels. This
purposefully integrate our core beliefs in our onboarding programs (O’Connor & Freeman, 2012).
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Core Understanding and Beliefs -
and value of MTSS and believe that all students can be successful with appropriate levels of
support.
Hiring and Onboarding - Hiring criteria, recruitment, and selection for all district/
implementing MTSS. Onboarding programs and strategies support the building of MTSS
expertise and skill sets.
Stang Design -
allocated based on student need annually and throughout the year (e.g., if additional tier 2
supports).
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Professional Development & Coaching
support, individualized and team professional development and coaching, as well as options to
establish academic, behavioral, and social emotional expertise at all three tiers (Freeman, Miller,
& Newcomer, 2015). This professional development needs to be designed to meet the needs of
all learners while also aligning to the Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development
(Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2015). These standards remind
implementation teams to ensure that professional development is goal-directed, data-informed, and
collaborative so that all educators are engaged in learning experiences that allow them to apply the
professional learning in their practice.
Facilitators of professional development should model good pedagogical practice and engage
all educators using the principles of universal design for learning (UDL), the same principles that
increase access and engagement for students in a multi-tiered system (Novak & Rodriguez, 2016).
Designing professional development using UDL principles ensures that all educators have options
and choices to learn about multi-tiered systems of support in ways that are relevant, authentic, and
and implementation; and have numerous opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and
application of multi-tiered systems and receive feedback on their professional journey. Teachers
need ongoing, job-embedded professional development opportunities to practice skillful use of the
district’s curricular materials and deepen their understanding of how strong tier 1 instruction supports
greater access to grade-appropriate content for all students.
In addition to high-quality professional development, educators need coaching systems to apply
with someone with experience in using the strategies, and embedding these skills into daily practice
(Freeman, Miller, & Newcomer, 2015).
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
High Quality PD - Adequate time is provided for professional development to support the
foundations of MTSS (such as PD on universal design for learning and culturally sustaining
practices) and those professional learning options are embedded into the district and school PD
goal of improving instructional practice and student outcomes. The PD meets the Massachusetts
Standards for Professional Development and focuses on student academics as well as the social
emotional/behavioral/mental health dimensions of learning.
Adult Learning Culture -
hold themselves jointly responsible for student outcomes and regularly share their strengths
and struggles in the spirit of helping each other continually improve practice. Professional
Coaching -
emotional, and behavioral needs of students (i.e., coaches). Coaches use multiple points of
evidence to identify potential professional development priorities for teachers. Both teachers and
their coaches work to draw out the connections between teacher actions, student actions, and
student outcomes. Coaches work with teachers to determine the most appropriate professional
are reviewed at least annually.
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Feedback & Evaluation
practice, and related rubric elements.
DESE’s Turnaround Practices Research (2016a) provides some examples of how to support feedback
and evaluation.
Dened expectations for rigorous and consistent instructional practices - School leadership
Administrative observations leading to constructive, teacher-specic feedback, supports, and
professional development -
and enhancing classroom-based instruction across the school and for individual teachers. The
system includes frequent observations of instructional practice and the impact of instruction on
coaching, when needed.
their opinions about MTSS implementation from the end-user standpoint.
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Feedback to Support Implementation - The district utilizes feedback data (e.g., learning walk
data; evaluation ratings) to inform ongoing PD, planning, and implementation support.
Academic Focused Feedback & Evaluation - The educator evaluation process is used to
provide formal and informal feedback related to meeting the academic needs of students. The
feedback is used to develop meaningful, actionable goals to improve practice and impact student
achievement. Academic and social emotional/behavioral practice goals are integrated where
appropriate.
Social Emotional & Behavioral Focused Feedback & Evaluation - The educator evaluation
process is used to provide formal and informal feedback related to meeting the social emotional
and behavioral needs of students. The feedback is used to develop meaningful, actionable goals
to improve practice and impact student outcomes. Social emotional/behavioral and academic
practice goals are integrated where appropriate.
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Implementation Drivers
Implementation drivers are the organizational systems that leaders create in
order for tiered instruction and interventions to take place.
Tiered Continuum of Evidence-Based Practices
Evidence-based practices, instruction, and systems are provided to students by tier. Universally
designed practices and supports are intrinsic to all tiers. The supports provided to students are
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015) emphasizes the use of evidence-based activities,
strategies, and interventions (collectively referred to as “interventions”).
“evidence-based” interventions based on each of ESSA’s four levels are as follows:
Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental
study;
Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-
experimental study;
Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational
study with statistical controls for selection bias; or
Demonstrates a rationale
that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other
strategy, or intervention.
the following required and allowable uses of the ESSA evidence-based provisions. Unless
above.”
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Academic Supports & Interventions - Tier 1 academic expectations are articulated and
known by all. Within tier 1 there is a range of supports to meet the needs of all learners.
In addition, there is a range of tier 2 and 3 academic interventions (supplemental to tier
instruction, interventions, and supports are evidence-based, culturally sustaining, and
Social Emotional and Behavioral Supports & Interventions - Tier 1 social emotional
and behavioral supports are articulated and known by all. Within tier 1 there is a range
of supports to meet the needs of all learners. In addition, there is a range of tier 2 and 3
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evidence-based, culturally sustaining, and universally designed. Data is used to monitor the
Supporting Students with Disabilities - IEPs are designed to enable the student to
school. This ensures the student has access to the least restrictive environment and tiered
supports as appropriate. Inclusive practice and inclusion are cornerstones of educational
programming.
Supporting English Learners - The district and schools ensure English learners are able to
access the general curriculum and the tiered system of support. Data (e.g., ACCESS) is used
as the progress they are making in learning English. This data is used to inform supports
provided to students.
Implementation Fidelity
work is to establish a systematic approach to monitoring our adherence to the designed tiered
system of support. In addition to practice, it is important that we have mechanisms to review
future improvement plans, planning procedures (e.g., the budgeting process), and policies to
support MTSS throughout the implementation stages.
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Measures & Processes to Monitor Fidelity -
implementation of evidence-based strategies, instruction, and interventions. Measures can
be at the district, school, and classroom levels and build a common understanding of what
success looks like (e.g., you might regularly assess that evidenced-based curriculum and
instructional systems exist through curriculum reviews and classroom observations). Clear
Mid-course Corrections & Continuous Improvement - Based on the data collected
professional development and support, etc.). These processes are designed to support
open communication and productive feedback to ensure the work can be successfully
implemented and sustained.
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Data-Based Decision Making
Teams of educators use formative and summative evaluation procedures to make decisions
diagnostic, and progress monitoring purposes. These teams engage in a strategic problem
solving process to identify student needs and designate intervention and progress monitoring
protocols. The district and school leadership teams will also use student assessments to
evaluate district/school-wide outcomes, consider how to make programmatic and instructional
decisions based on those outcomes, and use this data to inform the MTSS action plan.
Below are some examples of what this looks like based on the DESE Turnaround Practices,
2016a.
Teachers and teacher teams use student data to adapt and improve instructional
strategies -
Using data to identify student-specic academic, social emotional, and behavioral
needs - Administrators and teachers use a variety of ongoing assessments (formative,
benchmark, and summative) to frequently and continually assess instructional
supports.
Monitoring progress to evaluate the eectiveness of an intervention - The school
engages in ongoing monitoring of the impact of tiered interventions and adjusts school’s
throughout the year.
Below are additional samples of what this may look like in practice.
Data Culture and Competency - A culture exists that supports the use of data not solely
for accountability purposes, but to drive instructional decisions and identify and address
to use data to drive instruction and monitor interventions. Data is used to assess systems
in the district and schools that may be impacting equity and outcomes for all students. For
example, regular equity audits are conducted at the school and district levels to identify
where students are disproportionately impacted by policies, practices, and/or instruction.
District and School Data Systems - District and school-level data systems are used to
track student performance over time. These data systems are used to provide regular
professional development, and action planning. Data systems are not only inclusive of
the data sets/platforms, but the meeting times and protocols needed to utilize the data
Assessment Maps - The district and schools have annual assessment maps. The
assessment map includes universal screeners, diagnostic assessments, and progress
monitoring tools focused on academic skill development as well as social emotional and
behavioral development.
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High Quality Curriculum and Instruction
Educators should not see the implementation of standards as a distinct initiative from the focus on
MTSS. We must assess the resources and planning tools we use at all three tiers and review their
alignment to the standards. Whether we are using grade level standards or entry and access points,
planning models for all students should focus on foundational skills in collaboration with standards.
Below are samples of what this may look like in practice.
Universally Designed and Culturally Sustaining Instruction - The district has a process to
review instructional methods and strategies to ensure that they are universally designed (e.g., to
determine accessibility and engagement) with a lens of equitable access (e.g., materials are free
Standards Incorporated Into Tiers - State standards are addressed across all three tiers. For
example, the instructional goals and resources used at all three tiers are reviewed and assessed
for their alignment to the standards (grade level, access, or entry points).
High Quality Materials - Materials across all three tiers exhibit a coherent sequence of target
skills and knowledge (i.e., they are vertically and horizontally aligned), have an empirical
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SECTION 5
FOCUS AREAS
To optimize student success, schools must address the academic, behavioral, and
social emotional needs of students through tiered support. All three areas are mutually-
reinforcing and should be at the core of our MTSS work. Depending on local context
and needs, many districts may choose to broaden the scope of their MTSS approach to
explicitly include tiered supports for safety, physical & mental health needs, and social
& family service needs. The systems and principles of the MTSS Blueprint can also be
applied to those domains (or others).
Academic Support
The design of academic instruction should allow all students equitable access to
grade-level standards, or entry points, in learning experiences that are engaging and
personalized to meet their needs. Academic instruction integrates evidence-based
excerpt from the Resource Guide to the Massachusetts
Curriculum Frameworks for
Students with Disabilities
that explains the role that entry points plan in this work.
“Students with disabilities are expected to achieve the same standards as their non-disabled
their presentation at lower levels of complexity, in smaller segments, and at a slower pace. While
allow educators to teach standards-based skills that encourage students to approach the grade-
the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) because it aligns less complex skills and content with
grade-level subject matter, and allows students to progress along a continuum as they approach
grade-level complexity (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,
2018).”
Students need to be actively involved in the learning process using evidence-based
curriculum and pedagogical strategies to foster engagement. For example, the principles
of UDL remind educators to provide options and choices for students to set goals for
their improvement as they work toward standards, choose the appropriate level of
challenge by selecting the methods and materials that will increase motivation, select
and distractions in the classroom so all students can work collaboratively on their
personalized learning plans with support from the teacher. When implementing the
principles of UDL, all students have opportunities to engage in rigorous academic work,
as this access is a primary predictor of student achievement (Council of the Great City
Schools, 2012).
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Case in Point: Academic Support
In many classrooms, teachers design a “one-
For example, when designing instruction, many
teachers expect
students to read
printed text like
novels, primary
source documents,
and/or textbooks
to learn content
and then answer
questions about
the content using
textual evidence in
Printed materials result in barriers for some
students, who may not be able to access the text
because they cannot decode at that level, have
visual impairments, or are English learners.
In a universally designed high school classroom,
students may have options about which texts to
read, or they may be encouraged to choose a novel
based on interest, that is relevant, authentic, and
meaningful as they work to meet the standard.
If reading the same text, students may have the
option to read the hard copy or access the text
online, where they can customize the display of
summarize sections to
build comprehension.
When expressing their
understanding of the
text, teachers may ask
depths of knowledge
and encourage
students to answer in
writing in a traditional
through a short presentation, in an infographic, or
through video or audio mediums.
As they are working, students may have access
to multiple materials such as exemplars, sentence
stems, graphic organizers, highlighters, peer-editing
and writing conferences with the teacher.
When students have options and choices to access
texts and express what they have learned in more
inclusive classroom, regardless of variability.
information, listen to the audio version, translate
or collaborate with peers to highlight important
information and
When students have options and choices
to access texts and express what they
can be educated together in an inclusive
classroom, regardless of variability.
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constructed response, or using dictation software,
,
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Behavioral Support
Educators expect to teach academic skills, but when it comes to behavior, often the
response is a simple set of rules that students are expected to follow and a series of
negative consequences if they fail to do so. However, in schools implementing MTSS,
educators understand that behavior, like academics, is learned. As a result, those skills
must be explicitly taught, modeled, and positively reinforced and students must be given
ample feedback and opportunities for practice.
Tiered behavioral systems use primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of support to
provide a proactive and preventative approach to behavior for all students. The use
of a multi-tiered model provides students with supports built into daily routines where
building. In addition, consistent school-wide systems are in place to support frequent
methods to provide both positive and corrective feedback to students. It is important
that data is incorporated to both identify needs across these tiers, as well as provide
allow schools to implement screening to identify students who may be at risk, and
provide increasingly intensive support for those who need it (Menzies & Lane, 2011).
Behavioral approaches should support all students, and school teams should work
with families and the community to determine how to contextualize support so that it
Similarly, data should be reviewed regularly to examine how behavioral systems and
ethnicity, gender, disability, etc.).
supporting teaching and learning. Schools can maximize success for all students when
they: a) develop tiered behavioral systems that are data-driven and responsive to
student needs, b) emphasize that classroom management and positive behavioral
establish a positive, safe, and supportive school climate that is culturally sustaining.
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Case in Point: Behavioral Support
to develop the core values of P.R.I.D.E. (Patience,
Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence).
Visuals are placed on the walls and video monitors
in hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, and media
center, reminding
students and families
about expected
behaviors in all
school settings.
All the faculty and
setting have received
training about
adult expectations
and receive ongoing in-service training
classroom management techniques.
identify what P.R.I.D.E. looks like at home
25
engaging positively in the community, sharing
successes and challenges, making healthy
choices, and leading by example as guiding
principles. This is reviewed with all interactions
between school and family members.
Occasionally
students require
greater support,
and additional
interventions have
the secondary level.
Two interventions
are commonly
utilized at this
level, including mini social skills lessons and
Check-in Check-out (CICO). The latter, CICO, is
a standardized intervention whereby students
receive more frequent reminders and review
of expected behavior, as well as increased
formalized feedback throughout the day.
Students are reminded about
expected behaviors in all school
settings.
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Social Emotional Development
For a growing number of schools and districts, social emotional
learning (SEL) is recognized as a critical dimension to support
student success. SEL is the process through which students acquire
to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals,
feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive
relationships, and make responsible decisions.
When students receive social emotional supports that are aligned with academic and behavioral
achievement metrics, positive social behaviors and attitudes, skills such
as self-regulation and teamwork, and graduation rates. They also have
fewer conduct problems, less emotional distress, and lower drug use,
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Self-awareness
Self-management
Responsible decision making
Relationship skills
Social awareness
DESE’s Guidance
Developing students’ social emotional competencies can provide an opportunity to develop a
sense of positive self-worth in connection to a student’s race, color, sex, gender identity, religion,
national origin, and sexual orientation. Educators should develop examples and illustrations of these
competencies that are congruent with the social and cultural experiences of their students. SEL
instruction that is not culturally responsive can risk becoming a source of
acculturative stress for students who are not members of the dominant
group.
professional learning, and budgets. It must guide curriculum choices and
classroom instruction — both direct practice in SEL as well as integrated
instruction with reading, math, history, and other subjects and enrichment
opportunities. It drives schoolwide practices and policies and supports
how adults and students relate with each other at all levels of the system, creating a welcoming,
shapes partnerships with families and community members, highlighting engagement, trust, and
collaboration.
Self-awareness
Responsible
decision making
Relationship skills
Self-management
Social awareness
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Case in Point: Social Emotional Support
In a middle school, social & emotional learning
is integrated into all educational priorities at
the classroom and school levels. The school-
wide SEL focus for the quarter includes building
self-awareness and relationship management
skills. Before the quarter started, teachers were
given professional development to support the
integration of these competencies into their lesson
plans. At weekly
common planning
meetings, teachers are
capacity to incorporate
these strategies and
given support to
improve their practice.
At the tier 1 level, in
a 7th grade science
classroom, students are working on a group lab
experiment. To foster self-awareness, before
beginning the experiment students are asked to
discussions about how they might react if the
experiment goes well or poorly. Students then
Students are also asked to set group norms around
how they will work together and collaborate on
their group’s dynamics, how well they followed
their norms, and how they might improve their
collaboration in the future.
“Conversation Starter” cards to help foster
communication and deeper relationships at lunch.
These are replicated
for the teacher’s lunch
room as well.
At their bi-weekly data
team meeting, the
eighth grade team
were struggling to
form meaningful
relationships with peers. The team created a
plan to check-in individually with each student to
unpack their perception about the context and
contributing factors of the situation. Ultimately the
team, with input from these students, established
an opportunity for them to meet weekly as a small
group to focus on relationship building with the
guidance counselor.
Social & emotional learning is
integrated into all school priorities.
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