MTSS

Image of a mountain with prominent peak surrounded by 5 smaller circles with the following images: book, 3 hands reaching toward each other, 3 silhouettes of people (torso and head), a bar graph, and a pyramid of 3 bars with the longest one on the bottom. At the bottom of the mountain are the letters CO MTSS (Colorado Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)
an infographic: The MTSS Formula for Success includes the what, how, where to equal the why. What means effective interventions around academic, behavior, family, and staff supports. How means effective implementation methods involving implementation science strategies. Where means effective systems which involves supportive infrastructure. Why identifies the socially significant outcomes.

MTSS is a framework applied at the state, district, and school level that uses implementation science to create one integrated system. This system is designed to support the needs of all students. MTSS is defined as a prevention-based framework of team-driven data-based problem solving for improving the outcomes of every student through family, school, and community partnering and a layered continuum of evidence-based practices applied at the classroom, school, district, region, and state level.

At the district or regional level, leadership teams build infrastructure that supports the implementation of the 5 components of MTSS. The building of this infrastructure includes (1) identifying and aligning key priorities, (2) securing funding, resources, and time to implement those priorities, (3) developing training and coaching structures to support personnel with implementation, and (4) gathering data to evaluate the implementation and impact of the key priorities.

At the school level, building teams implement their identified priorities and build a tiered system that fits their respective context. School teams identify the fidelity and student outcomes they wish to achieve and then identify the data needed to monitor progress toward those outcomes. They also outline the practices used at each tier, as well as the systems that enable staff to both implement the identified practices and to gather the required data.

San Juan BOCES is a participant in the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) for the 2016-2021 funding cycle. The purpose of the current SPDG project is to develop an integrated Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework in Colorado at the state, regional, district, and school level. The Office of Learning Supports (OLS) has partnered with 31 districts and BOCES to implement MTSS in their respective sites. As a result of the project, educators will increase their use of evidence-based practices, and all students in Colorado will experience improvement in academic and behavioral outcomes. 

San Juan BOCES has adopted the MTSS framework and has developed a MTSS Leadership Team (MLT). One of the priorities of the SJBOCES MLT is to support the organization in identifying internal professional learning needs of our employees and by planning and aligning quality professional development through the MTSS framework, which applies adult learning principles. In addition, the MLT supports the follow-through on initiatives and effective professional development leading to higher levels of student learning outcomes within partner school districts. SJBOCES initiatives are aligned to our strategic plan that identifies three main areas of focus:

  1. Early Childhood Intervention 
  2. Quality Intervention
  3. Transition Programming 

 

For more information and a list of resources including tools, videos, and literature, follow the link to CDE’s MTSS webpage: CDE MTSS webpage


MTSS Leadership Team (MLT) Members: Stacey Baxter, John Persing, Brandi Durr, Steve Otter, Adrea Bogle, Deb Neilsen, Royce Tranum 


Check out our poster of BOCES MLT work: link

MLT PD Checklist 

MLT PD Checklist Short Copy

Building Effective PD powerpoint

SJBOCES MTSS Poster