MTSS provides educators with a powerful opportunity to help all students achieve grade-level proficiency. From lack of fidelity in collecting data to difficulties with middle and high school implementation, administrators still face barriers concerning the effective use of MTSS. Experts on the edLeader Panel “Overcoming MTSS Challenges to Better Serve All Students” discussed five main obstacles and their strategies to overcome them.
Your student is acting out again, and you become dysregulated. Out goes the student for a discipline referral. You are worried that you will have to tackle more difficult behavior, and it shows—your demeanor lets students know you have had it. Navigating challenging behavior is not easy. It often leads to disciplinary actions that benefit no one. It is also emotionally disruptive.
Presented by Dr. Stephanie Stollar, Founder, Stephanie Stollar Consulting and The Reading Science Academy; Linda Diamond, Author, Current Executive Director, Evidence Advocacy Center; and Katharine Bonasera, Former Principal, Current Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships, Collaborative Classroom
One size fits none. Teachers know that’s true for their students, whether they are on, below, or above grade level. And for students who need extra assistance to reach proficiency, there can be even more variation. During the edLeader Panel “Just-in-Time Support vs. Intervention: Why the Distinction Matters in MTSS,” educators and leaders discussed how to build an MTSS system that meets each student where they are and gives staff the support they need.
Presented by Heather Buckman, Assistant Principal, Ridgeview Elementary (MO); and Jill Molli, Experienced Educator, Chief Growth Officer, Conscious Discipline
Presented by Dr. Sarah Brown, Former Special Education Director, Current President, System Impact Consulting; and Tiyi Smith, M.Ed., Former Instructional Coach, Current Lead National Academic Advisor, Renaissance
Presented by Jennifer Grisham, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky, Author, and Consultant; and Amy Stegeman, Ed.S., Early Childhood Consultant, Iowa Department of Education
Presented by Dr. Bonnie Cochran, National Director of Innovation and Insights, HMH; Marie Garrido Zoeller, Curriculum Supervisor for English Language Arts, Broward County Public Schools (FL); Sarah Jay, Executive Director of Equitable Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Boston Public Schools (MA); and Serita Dodson, School Improvement Strategist, Frisco Independent School District (TX)
Progress monitoring is an important part of every curriculum, but for MTSS, it’s essential to the success of the students and the program. If teachers don’t have data on whether students are improving, or not, and by how much, then they can’t administer proper interventions. And if they don’t have the data, they can’t know if the intervention is appropriate for their learners.
January is an important—and often overlooked—moment in the school year. With state testing just months away, many leaders double down on interventions, tutoring, and Tier 2 supports.