Importance of Building
Family and Community
Engagement for
Implementing a Multi-Tiered
System of Support
There is great power in harmony and
mutual understanding.
Acknowledgements
• Developed April, 2010 by FDOE State
Transformation Team for RtI
• Adapted January, 2012 by the Family and
Community Engagement Workgroup of the
Florida MTSS Inter-Project Collaboration
Video: What is MTSS?
• http://www.floridarti.org/parentResources/videos.htm
Multi-Tiered System of Supports
(MTSS)
• A term that refers to the organizational
framework (the system)
• A way to organize academic and
behavioral help for all students
• Uses students’ response to intervention
data to find solutions
• Student supports are based on student
need; students who need intense supports
are given additional help
Problem-Solving Process
Response to Intervention (RtI)
• RtI refers to the 4th step of the
planning/problem-solving process
• The term RtI has been used to refer to the
framework of multi-tiered supports
• Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a
more accurate term that refers to one
seamless framework that provides varying
levels of academic and behavior supports to
students based upon their need.
• Schools may choose to refer to their system
as an RtI framework
How would families in your community
answer this question:
What is MTSS?
The Main Idea:
MTSS stands for a Multi-Tiered System
of Support and refers to the
organizational framework where
resources and services are organized
efficiently on a continuum of intensity
based on students’ academic and
behavioral needs.
What is Florida’s
Definition of MTSS?
• Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a term used to
describe an evidence-based model of schooling that uses
data-based problem-solving by teams (that include
parents) to integrate academic and behavioral instruction
and intervention.
• Integrated instruction and intervention is delivered to
students in varying intensities (multiple tiers) based on
student need.
• “Need driven” decision-making seeks to ensure that
district resources reach the appropriate students (schools)
at the appropriate levels to accelerate the performance of
ALL students to achieve and/or exceed proficiency.
What can parents expect from
the school implementing MTSS?
• Frequent updates on student progress
(typically 3 times per year)
• Early identification of academic or behavioral
concerns at the first signs of difficulty.
• Help for their child that increases or
decreases depending on his or her needs.
• Information and involvement in planning and
providing interventions to help their child.
• Information about how their child is
responding to the interventions being
provided.
Let them know
what to expect…
…then make sure that the
expectations match their
experience!
Based on communications with schoolbased personnel, do your families really
understand the purpose of tiers of
instruction/interventions?
Or do they think of tiers as categories or
procedural requirements used to label (or delay
help for) their child?
Purpose of Tier Framework
• To provide high quality instruction and
interventions that fit the needs of all
students.
• To ensure that the conditions for learning
are optimal for every student.
• To incorporate intervention (“help”) as a
natural, ongoing part of education that
doesn’t wait until the student is struggling.
How do school-based
personnel describe tiers to
families?
This is how we should understand
and describe the tiers to families:
• High quality instruction and behavior supports
through general education (Tier 1)
• Targeted, supplemental intervention in addition
to and aligned with general education, as
needed (Tier 2)
• Intensive, individualized interventions in addition
to and aligned with general education, as
needed (Tier 3)
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
Intensive, Individualized
Supplemental, Targeted
Core, Universal
How do school-based
personnel describe the
problem-solving process to
families?
This is how we should understand
and describe the problem-solving
process to families:
• Step 1. Define, in objective and measurable terms, the goal(s)
to be attained.
– Ask: What is it we want students to know and be able to do?
• Step 2. Identify possible reasons why the desired goal(s) is
not being attained.
– Ask: Why is the student not reaching the goal?
• Step 3. Develop and implement a well-supported plan
involving evidence-based strategies to attain the goal(s)
(based on data that verified the reasons identified in Step 2).
– Ask: What are we going to do about it?
• Step 4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan in relation to the
stated goals
– Ask: Is it working?
Problem-Solving Process
Do your families know what
questions should guide
communications with the
school?
Tell them!
Encourage families to ask these
critical questions:
• Is my child successful? How do I know? If not,
why and what can we do differently?
• If needed, how is additional help going to be
provided? By whom? How often? For how long?
• What can I do to participate in problem-solving
about my child?
• What can I do to help with the interventions for
my child at home?
• How will I know if interventions are working?
If families believe their child is
struggling, what is their course
of action?
Does the current course of action make
sense within your MTSS
implementation?
The course of action should be
consistent with MTSS logic and
promote proactive family
engagement:
• Talk with their child’s teacher.
• Ask for regular progress reports in the areas of
difficulty.
• Celebrate when progress is made; ask
questions when there is little or no progress.
• Make a list of specific questions to ask about
their child’s progress.
• Ask for support to understand and participate in
decisions about your child.
Are your families confused about
MTSS and Special Education?
Do they think that MTSS is a label,
category or program related to
special education? If so, this may
indicate that the teachers also have
this misunderstanding.
Does MTSS have anything to do
with Special Education?
• Every student in the school, from Kindergarten
to graduation, is involved in MTSS, including
students with disabilities.
• Interventions are provided through a variety of
resources so that all students can be successful.
• For students who need ongoing intensive or
individualized help to maintain progress, special
education resources may be accessed by the
school.
Clarify for All: Does MTSS have
anything to do with Special
Education?
• All students, whether they have an Individual
Education Plan (IEP) or not, benefit and are
involved in MTSS implementation.
• Students who respond to and require intensive,
individualized interventions to maintain progress
may or may not receive those interventions and
supports through special education.
• Special education is a resource, not a place,
intervention, or tier; MTSS is a framework, not a
resource.
Does MTSS have anything to do
with Special Education (cont’d)?
• Schools, in collaboration with families, consider
information obtained through ongoing problemsolving to determine if special education
resources are needed to maintain supports for
students.
• Special education services are part of the MTSS
continuum of services; within MTSS, the
problem-solving process continues even if a
student receives help through special education
resources.
Myths and Truths of MTSS
• http://www.floridarti.org/parentResources/myths/index.htm
How can families learn more about
MTSS, the problem-solving
process, and measuring their
child’s response to instruction and
intervention?
• Visit website:
– http://www.florida-rti.org/parentResources/index.htm
• Access Parent Brochure:
– http://www.florida-rti.org/parentResources/floridaTools.htm
• Contact the school principal