MTSS Foundations
This acronym stands for a proactive framework schools use to give targeted support to struggling students.
What is MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports)?
This tier provides core academic and social-emotional instruction to 100% of the student population.
What is Tier 1?
This is the systematic process of assessing all students to identify who may need additional support.
What is Universal Screening?
This "Failure Point" occurs when a team has plenty of metrics but no shared understanding of what they mean.
What is the Clarity Problem?
This Tier 2 positive behavior strategy involves a student meeting with a mentor at the start and end of every day.
What is Check-In/Check-Out (CICO)?
This 2015 federal law requires public schools to enact MTSS to provide a "comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices."
What is the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)?
These are standardized, research-proven interventions targeted at students identified as "at-risk."
What is Tier 2?
This software explored earlier in the PD series helps MTSS teams auto-collect progress monitoring data across subjects and goals.
What is FrenalyticsEDU?
This data analysis protocol is often used by teams, though many struggle with the final "Act" stage.
What is Look-Think-Act?
In the CICO intervention, the most important part is not the paperwork, but this consistent interaction.
What is feedback and reflection?
According to the Ohio DOE, MTSS is a systematic process of collecting these two types of data to identify at-risk students.
What are academic and non-academic data?
This level of support involves increased intensity and highly individualized instruction.
What is Tier 3?
For social-emotional and behavioral needs, universal screeners are typically done this many times per school year.
What is twice (2x) per year (beginning of year and after winter break)?
To solve the "Execution Problem," every action item from a data meeting must have these two things assigned.
What are an owner and a due date?
These brief surveys, often owned by the mental health team, are used to triage student social-emotional needs.
What are Minute Meetings?
This core component of MTSS involves the ongoing collection of data to determine if an intervention is actually working.
What is Progress Monitoring?
"Second Step" whole-class lessons and "95 Phonics" for all students are examples of supports at this tier.
What is Tier 1?
An Integrated MTSS system tracks academic areas, social and emotional, behavioral, and this specific fourth area.
What is Attendance?
This "Failure Point" occurs when a team identifies a clear pattern (like doubling office referrals) but fails to define a specific action or plan.
What is the Decision Problem?
If an MTSS team identifies a "Decision Problem"—such as a spike in referrals during lunch—this specific type of resource should be created to ensure data patterns lead to consistent, defined actions.
What is a Data-to-Action Playbook?
("If ___ doesn’t make progress after __ weeks, ___ happens" OR "If we see ____, ____ happens")
MTSS is designed to be this kind of framework, moving away from the old "waiting to fail/discrepancy" model.
What is a proactive and preventative framework?
A 1:1 Wilson Reading System lesson delivered four times per week is an example of an intervention at this tier.
What is Tier 3?
To ensure that no student "falls through the cracks" between major benchmark windows, schools use this specific tool or process for every student who joins the district mid-year.
What is an Enrollment Checklist?
This "Failure Point" is characterized by failing to "close the loop" with families and the team after an intervention is completed.
What is the Impact Problem?
In the "Integrated MTSS" model, these five CASEL Competencies are tracked to determine a student's level of support.
What are Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making?