Making the Case That MTSS is NOT Just Something Extra

As a lifelong educator, I have worked for decades with teachers and teacher candidates in pre-k through high school classrooms in both public and private schools. One constant for my teachers across the board, regardless of subject matter/specialty or grades taught — all consistently experienced the “educational pendulum” swinging throughout their careers, and some may have even experienced the pendulum swing with multiple initiatives, new policies, etc. in a single year. In just this past year alone, teachers have experienced the shift from remote instruction to hybrid learning, and then back to in-person learning.

It is no surprise that many shifts in the classroom can lead to fatigue, burnout, skepticism, and the feeling that whatever the change is, “it won’t last.” 

Why MTSS is Not Just Another School Initiative

Research has found that teachers make more minute-by-minute decisions than brain surgeons, and this can obviously be exhausting, especially when trying to keep up with new school initiatives (Watson, 2017). Unfortunately, due to this exhaustion, I believe that some vital processes such as MTSS/RTI run the risk of becoming miscategorized and put on the “just something else to do” list rather than recognized as a best practice for all students, and a model for all schools. 

I first started working with my school district clients to guide and support the transition to an RTI model (Response to Intervention), after it was suggested within the Individuals with Disabilities Act issued in 2004. Up until this time, I had worked with teachers and administrators using the discrepancy model, which was a traditional method used to identify students challenged with disabilities through cognitive and academic achievement testing.

As my school partners worked to shift to RTI, we pivoted to focus on their student's ability to respond to the increased and consistent use of interventions in the classroom. This work encompassed a significant swing for educators and required teachers to look at the needs of students outside of assessing for potential disabilities, as with the discrepancy model. New “student support teams” were established to identify students experiencing difficulties, and educators began to hone in on the importance of differentiating instruction to meet students' needs. This work continues today, as I work with schools to facilitate the transition to MTSS (Multi-Tiered Supports System). This includes ensuring fidelity to a robust core curriculum, providing data-driven intervention that increases intensity as needed, based on frequently tracking progress monitoring data, supporting students with social/emotional/attendance needs, improving school culture, and leveraging community engagement.

The educational pendulum swinging back and forth, discussed above, can often be linked to moving to a new curriculum or frequently updating school processes. Ideas can shift about what works well during a certain period of time and head in a single direction, then later head back again. The swing back and forth creates a feeling that change is not permanent, and teachers may initially state something along the lines of, “I don’t have time for a discussion of transitioning to MTSS or anything else extra to do right now.” As a result, when I work with teachers to express this concern, we discuss how the tenets of MTSS/RTI are not just an “extra thing to do” and should be available for all students in all schools in perpetuity.  

Ensuring Fidelity to Core Instruction is Foundational to MTSS Success

By taking the time to ensure that there is a robust core curriculum in place and maintaining fidelity to such curriculum, teachers can ensure they are consistently working to obtain results. If there is a lack of consistency with providing the core, it will be hard to understand if struggling students are immediately (or year-over-year) experiencing difficulties due to lack of exposure to content, or due to another issue. 

Related Resource: MTSS Core Instruction Guide

School Culture Shapes Student Success

A positive culture is one in which every employee and student are energized to try their best. This leads to employees and students feeling comfortable and open to learning, and safe in sharing thoughts and ideas.  

Data-Driven Intervention Drives Real Student Growth

When teachers ensure the intervention they provide is robust and data-driven, they have the peace of mind that the intervention is expected to yield results when matched appropriately to the student’s needs. Interventions that teachers can simply Google and apply or find on Pinterest may look interesting, but could waste valuable instructional time if it has not yielded proven results in the past. Teachers can also spend too long (or too little) time on an intervention’s impact that has not been previously measured.

Related Resource: The Tier 2 Behavior Intervention Guide

What Can I Do if My Teachers Feel Fatigue With Transitioning to MTSS?