🚨CATCH IT EARLY!
You notice a student beginning to struggle academically or behaviorally in September. Should you wait to see if the problem resolves on its own?
No! Identify the concern early and begin problem-solving.
💡 Early identification allows us to intervene before a small concern becomes a much larger gap.
Who can identify that a student needs additional MTSS interventions?
The classroom teacher should be the first to identify that a student is struggling in most cases. However, referrals can also come from ELD team members, CART teachers, or ANYONE familiar with that student!
Why do we collect intervention data?
To determine whether the intervention is working and what the student needs next.
True or False? Ms. Elder is the one responsible for communicating student concerns to the family?
False! The parents should receive communication from the classroom teacher prior to the SIT referral! Once the student is referred, I will reach out to the family to schedule a SIT meeting. This should NOT be the first communication of concern.
Do you refer a student to SIT before or after implementing tier 2 interventions?
BEFORE! After tier 1 interventions have been implemented and no progress has been made, the student should be referred to SIT! The SIT team will develop tier 2 interventions as a team and set timeline goals!
A student is struggling with reading, but the teacher has not yet tried any targeted classroom strategies. Should the teacher immediately submit an MTSS referral?
Not necessarily. Start with appropriate classroom interventions, begin collecting data and make parent contact to share concerns.
Name TWO classroom interventions a teacher could try before requesting additional support.
Possible answers:
Which statement gives us better data?
A. "He is always off-task."
B. "During a 20-minute independent work period, he leaves his seat five times."
Answer: B.
Which is the BEST way to approach a parent about a student who is struggling?
A. “Your child is having a lot of problems in class.”
B. “I wanted to share something I'm noticing and work with you to figure out how we can support your child.”
C. “We've tried everything, so we're referring your child.”
Answer: B
💡 Start with partnership, not problems.
What is the counselor's role in MTSS?
To collaborate with teachers and the MTSS/SIT team, provide targeted supports, help identify appropriate interventions, support data collection/progress monitoring, and connect students and families with additional resources when needed.
When should teachers consider requesting additional MTSS support?
When a concern continues despite appropriate classroom interventions and the data shows the student is not making expected progress.
A student frequently becomes frustrated during independent work. Name ONE Tier 1 intervention the teacher could try.
Break the task into smaller steps, provide visual directions, offer a brief movement break, or provide additional guided practice & document for potential SIT referral in Synergy
Name TWO things a teacher could collect data on when monitoring a behavioral concern.
A teacher is beginning an intervention with a student. What should the teacher communicate to the family?
What the concern is, what support is being provided, and how the student will be monitored.
💡 Parents should understand what we're doing and why we're doing it.
True or False: Once a teacher submits an MTSS request, the teacher's role is finished.
FALSE!
The teacher remains an important part of the problem-solving process and continues implementing and monitoring agreed-upon supports.
It's October and you are already concerned about a student's academic or behavioral progress. What should you NOT do?
Wait until May to refer the student.
💡 We don't wait for the gap to get bigger before we ask for help.
A teacher has tried several classroom strategies, but the student continues to struggle. What should the teacher do before simply saying, "I need to refer this student"?
Look at what was tried, determine whether it was implemented consistently, collect data, and consider whether the intervention actually matched the student's need. Also, check in with other team members to see if the concern is consistent in other content areas.
A student has received targeted interventions, but the data shows little or no progress. What should happen next?
The team should review the data, determine what is or isn't working, and consider more intensive individualized support through the MTSS/SIT problem-solving process.
A parent tells you, “My child doesn't have this problem at home.” What should you do?
Listen and gather information rather than dismissing the parent's perspective.
Ask questions such as:
💡 Family input is data too. What happens at home can help us better understand what a student needs at school.
A student is struggling with behavior, academics, or social-emotional skills. The teacher has noticed the concern and wants additional support. Which statement BEST reflects the teacher's role in MTSS?
The teacher is the first problem-solver. The teacher should identify the specific concern, try appropriate classroom strategies, collect data, and monitor the student's response. If the concern continues, the teacher should reach out to the MTSS team for additional support and problem-solving.
A student has been struggling since September. The teacher finally brings the concern to the team in May, but there is very little intervention data. What is the biggest MTSS problem?
We waited too long to intervene and did not collect enough data to determine what support the student needed.
🔥 Teaching point: Early identification + early intervention + consistent data = better problem-solving.
A student is struggling with behavior. The teacher has tried three different strategies for three days each and has not seen improvement. Should the teacher immediately conclude that Tier 1 isn't working?
No.
The teacher should consider whether the strategies were:
💡 Teaching point: We want teachers to problem-solve—not just cycle through random interventions.
A SIT meeting has been scheduled for a student you referred, what types of data should you bring to help the team understand the concern?
Specific, objective data that shows what you are seeing and what has already been tried.
Teachers could bring:
💡 Teaching Point:
Come to SIT with evidence, not just a concern. Instead of “He's really struggling,” we want to be able to say, “Here is what I'm seeing, here is what I've tried, and here is what the data is showing us.”
Where should all parent contact be documented?
In Synergy! You SHOULD document ALL parent contact in synergy under the contact log! Please reach out if you need help locating this function!
A teacher identifies a concern in September, begins classroom interventions, collects data, and reaches out for support in October when the student is not responding. Why is this an example of strong MTSS practice?
Because the teacher identified the concern early, attempted appropriate supports, collected data, and sought collaboration before the problem became significantly larger.
💡 Teaching Point:
🚨 Don't wait until May!