MTSS

What does MTSS stand for?
MTSS is an acronym for Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Kern High School District starts with the general education classroom setting for our first tier of intervention and supports. MTSS is defined as a whole-school, data-driven, prevention-based framework for improving learning outcomes for EVERY student in the Kern High School District through a layered continuum of evidence-based practices and systems. MTSS offers the potential to create needed systematic change through intentional design and redesign of services and supports that quickly identify and match the needs of all students.

MTSS in the Kern High School District will focus on these shared tenets:
  • Shared Leadership
  • Data-Based Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Layered Continuum of Supports
  • Evidence Based Instruction, Intervention, and Assessment Practices
  • Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring
  • Family, School, and Community Partnership/Engagement
 
In California, MTSS is an integrated, comprehensive framework that focuses on state standards, core instruction, differentiated learning, student-centered learning, individualized student needs, and the alignment of systems necessary for all students’ academic, behavioral, and social success. MTSS offers the potential to create needed systematic change through intentional design and redesign of services and supports that quickly identify and match the needs of all students.

The following core components are key aspects of MTSS frameworks:
  • High-quality, differentiated classroom instruction. All students receive high-quality, standards- based (with a focus on state standards), culturally-and linguistically-relevant instruction in their general education classroom settings by highly qualified teachers, who have high academic and behavioral expectations, attained through differentiated learning instructional strategies in, such as Universal Design for Learning.
  • Systemic and sustainable change. MTSS principles promote continuous improvement processes at all levels of the system (district, school site, and grade/course levels). Collaborative restructuring efforts made to align RtI2, state standards, identify key initiatives, collect, analyze, review data, implement supports and strategies based on data are then refined as necessary to sustain effective processes.
  • Integrated data system. District and site staff collaborate to create an Integrated data collection system that includes assessments such as state tests, universal screening, diagnostics, progress monitoring, and teacher observations at the site to inform decisions about tiered support placement, as well as data collection methods such as parent surveys for continuous systemic improvement.
  • Positive behavioral support. District and school staff collaboratively select and implement schoolwide, classroom, and research-based positive behavioral supports for achieving important social and learning outcomes. A strong focus on integrating instructional and intervention strategies supports systemic changes based on strong, predictable, and consistent classroom management structures across the entire system.
 
MTSS has a broader scope than does Response to Intervention (RTI). MTSS also includes:
  • Focusing on aligning the entire system of initiatives, supports, and resources.
  • Promoting district participation in identifying and supporting systems for alignment of resources, as well as site and grade level.
  • Systematically addressing support for all students, including gifted and high achievers.
  • Enabling a paradigm shift for providing support and setting higher expectations for all students through intentional design and redesign of integrated services and supports, rather than selection of a few components of RtI and intensive interventions.
  • Endorsing Universal Design for Learning instructional strategies so all students have opportunities for learning through differentiated content, processes, and product.
  • Integrating instructional and intervention support so that systemic changes are sustainable and based on CCSS-aligned classroom instruction.
  • Challenging all school staff to change the way in which they have traditionally worked across all school settings.
 
Successful MTSS implementation is a highly complex process that involves the following tasks:
  • Gathering accurate and reliable data
  • Correctly interpreting and validating data
  • Using data to make meaningful instructional changes for students
  • Establishing and managing increasingly intensive tiers of support
  • Evaluating the process at all tiers to ensure the system is working
 
KHSD Hanbook - Tier1-3 - PBIS-MTSS
The Kern High School District's Handbook, Tier 1-3 for PBIS-MTSS, is a resource that is used by our school sites to help guide the implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) for our students.  School administrators, school staff, and school climate teams use this information as a framework to help guide the development and refinement of structures and process on their campuses.  The Handbook also provides numerous resources and sample documents.  KHSD staff will review and update the Handbook to reflect new information, data analysis, and updated resources, when necessary.