The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA, 2015) expanded district and school focus on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) as a school improvement framework. MTSS is intended to improve the quality of instructional practices and provide effective, targeted interventions to students with varying degrees of need. Educators across the state of North Carolina have previously implemented three-tiered frameworks such as Response to Instruction and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to address academic and behavioral difficulties for at least a decade.  In 2015, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction mandated that all public districts and schools adopt and implement MTSS by July 1, 2020. This mandate required that schools utilize data to identify students at risk and proactively provide instruction and supports to address student needs across areas of concern, including academics, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional wellness. This mandate was aligned with an updated policy that specified that North Carolina public schools would no longer allow the use of the discrepancy model for the identification of students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD),  but instead require teams to examine multiple sources of data to determine eligibility for special education services.