College Community MTSS

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

MTSS is a framework schools use to support academic, social, and emotional needs of students. Data is used to monitor student outcomes and match student needs with additional layers of evidence-based instruction and interventions.

MTSS allows educators to judge the overall health of a system by examining data on all students (general education and special education) and identifying students who need additional supports. Supports are provided in both small group and individual settings, and measured to determine if they are making a difference. The purpose of MTSS is to ensure all learners demonstrate academic and behavioral expectations and are ready for future success.

Standards-based learning is utilized to improve student achievement by focusing instruction and the alignment of curriculum with the essential standards. Designing a Standards-Based Curriculum is a website designed to support teachers in their alignment of standards and assessment.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

MTSS is an every student approach to learning. The goal is that all students are proficient in each academic content area and demonstrates social-emotional and behavior expectations. To this end, if a system is able to adequately meet the needs of the majority of students, building resources may be allocated to those students who need additional supports or extension of universal core instruction. It is automatic to represent this by a triangle. While represented here as three levels, or tiers, of students and supports, ideally student support will exist on a fluid and dynamic continuum to meet all students’ needs.

The Iowa MTSS framework is made up of five components.

  1. Evidence-based curriculum and instruction provided at the universal level.
  2. Universal screening of all students.
  3. Evidence-based, instructional interventions at the targeted and intensive levels shall be provided to each student who needs them.
  4. Progress monitoring for learners below expectations.
  5. Data-based decision making throughout the system.