Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

The Morris School District is committed to providing high-quality instruction and support to promote the highest academic achievement for all students. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework used to maximize the success of all students. The MTSS framework allows for the implementation of continuous improvement processes at all levels of the system (academic, behavioral, social and emotional domains). A clearly defined MTSS framework details how our district and school sites go about providing various supports for each child to be successful, and it outlines the processes and tools teachers use to make decisions. It is the practice of providing scientific, research-based instruction and interventions to students, based on need.

WHAT IS A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS?

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports is NOT a separate program, class or intervention. It is a way of organizing instruction and intervention to help all students.  
The goal of a multi-tiered framework is to provide high-quality instruction and supports based on student needs in a coordinated manner that allows acquisition of missing skills while still instructing grade level content .
No tier is more important than the others! Unless all three tiers are working together, progress won’t be seen.
The multi-tiered framework also helps teachers by providing data to identify students who require additional support (academic and behavioral). Overtime, the framework can also help us identify students who may need special education.

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 become progressively more intensive 
   •   Evidence-based interventions matched to student need 
   •   Response to Intervention /Ongoing progress monitoring 

WHAT ARE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORTS

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports organizes instruction and interventions into tiers, or levels of support.
TIER 1 - All students receive high-quality differentiated  instruction in academics.  All students receive responsive supports for behavior and SEL growth.
TIER 2 - In addition to Tier I,   any students identified through data analysis as needing more support also receive expanded, differentiated intervention like additional, targeted small groups, additional conferencing with teacher.  The difference between Tier I and Tier 2 is increased time, and a more narrow, targeted focus for instruction.
TIER 3 - In addition to Tier 1 and Tier 2, any students identified as "more than 2 years below grade level” and not responding to Tier I and Tier 2 also receive Tier 3 the most intensive support based on individual need.  A member of the Title I Intervention Team will provide interventions at Tier 3.

WHAT ARE THE ROLES IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS
All Morris School District staff, students and families play a critical role in implementing the MTSS. At each tier, responsibilities and lead roles may shift depending on the progress and/or sustained needs of the student. The table below is a GENERAL representation of the roles and responsibilities for implementing the Multi-Tiered System of Supports in the Morris School District.

RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS
In the Morris School District, a significant amount of resources both financial and human go into creating success at each tier of our MTSS framework. Below is a list of resources available to staff, students and families at each tier of the MTSS framework.

MTSS Components

Academic Support

To ensure high-quality academic access and support, all tiers of the MTSS framework must work in coordination. Students who require academic assistance should also be accessing grade level content. If this does not happen students may fall further behind due to over remediation without opportunity for application to grade level work.

For English Language Arts and Mathematics, there are critical skills (listed below) that all students should master for success. Our diagnostic and classroom assessments help us monitor student progress and mastery of these very important skill categories.

English Language Arts

Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Word Study, Spelling

Mathematics

Number Sense
Representation (counting, adding, subtracting)
Spatial Sense (shapes)
Measurement
Estimating
Patterns

Behavior Support

Behavior Support Services are provided throughout the Morris School District in order to assist students in managing behaviors that may interfere with academic performance. All teachers have training and are provided ongoing support in the creation of an organized learning environment. Prevention, assessment, intervention, and ongoing support are critical in allowing the Morris School District to aid struggling students in achieving potential and develop greater harmony in each school and our community as a whole.

Clear behavioral expectations and support for students to meet those expectations are available in every classroom in the Morris School District. Training for teachers and administrative support are provided to ensure that each classroom has the components of a healthy and functional learning environment.
If additional behavioral assistance is needed, a referral for support is made to the school I&RS (intervention referral services) Team. Here, teachers and parents collaborate along with school personnel (behavior specialists, counselors) school administration, and sometimes outside agencies to implement a variety of interventions that focus on the strength of identified students in order to improve behavior and develop connections for that student in the classroom..
In some cases, a more formal evaluation of student need is necessary—this is when our school based I&RS teams partner with families and Child Study teams to consider evaluation options and supports.

Additional Information:

PBIS
Restorative Practices

Basic Needs, Mental Health, and Wraparound Services

School-based supports are essential to offering wraparound services that address basic needs for students and families. These services may include school-based support via our district’s counselors and social workers, the provision of parent education and a variety of programs and community partnerships to ensure that students and families have access to services, food, mental health services and parent support beyond the walls of the school.

For more information on the specific supports available at your child's school, please contact your child's teacher or school counselor.