Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Tier 1 instruction and universal intervention occur in the general education classroom and are designed for all students to participate. All students receive high-quality, core academic instruction and support. Teachers use various teaching strategies within the core curriculum to address all students’ educational needs. 

Tier 1 supports may include:

• High quality teaching and supports for academics
• Research-based  programs and best practices
• Flexible grouping and differentiation 
• Integrated instruction and intervention that is designed to meet the needs of all students

Tier 2 targeted interventions are designed for students experiencing academic difficulty in the classroom. These supports are generally provided in small groups and include additional opportunities for students to practice the essential academic skills necessary for core instruction or strategies for enrichment. Tier 2 instruction is timely and coordinated with Tier 1 instruction.

Tier 2 Targeted Interventions and supports may include: 

• Working with smaller groups of students who share the same instructional need 
• Implementing evidence-based and culturally responsive teaching for the needs of the students
• Ensuring progress monitoring data is collected more frequently and monitored in a timely manner

Tier 3 intensive intervention is designed for students who respond inadequately to Tier 1 universal and Tier 2 targeted intervention. Tier 3 intervention and instruction supports students who demonstrate significant learning gaps and need intensive academic interventions that are targeted and occur in small groups.

Tier 3 Interventions and Supports may include:

• Increased time and intensity on the most critical set of essential academic skills 
• Smaller instructional groups 
• Frequent monitoring of student progress 
• Multiple opportunities for guided practice
• Systematic instructional sequencing and scaffolding