MTSS: The Foundation of Your District
Have you ever watched a house be built? When I was younger I visited many building sites with my grandpa. I watched them as they poured the foundation, and built up the framing, put in the plumbing and the electrical, and with awe watched it become a home.
As I see the homes that they built years later, they each look a little different. Some have trendy black framed windows; others have blue or red doors. Some used cedar roofing, while some used vinyl siding. But no matter what they added to the outside of their home, the structure and foundation of their home were the same. They had the same two by four wood, same concrete, same wiring. It’s been 25 years since I have been to some of these homes and because of their solid foundation and supports inside the walls, they are still standing.
This is how I view Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). It’s not another resource or curriculum to follow. It’s a framework in which you put everything together. It’s the two-by-fours and concrete foundation that make the structures within your district and schools stand, support, and last.
When we build our foundation and structure with the five Washington Components (below) then anything we add to our districts has a good solid foundation full of high leverage practices that positively impact our students and staff for years to come.
If this work is of interest to your district, then an incredible opportunity is available through the MTSS Scale-up Cohort. This three year journey will help your district team and school teams deepen their understanding of MTSS, guide you through implementation throughout the district, and provide you with the tools needed to help your district establish MTSS as the norm.
You will receive professional learning through Quarterly PD, guidance from an MTSS coach who will work individually with your team, as well as opportunities to hear and learn from other districts doing the same work.
And, the best part – there is no cost! Participation in this cohort is completely free. If this sounds like the right thing for your district or if you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to connect with us. We believe in MTSS and its powerful impact on the districts across our state. Let us help you build that solid framing within your own “School District House”.
Learn More About the Cohort
Written by: Kjersti Clayton, MTSS Implementation Specialist | KjerstiC@ncesd.org | (509) 239-8521
Related Posts
