During the edLeader Panel webinar, “The Role of MTSS in District Improvement: Aligning Vision and Action,” three top-notch current and former district leaders discussed change management, focusing on how a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) can provide an organizing framework for accomplishing strategic goals. The panelists shared practical strategies to help anyone from seasoned K-12 superintendents to up-and-coming administrators accomplish their district goals and lead confidently.

The insightful conversation felt like peek-a-boo access to a members-only VIP coaching session with recognized industry pundits, including one who achieved a 97 percent graduation rate. They encapsulated decades of experience in a CliffsNotes version of being an effective district leader, laying a blueprint for success. Consider the following five essential factors as must-dos for effectively leading through change—with MTSS implementation!

Watch the On-Demand Recording 

Success in school and in life is not about being the smartest in the room; it’s about how well you can manage yourself and navigate the challenges you face every day.  Executive functioning—the ability to manage tasks, time, and emotions—plays a crucial role in students’ growth and learning. But what is the best way to help students develop these skills? One key lies in enhancing our own executive functioning skills, creating an environment in which we intentionally practice and model these soft skills in our daily interactions with students and colleagues. 

It’s your job to pull all the pieces together—and WOW are there a lot of pieces! From curriculum planning and enrollment management, to staffing and addressing the diverse needs of students and teachers, to connecting with the community and advocating for your campus. Underneath it all is a well of data that can inform your next steps. Using data effectively is a crucial leadership skill.  Academic assessments, intervention monitoring, attendance and behavioral data help you make informed decisions that drive school improvement and boost student success …. IF you know what to look at, how, and when. 

Curriculum changes, unfamiliar technology platforms, shiny new devices, ambitious district initiatives—sound familiar to you? Starting a new school year often feels like trying to juggle while riding a roller coaster! 

You watch your educators hustling at the end of the school day to create sub plans and make copies for tomorrow. You have asked your teachers to leave their classrooms in the hands of an unknown substitute to attend professional development for a new district initiative. Fast forward a few years or even months and you can’t remember what the initiative was, what the expectations were for you as an administrator or your educators, or even how to get ahold of the resources shared. Have you been there? This experience occurs far too often in education as we continue to search for the silver bullet, the initiative to end all initiatives. 

So much time, money, physical, and emotional investment can be saved by planning for sustainability with your professional development implementation. Fortunately, MTSS itself holds the key — it’s a framework to support all learners. What if we applied that way of thinking to our adult learners as well? 

Just as a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) systematically provides universal, targeted and intensive instruction for students depending on their needs, providing systematic MTSS learning for educators depending on their needs will have an exponential impact on your MTSS efforts over time.

"I believe that being an effective, inspiring leader for my teachers means staying in touch with what it's like for them to work in our building – and striving to make our school a place they'll never want to leave." 

- Melissa Harvey, Principal, Bobby Summers Middle School, Royse City I.S.D., TX 

Just about every department and role in a school district benefits from the Branching Minds platform! Branching Minds is a comprehensive MTSS solution designed to transform the way school districts support students, making the work of education both practical and sustainable. 

Hooray! You've already laid the groundwork for MTSS success by establishing a clear vision for the work in collaboration with your colleagues. The initial hurdle of getting systems off the ground and providing basic training for staff members on board has been completed. But now, as you move toward full implementation and continuous growth, you're stepping into the big leagues.

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, schools must exhaust allocated funds, whether from local, state, or federal sources. One approach is to view these funds as opportunities for one-time investments that will yield ongoing returns for students. 

Here are some practical ways to invest remaining funds for long-term benefits:

How do you get the most impact out of your MTSS efforts? Impact and effort are often competing realities, so it can be a challenge to know how to strategically approach the work. An Impact-Effort Map is a tool you can use to visualize and prioritize tasks when launching your MTSS practice or with any initiative. It's a two-dimensional matrix where impact is plotted against effort in order to identify which tasks should be done now, done later, or delegated.