“Multi-Tiered System of Supports” (MTSS)  refers to a process that emphasizes how well students respond to changes in instruction. MTSS is an “all education” initiative in District 37. It is an opportunity for us to support the learning needs of all of our students. The core features of an MTSS process are as follows:

• High quality, research-based instruction and behavioral support in general education.
• Universal (school-wide or district-wide) screening of academics and behavior in order to determine which students need closer monitoring or additional interventions.
• Multiple tiers of increasingly intense scientific, research-based interventions that are matched to student need.
• Use of a collaborative approach by school staff for development, implementation, and monitoring of the intervention process.
• Continuous monitoring of student progress during the interventions, using objective information to determine if students are meeting goals.
• Follow-up measures providing information that the intervention was implemented as intended and with appropriate consistency.
• Parent involvement throughout the process. The hallmarks of effective home-school collaboration include open communication and involvement of parents in all stages of the learning process. Being informed about your school’s MTSS process is the first step to becoming an active partner.

Our schools and Student Services departments guide the overall implementation process of this initiative. Each school has a team that is building capacity to incorporate the core features.  Grade Level Teams analyze data to guide their instruction to meet the needs of their students.  We use FastBridge and MAP assessments as part of our universal screening process.