MTSS is the educational framework that embraces academics, behavior, and social-emotional growth. Learn more about MTSS, how it can be used to identify and support students’ strengths and needs, explore MTSS best practices, and uncover why MTSS is a high priority in education across the United States.
Book a chat with our education specialists.
Before nailing down an MTSS definition, it’s important to answer the question “What does MTSS stand for?”
In education, MTSS stands for multi-Tiered Systems of Support. MTSS tiersgive educators a framework for academic, behavioral, and social emotional support. Each tier of the MTSS pyramid offers different amounts of support depending on what each student needs. When a student requires more help than is available in a tier, they move to the next level of support.
The MTSS model aims to identify needs as soon as possible so learners can access the right interventions. This is important because intervention is usually more effective when it’s done early. That’s why MTSS is considered a proactive and preventative model.
If you’re familiar with Response to Intervention, or RTI, MTSS may sound similar. Read on to see why.
RTI, or Response to Intervention, is a tiered system of academic instruction and support PBIS, or Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, is a system that promotes positive behavior in schools MTSS is a tiered system of academic, behavioral, and social emotional instruction and support MTSS and RTI are two different educational models that look very similar. People sometimes use the terms interchangeably.
However, RTI only looks at academic needs, while MTSS interventions cover academic, social emotional, and behavioral needs. Before MTSS, many states used RTI alongside PBIS to address academic and behavioral issues separately.
The MTSS umbrella combines elements of RTI and PBIS to address the whole student.
According to the Center on Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports at the American Institutes for Research, the essential components of MTSS are:
Tier 1 offers evidence based instruction, support, and progress monitoring to every student.
If a student needs more help than is offered at tier 1, they move into tiers 2 or 3 for targeted intervention and support. As students move through the MTSS triangle, they also have access to everything the tiers beneath offer. For example, a student at tier 2 also receives all of the support available at tier 1.
When considering MTSS for your district, school or classroom, it’s best to start by identifying why. Doing this first helps sustain any new initiative long term and fight initiative fatigue.
Reasons schools / districts might choose to implement an MTSS model are:
Check with your State Department of Education
Many states offer MTSS professional development and coaching.
Check with your State Department of Education
Many states offer MTSS professional development and coaching.
Multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) has been shown to promote positive academic and functional outcomes for all students. However, schools are struggling to find a balance between providing high quality core instruction and supplemental supports at Tiers 2 and 3.
Assistive technology for struggling students, including those with disabilities, can ensure that all students access and benefit from core instruction while simultaneously receiving intervention to address identified deficit areas.
The graphics below shows the most commonly used MTSS intervention strategies, organized by tier.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support are often seen as separate initiatives. How can districts, schools, and classrooms combine them to make learning accessible to all students?
Join expert consultant Gayl Bowser for a free virtual session exploring the ways UDL can enhance learning at each tier.
Technology offers powerful ways to increase the success of any MTSS model. Using MTSS and technology effectively empowers educators with the right tools to meet the needs of their students. The technology below can resource districts to meet increasing academic and behavioral needs, support overwhelmed staff, and strengthen equity and inclusion.