Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Infrastructure is the systems that help people work together in schools. It includes:

• Physical spaces
• Relationships
• Processes that support staff, students families and the community

MnMTSS infrastructure requires:

• Clear goals and mission.
• Leaders that use resources, staff and student data to make decisions and reach goals.
• Staff who believe all students can learn when given the right support.
• A positive school climate and culture. Students want to learn and teachers want to teach.
• Ongoing professional learning to improve teaching and student success.
• Strong teamwork among educators focused on better student outcomes.

Families are partners in educational decision making.

We create partnerships with families by:

• Building two-way relationships with them.
• Listening to the voices of those who are marginalized or disadvantaged.
• Sharing learning objectives and student progress in a clear fashion.
• Listening to their ideas and concerns.

Multi-layered supports allow every student to get the support they need. We progress to more intense layer (or tier) of support when a student needs it.

Tier 1 support

Provided to all students

Access to essential grade-level standards for all students.

Tier 2 support

Provided to some students

Targeted support to master essential grade-level standards.

• Targeted instruction to specific students
• OurTime and MyTime
• WIN Time
• Anything beyond full class instruction addressing grade-level standards

Tier 3 support

Provided to few students

Intensive remediation in universal skills on prior year's essential standards.

• Individualized support plan to work on prior year's essential standards
• Small group
• Intervention classes
• Special education supports

• Assessment is the process of gathering evidence to guide decisions for improving student learning.
• There are many assessment tools. Each has a specific purpose.
• In MTSS, assessment data helps identify the tier of support a student needs.

MTSS uses data-based decision making to:

• Improve students' academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes.
• Create an ongoing cycle of improvement that helps us:
  • Refine practices. 
  • Align with shared goals.
• Break down data to identify gaps and address inequities as early as possible.

We use the data to:

• Define and analyze needs.
• Offer solutions that address root causes.
• Follow what is happening over time to ensure success.

It requires:

• Accessible, integrated data.
• Structured decision-making process.
• Ongoing system performance evaluation.