This brief evolved from a larger Robert Wood Johnson Foundation–funded project to examine the intersection of and alignment between social and emotional learning (SEL) and school climate. It includes the ten key ideas that emerged from a two-day discussion of SEL and school climate with practice leaders in April 2016.
Does it seem like everyone’s talking more about MTSS and less about RTI? If you said yes, you would be right. In March 2017, I began analyzing state department of education’s use of the terms response to intervention (RTI) and multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to describe a schoolwide, integrated tiered system of support.
If you’ve been reading this blog series, by now you know that MTSS is here to stay. But, you also know that a lot can go awry when MTSS is implemented in schools. Tier 1 instruction may not be provided for all students. Tier 2 and 3 progress monitoring using valid and reliable assessment measures may not occur. Screening may only occur once a year.
A main goal of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is to identify and intervene early with students who are struggling. But how do we know if a struggling student really needs intervention? If you have experience teaching very young children, you know that difficulties mastering foundational skills like decoding and number sense are typical.
Educators are notorious for getting excited about new buzzwords or programs. And if you are like me, you were really excited the first time you were introduced to response to intervention (RTI) or multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Like me, you probably thought to yourself, ‘is this going to just be another fad?’ or ‘can we really do this?' Until the last couple of years, I am not sure we really knew answers to those questions. However, after a recent review of the national and state landscape, I think we can safely say MTSS/RTI is here to stay.