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Aligning Our Practices for Student Success

If you’ve heard the term “MTSS” (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) lately, you’re not alone. Across the state and beyond, educators are talking about it, implementing it in various ways, and trying to understand how to make it work for their students. But as districts continue to explore and deepen our understanding of MTSS, it’s crucial to remember that it’s much more than just the familiar triangle—it’s a system with multiple interwoven components that work together to support the success of every student.

As we move forward, it’s important to ask: How do we align our practices with a systems mindset? How do we ensure that all parts of MTSS are working together in harmony to provide the most effective support for students?

What is MTSS, Really? Washington State MTSS Framework

MTSS is a comprehensive, multi-faceted framework that organizes supports for students based on their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs. While many people recognize the triangle model—which shows different levels of support (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3)—this is just a visual representation of the system’s three levels of intervention.

In reality, MTSS includes five key components that are essential to making it work effectively. These components, when implemented together, provide a robust and sustainable system of support for all students:

1. Team-Driven Shared Leadership

What Does This Mean? MTSS is not a process that can be managed by one person or department; it requires a collaborative, team-driven approach. Successful implementation involves shared leadership across administrators, teachers, specialists, and support staff. Regular team meetings are essential to analyze data, discuss student progress, and determine the necessary support for each student.

To ensure MTSS is sustainable and system-wide, we must refine our team structures and deepen the alignment between them. Teams should not only focus on student outcomes but also engage in systemic problem-solving. It’s crucial to involve key stakeholders—including families, community partners, and specialists—in decision-making. By incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise, we create a more inclusive, collaborative environment that addresses the needs of all students.

Questions to consider:

• How can we ensure that all key stakeholders, including families, community partners, and specialists, are consistently involved in the decision-making process?
• What structures or practices can we put in place to deepen the alignment and collaboration between our MTSS teams to ensure a seamless, system-wide approach?
• How do we shift from merely discussing student outcomes to engaging in systemic problem-solving that addresses root causes and supports long-term student success?

2. Family and Community Engagement

What Does This Mean? MTSS emphasizes the active involvement of families and community partners in supporting students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success. Districts should think about going beyond simply informing families and instead engaging them in decision-making, providing regular progress updates, and offering resources or training to help them support their child’s development. Engaging community partners can further strengthen this support network by connecting families with additional resources, such as mental health services or after-school programs. This collaborative approach fosters a shared responsibility for student success, ensuring that interventions are holistic, culturally responsive, and aligned with both school and home environments.

Questions to Consider:

• How can we create a truly collaborative relationship with families, where they are not only informed but also empowered to participate in decision-making and problem-solving around their child’s learning and support?
• In what ways can we ensure that our communication and engagement strategies are not one-time events, but part of a continuous, meaningful dialogue with families, fostering trust and partnership throughout the school year?
• How can we intentionally align community resources with the specific needs of our students, ensuring that families have access to comprehensive support services that go beyond the school environment and help address the broader challenges students may face?

3. Data-Based Decision Making

What Does This Mean? In an MTSS system, data plays a central role in guiding decisions about academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support. This includes not just tracking student performance, but also monitoring how they respond to interventions. While data collection is happening, the next step is to shift toward a more collaborative, real-time approach. Data should be regularly reviewed across teams—such as grade-level teams, student support teams, and specialists—to make timely adjustments to interventions and supports. This means moving beyond periodic reviews to a continuous feedback loop, where real-time data informs immediate changes in teaching strategies or interventions. Ensuring that data is actionable is key, so that it drives specific, targeted actions to adjust supports and interventions as needed. By fostering a culture of continuous, collaborative data use, interventions become more responsive, effective, and aligned with the evolving needs of students.

Questions to Consider

• How can we break down data silos and ensure that all teams are using the most current data to make decisions, rather than waiting for scheduled review meetings or reports?
• What systems can we put in place to ensure that data isn’t just collected, but is acted upon immediately to adjust interventions and teaching strategies in real time?
• How do we ensure that the data we’re collecting is truly actionable—providing insights that lead to specific, targeted changes rather than just a snapshot of student performance?

4. Continuum of Supports

What Does This Mean?In MTSS, the goal is to provide a continuum of supports that are tailored to each student’s needs. This starts with high-quality instruction for all students (Tier 1), followed by targeted interventions for those who need additional support (Tier 2), and intensive interventions for students with the most significant needs (Tier 3). It’s essential to clearly define these tiers and establish data-driven criteria for when students should move between them. Students should transition based on specific data and progress monitoring, ensuring they receive the right level of support at the right time. Regular reviews allow for flexibility—students can move up if they need more intensive support or down if they no longer need additional services. This ensures a responsive system that adapts to each student’s changing needs.

Questions to consider:

• How can we ensure that each tier is clearly defined with specific, evidence-based interventions that are appropriate for the level of support students need?
• What systems and data are needed to regularly assess student progress and make timely decisions about moving students between tiers to ensure they receive the right support at the right time?
• How can we create a flexible, responsive system where students can move seamlessly between tiers, based on their evolving needs and progress, without delays or gaps in support?

5. Evidence-Based Practices

What does this mean? Evidence based practices are strategies and interventions proven effective through research and practical application. Districts should follow an evidence-based selection process to ensure the initiatives they choose align with both strategic goals and the specific data-driven needs of students and staff. For example, if improving literacy is a district goal, structured literacy interventions should be prioritized, or if enhancing school climate is the focus, PBIS could be key. These practices must be targeted and tailored to students’ academic, behavioral, or social-emotional needs, with careful consideration for staff readiness and support. By using a structured selection process to align evidence-based practices with district goals and student data, districts can build a sustainable system of support that drives long-term success for all students.

Questions to consider:

• How do the selected evidence-based practices align with our district’s strategic goals and priorities (e.g., academic achievement, behavior improvement, social-emotional development)?
• What data do we have to identify the specific needs of our students and staff, and how can we ensure the chosen practices effectively address those needs?
• Do we have the necessary resources, training, and support in place to implement these practices with fidelity, and how will we monitor their ongoing effectiveness?

Aligning Our Practices with a Systems Mindset

To truly align a district’s practices with a systems mindset, we must ensure that the five core components of MTSS are fully integrated into our approach. MTSS is not simply about adding another set of interventions or strategies; it’s about building a cohesive, responsive system where each element supports the others.