St. Croix River Education District

Collaborate • Innovate • Advocate

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a systemic, continuous improvement framework in which data-based problem solving and decision-making is practiced across all levels of the educational system for supporting all students (including students receiving special education services).

MTSS is a foundational paradigm, meaning that every practice, procedure, and policy in a school can be viewed meaningfully through the lens of MTSS. MTSS is at the core of SCRED's mission because when schools organize their supports within this framework, effectiveness increases and everyone benefits.

Overall information about MTSS:

• MnMTSS webpage from MDE The Minnesota Dept. of Education's main webpage that explains the MnMTSS framework. MnMTSS was established in 2021.
• MTSS Manual SCRED's most thorough, comprehensive internal resource regarding the MTSS framework.
• MTSS Flowchart A 1-page chart in our MTSS Manual that breaks down the flow of a multi-tiered system.

The structures that constitute MTSS can be broken up into five categories, and that is how the rest of this page is organized: (1) Infrastructure that Supports Continuous Improvement, (2) Family and Community Engagement, (3) Multi-Layered Practices and Support, (4) Assessment, and (5) Data-based Decision Making.

Infrastructure that Supports Continuous Improvement

Teaming Structures

• Teams to Support MTSS Information about how different teams work across the levels of the MTSS framework: their roles, lenses, and more.
• Building-Level Team Development Worksheet Leadership teams can use this resource to get on the same page about their purpose, membership, norms, decision-making processes, etc.
• District-Level Team Development Worksheet The same resource but designed for district leadership.

Team Dynamics

• Teamwork & Collaboration Resources Example team agendas and other resources to help teams develop norms, make decisions together, ensure all voices are heard, and more.

Professional Learning

• RTI Action Network
• Center on MTSS at the American Institute of Research (AIR)

Family and Community Engagement

• A Parent’s Guide to MTSS This is a parent-friendly handout that explains what MTSS is.

Multi-Layered Practices and Support

Evidence-Based Programs: General

Check out these website pages that index evidence-based programs and provide guidance on how to assess the efficacy of curriculum/programs.

• Evidence for ESSA
• What Are Evidence-Based Interventions
• IRIS Center
• The Meadows Center
• What Works Clearinghouse
• Evidence-Based Intervention Network
•  National Center on Intensive Intervention
• Best Evidence Encyclopedia

Academic

• ELA Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3/Special Education Resources Hop over to our ELA webpage to access resources designed to support every level of the MTSS framework.
• Math Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3/Special Education Resources Hop over to our math webpage to access resources designed to support every level of the MTSS framework.
• Intervention Notification Letter Schools send these letters to families of students who are receiving Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions.
• Intervention Notification Checklist This is a step-by-step list of how to notify families when a student needs to receive a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention.

SEL

• Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3/Special Education Resources Hop over to our SEL webpage to access resources designed to support every level of the MTSS framework.
• Intervention Notification Letter Schools send these letters to families of students who are receiving Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions.
• Intervention Notification Checklist This is a step-by-step list of how to notify families when a student needs to receive a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention.

Early Childhood

• Academic Interventions
• SEL Interventions

 

Assessment 

• Target Packet
• Rate of Improvement (ROI) & CBM Norms & Percentile Charts
• Universal Screening Measures by Grade & Testing Window
• Accommodations on GOM Testing Further information regarding testing accommodations may be found in the SCRED Special Education Guidelines.
• Accommodations for FAST Testing Further information regarding testing accommodations may be found in the SCRED Special Education Guidelines.
• Analytic & Intervention Hypotheses Examples
• Recommended Progress Monitoring Frequencies Some rules of thumb regarding how often we should check on students' progress depending on how we're measuring it.
• Academic IEP Goal Writing Handout Special education teachers use this procedure to determine an appropriate baseline and target score using CBM measures.

Data-Based Decision Making

• Data-Based Decision Making Flowchart Interventionists and intervention teams use this to visually analyze progress monitoring graphs.
• Determining Instructional Changes Chart When students in interventions aren't making adequate progress, this helps educators decide how to respond.