By Zach Vander Veen
Understanding MTSS: A Practical Framework for Student Success
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a practical, evidence-informed framework designed to improve student outcomes by addressing both academic achievement and behavior. When schools intentionally coordinate instruction, interventions, and supports, students are more likely to thrive. MTSS organizes those supports into tiers so schools can use limited resources efficiently while targeting the students who need the most help.
How MTSS Organizes Support: The Three Tiers
MTSS groups interventions into three levels that reflect intensity and individualization.
Tier 1: Universal Supports
Tier 1 includes core instruction and universal practices all students receive. The goal is for the majority of students—typically 75% to 90%—to succeed with these classroom-level strategies and routines.
Tier 2: Targeted Small-Group Interventions
When universal instruction is not sufficient, Tier 2 provides targeted supports, often delivered in small groups. These interventions are more focused—examples include extra reading or math sessions—and should generally serve around 10% to 25% of students.
Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized Interventions
Tier 3 is reserved for students who do not respond adequately to Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports. These students receive intensive, individualized interventions, which frequently involve specialists or outside services. Ideally, Tier 3 serves fewer than 10% of students in a given classroom or school.
Why Use Percentage Guidelines?
The tier percentages are not rigid rules but practical benchmarks. Schools operate with finite resources—time, staff, and funding—so these guidelines help leaders plan services equitably and sustainably. Local circumstances will vary; the percentages simply help teams manage workload and prioritize supports.
Key Components of an Effective MTSS Framework
To implement MTSS effectively, a coherent system should include these core components:
- Screening: Regular universal screening for academic and behavioral risk.
- Student plans: Clear, documented plans to address identified needs.
- Evidence-based strategies: Interventions grounded in research, not intuition.
- Progress monitoring: Frequent data collection to measure response to interventions.
- Professional development: Ongoing training so educators apply MTSS with fidelity.
- Family involvement: Engaging caregivers as partners in planning and monitoring.
When these elements are aligned, schools minimize inefficiency and match supports to student needs. Done well, MTSS helps teachers focus on instruction and brings families into the process.
Screening: Identifying Students Who Need Support
Screening is the first step in MTSS. Teams should rely on objective data rather than anecdote to decide which students need additional supports. Screenings should be easy to access and simple to interpret so teams can act quickly.
Questions to Guide Your Screening Plan
- Which screening tools will we use?
- How readily can staff access and use those tools?
- What criteria determine whether a student moves into MTSS?
- Once selected, how will the student be brought into the next stage of support?
Common Data Sources for Screening
Depending on whether you’re screening for behavior or academics, useful indicators include:
- Behavior: Office referrals, types of observed behaviors, teacher notes, and attendance patterns.
- Academics: State assessments, classroom grades, third-party benchmark assessments (MAP, STAR, etc.), and common summative assessments.
Teams should also define a risk continuum—what level of concern triggers Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention—so identification remains consistent and aligned with capacity.
Making Screening and Triage Efficient
Practical MTSS systems use dashboards and integrated data tools to quickly flag students at “very high” or “extreme” risk based on agreed indicators. These reports let school leaders and MTSS teams know who to focus on and help district leaders understand staff workload and resourcing needs.
Building and Implementing Student Plans
Once a student is identified, teams meet to determine the appropriate supports. For students needing behavioral support, a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) typically includes:
- An overview of the problem behavior and its context.
- Clear definitions of the desired behaviors.
- Instructional strategies for teaching replacement behaviors.
- Accommodations, supports, and measurement procedures.
For academic concerns, an RTI (Response to Intervention) plan documents the targeted instruction, schedule, progress monitoring methods, and expected outcomes. A good plan is data-driven and time-limited, with built-in review points.
Starting the Intervention
Decisions about when and how to deliver interventions should be practical and student-centered. For example, if adding a weekly one-hour intervention block, schedule it when the highest percentage of the targeted students attend school. That decision requires checking attendance patterns rather than guessing—data should guide the timing, type, and monitoring of interventions.
Operational Steps: Referrals and Decision Making
Typically, a teacher referral—backed by data—triggers a team review. The MTSS decision-making team, which often includes family members and, when appropriate, the student, evaluates whether Tier 1 supports are sufficient or whether a more intensive plan is needed. If a student plan is approved, the team documents the intervention, responsibilities, and monitoring schedule.
Professional Development and Family Engagement
Strong professional learning ensures staff implement MTSS strategies consistently. A robust professional development program should allow teams to create staff learning plans, track educator growth, and share training resources schoolwide.
Family access to relevant information—education plans, assessment data, and behavior trends—supports collaboration and helps caregivers reinforce strategies at home. Transparent communication strengthens the partnership between school and family, which boosts student outcomes.
Monitoring and Adjusting Interventions
Ongoing monitoring is essential. Teams should collect frequent progress data, review growth periods, and adjust plans when students do not respond as expected. Regular check-ins help ensure interventions remain effective and efficient.
About the Author
Zach Vander Veen has served as a history teacher, technology coach, administrator, and director of technology. He enjoys learning, teaching, travel, and family adventures. Zach is co-founder and Senior VP of Innovation and Outcomes at Abre.io, an education management platform.