Parent Guide to Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Your child’s school is committed to providing high-quality instruction and support to promote the highest achievement of all students. At the school level, the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework used to maximize the success of all students. This brochure provides an overview of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports for parents and answers common questions parents have about it. A parent video explaining the Multi-Tiered System of Supports can be viewed at this link.

What can I expect from schools using a Multi-Tiered System of Supports?

• Information on my child’s progress in meeting grade-level standards;
• Notice of academic or behavior concerns (early identification);
• Instruction and intervention that is matched to my child’s needs;
• Feedback on how my child is responding and making progress; and
• Involvement in individual, data-based problem solving for my child.

Who do I contact if my child is struggling and needs help?

Contact your child’s educator, the school administrator, or the school counselor with your concerns.

Where can I find additional information on Multi-Tiered System of Supports?

• Parent Frequently Asked Questions about RtI – National Center on Response to Intervention
• A Parent’s Guide to RtI – National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Family Guide to Response to Intervention
• MTSS Family Guide
• RTI Action Network – Resources for Parents and Families

What is a Multi-Tiered System of Supports?

• A Multi-Tiered System of Supports is not a separate program, class, or intervention but rather a way of organizing instruction and intervention to help all students. The goal of the multi-tiered framework is to provide high-quality instruction and supports based on student need.
• This framework also helps educators by providing information (data) to identify students needing additional support (academic and behavioral) and also identify students who may need special education.

What is Response to Intervention?

• Response to Intervention (RtI) is the practice of using data to help educators match the correct level of support to what students need.
• Educators monitor student Response to Intervention to find out what works.

What are the key components of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports?

• High-quality instruction;
• Universal screening to identify students needing supplemental support;
• Multiple tiers of academic and behavioral support that are progressively more intensive;
• Evidence-based interventions matched to student need; and
• Ongoing progress monitoring of student performance (RtI).

What are tiered supports?

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports organizes instruction and intervention into tiers, or levels of support:

• Tier 1 – All students receive high-quality instruction in academics.
• Tier 2 – In addition to Tier 1, students needing more support also receive small-group intervention and supports. The difference is increased time, smaller groups of students, or narrowed focus of instruction.
• Tier 3 – In addition to Tiers 1 and 2, students receiving Tier 3 intervention receive the most intensive supports based on individual need. The difference is individual team-based problem-solving, increased time, smaller groups of students, and narrowed focus of instruction.

How does the school identify and support students?

• During the year, schools screen all students to see which students are meeting grade-level standards and which students need additional support.
• For the students needing more support, a school-based team uses a problem-solving process to plan interventions and monitor progress (Tiers 2 and 3).
• Tier 2 small-group problem-solving teams may include principals, educators, school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, instructional coaches, intervention specialists, and parents.
• Tier 3 individual problem-solving teams should include parents and staff knowledgeable about the student, grade-level expectations, and the problem-solving process.
• At Tier 3, individual diagnostic assessments may be administered to help plan the intervention.
• Parents are not required to attend problem-solving meetings but must be given opportunities to participate in problem-solving for their child.