Equity-Based Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Equity-Based Multi-Tiered System of Supports

EPS is committed to the implementation of an Equity-Based Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to help ensure all students succeed. Our commitment to student success is rooted in the ideals of equity and inclusion. We believe each student can learn, so our efforts to improve student achievement must focus on equal access to excellent first instruction, with an organized system of support to ensure student success.

In Evergreen, every student has equitable access to universal instruction and supports that are culturally and linguistically responsive and differentiated to meet their unique needs. This is considered “Tier 1” instruction and is represented by the green circle below.

Tier 1 instruction is where the Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC) occurs. The district’s GVC is a structured framework that ensures all students have equitable access to essential knowledge and skills, regardless of their background or school setting. It includes a clearly defined scope and sequence, outlining what is taught and the order and timing in which it is taught.

Using universal screenings and formative assessments, classroom teachers track student progress academically and behaviorally during Tier 1 instruction. They gather student feedback on safety, support, and representation to strengthen behavioral intervention systems and restorative practices, ensuring they are fair, effective, and responsive.

Teachers use multiple data sources (assessments, grades, discipline referrals, teacher observations) to determine which students could benefit from targeted academic and/or behavioral interventions. This kind of support is represented in the blue circles above in Tiers 2 and 3. Keep in mind that each of these tiers represent the support provided to ensure student success - they aren’t places, they represent different teaching strategies designed to help students learn.

Tier 2 instruction makes use of more intensive and individualized positive behavioral and academic strategies. This might involve more opportunity for students to practice and receive specific and frequent feedback, more explicit instruction in a small group, and/or flexible learning environments where every student can thrive. The support provided in Tier 2 instruction can be quite fluid, depending on the needs of each student. Teachers may visit a group of students at the back of the classroom for some redirection or additional instruction. Or, the support could be provided individually, where a teacher uses a visual prompt when one student needs a reminder or a refresher.

Tier 3 instruction represents fewer students who may receive intensive interventions that are individualized to meet their needs. Often, this is the kind of instruction or support for students needing more than a traditional classroom can offer. This support can be provided in the classroom, or in another space. In either case, our intent is to ensure everyone feels safe, welcomed, and valued for who they are anywhere in the school. In EPS, we will create safe spaces that allow all students to learn.