DECISION RULES IN MTSS
Decision Making Within a
Multi-Tiered System of Supports
The practice of providing high quality instruction and intervention matched to
needs of students, using data over time to make important educational
decisions.
Additional
Diagnostic
Assessment
Standards-Driven Model
Research-Based Practices
Targeted
Instruction/
Intervention
Progress
Monitoring
Knowledge-Skills-Dispositions
Intensive
Universal Screening
Benchmark Assessments
For All Students
1-5%
Individual
Diagnostic
Individualized
Intensive
Weekly
Supplemental
5-15%
Targeted
Group
Diagnostic
Small group
Instruction
differentiated
By
skill/strategy
1-2x Per Month
Fall
Winter Spring
Core
80-90%
PROBLEM SOLVING
INQUIRY CYCLE
None
Continue
with highquality,
general
education
instruction and
supports
Data continues to
inform instruction
(Grades,
Classroom
Assessments,
Observations,
FAIR, Core K-12,
FCAT)
Guiding Principle: Overall Response
• Before determining student need for
additional support, consider efficacy of
existing supports
– Tier 1 services: should be effective for ___% of
students
– Tier 2 services: should be effective for ___% of
all students receiving tier 2
– Tier 3 services: student is making progress
toward individualized success criteria (Consider
effectiveness for students with similar
services/needs)
Guiding Principle: Student Response
• Students can have one of three responses to
tiered services:
– Positive
– Questionable
– Poor
What type of response?
Performance
Expected Trajectory
Observed Trajectory
Time
What type of response?
Performance
Expected Trajectory
Observed Trajectory
Time
What type of response?
Performance
Expected Trajectory
Observed Trajectory
Time
Decision Rules: What is a “Good”
Response to Intervention?
• Positive Response
– Gap is closing
– Can extrapolate point at which target student(s) will “come in
range” of target--even if this is long range
• Questionable Response
– Rate at which gap is widening slows considerably, but gap is still
widening
– Gap stops widening but closure does not occur
• Poor Response
– Gap continues to widen with no change in rate.
Decision Making
Evidence based intervention linked to
verified hypothesis planned
Evidence based Instructional plan
implemented
Student
Outcomes (SO)
Assessed
Treatment
Fidelity (TF)
Assessed
Continue Instruction
Data-based
Decisions
From Lisa Hagermoser Sanetti, 2008 NASP Convention
Implement strategies to promote
treatment integrity
Modify/change Instruction