Systems of Supports: An Overview

Response to Intervention (RtI) and MTSS multi-tiered system of supports are data-driven approaches that schools and districts use to support students with academic and/or behavioral needs. There are several goals of RtI and MTSS. The first is to support students through early identification of needs and early intervention so that needs are met as soon as possible. The second goal is to prevent academic failure.

RtI and MTSS programming provide tiered, or levels of support with increasing intensity, for students who are struggling in academics to prevent them from falling behind their peers. It is important to note that Response to Intervention and MTSS programming are not a replacement for special education. They also do not purposely exclude students already in special education. They are not instructional practices. Rather, RtI and MTSS are data-driven and systematic approaches that guide educators to use data as they support student academic and/or behavioral needs.

There are three tiers with increasing support levels in RtI and MTSS systems of supports: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Tier 1 intervention is good, high-quality teaching with research-based curriculum that occurs in the general education classroom for all students. All students in grades K-12 have access to Tier 1 instruction. Tier 2 intervention occurs as a result of universal screenings, curriculum-based measurements, or another type of data collection that shows that the student needs more intensive small-group support, with usually no more than 3-5 students. When students are not responding to Tier 2 intervention and the progress monitoring data supports it, students are moved to Tier 3 intervention. This should occur with evidence-based instruction and should comprise a small percentage of students. (See Figure 1) If at any point the Tier 1 data suggests that many students are not responding to Tier 1 teaching in the general education setting, there needs to be an adjustment to the teaching methods in the classroom to support the students. The following chapters and sections will discuss both RtI and MTSS systems of supports, including the importance of beginning with universal screening.

The RtI Team

The RtI team is comprised of many different people that hold a specific role on the RtI team. The following people should be considered an integral part of the team:

School administrator/principal 

• Administrative lead over meetings
• Assigns staff to serve in roles

RtI coordinator 

• Maintains school and student specific RtI data
• Schedules RtI meetings
• Maintains open communication with teachers and families

General education teacher

• Completes universal screening for all students
• Provides Tier 1 instruction to all students
• Keeps data on student progress (progress monitoring)
• Attends RtI meetings to provide progress updates

Parents/guardians/caregivers

• Can request a special education evaluation at any point in the process
• Might be asked to partner with the classroom teacher on working with the student’s intervention at home
• Will be asked to attend RtI initial and progress meetings
• Will be kept up to date on student progress through the RtI process

Special education teacher 

• Can consult on the RtI team to support students who are in Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 intervention
• Can help general education teachers create intervention plans to support student needs
• Can potentially give more intensive interventions, if applicable

Literacy specialist 

• Serves on the RtI team as the literacy expert
• Can provide expertise on specific literacy screenings that may be needed
• Can provide expertise on literacy needs and provide support where needed

Math specialist

• Serves on the RtI team as the mathematics expert
• Can provide expertise on specific mathematics screenings that may be needed
• Can provide expertise on math needs and provide support where needed

Behavior specialist 

• Serves on the RtI team as the behavior expert
• Can provide expertise on specific behavioral screenings in conjunction with the school psychologist
• Can provide expertise on behavioral needs and provide support where needed

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) – An Overview

Many schools or districts may use a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to help address student academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs within a framework that also uses comprehensive data to support student needs. Early intervention is also a key component of MTSS – the earlier a student’s needs are identified, the better. Just like RtI, it is important to note that MTSS is not a replacement for special education. It also does not exclude students already in special education and is not an instructional practice. It is a data-driven, systematic approach that guides educators to use data as they support student academic and/or behavioral needs.

Universal Screening

Universal screening is a systematic process used in educational settings to assess all students within a school. The primary goal of universal screening is to identify students, especially those in grades K-3, who may be at risk for academic, social-emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Key aspects of universal screening include systematic assessment, identification of students at-risk, assessing with a broad curricular scope, and using data-driven decision making. These aspects are all a part of both RtI and MTSS frameworks. In addition to universal screening, curriculum based measurement involves using curriculum-based assessment tools to gather data on students. This ensures that all students are evaluated with consistent procedures. Identification of at-risk students during the screening seeks to identify students who might require additional support or intervention. This identification allows for early intervention, which can significantly improve academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes.  Assessing a broad curricular scope such as math, reading, writing, and behavior can provide a foundational baseline of data that supports effective decision making and planning for student support teams. This proactive approach acts as a preventive measure as it is designed to identify potential problems for students at school before they escalate. This approach effectively contrasts with reactive approaches that wait for students to exhibit significant difficulties in the classroom setting that require disciplinary measures. Data-driven decision-making is an important part of the MTSS and RtI processes. The results of universal screening and any formal or informal assessments are used to inform decisions about instruction and intervention. Using data to make decisions helps educators provide targeted support to students who need it. Universal screening is a key component of both the Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) frameworks. Overall, universal screening is defined as proactively gathering information to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed.

Additional Resources

Virginia DOE – Early Intervention Reading Initiative