Multi-Tiered System of Support | MTSS
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A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a proactive and collaborative approach designed to meet both academic and social-emotional needs, ensuring that all students receive the support they need to succeed. Much like an ecosystem, where various organisms interact and depend on one another to thrive, MTSS creates a supportive environment where different educational strategies and resources work together to foster student growth. This structured framework allows schools and districts to make continuous, data-driven decisions as part of an ongoing cycle of improvement.
Key components of MTSS include:
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High-Quality, Evidence-Based Instruction: All students receive instruction based on proven strategies that are supported by research.
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Standards-Based Curriculum: The curriculum is aligned with state and national standards, helping ensure that students meet or exceed grade-level expectations.
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Universal Screening: Regular assessments are conducted to identify students who may need additional support, enabling early intervention.
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Tiered Intervention Supports: Students receive varying levels of support tailored to their individual needs, ranging from general classroom instruction to more targeted interventions.
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Focus on Academic and Social-Emotional Development: MTSS addresses both academic success and social-emotional growth, promoting well-rounded development for all students.
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Consistent Implementation Across Schools: MTSS provides a structured framework that ensures best practices are applied consistently across all schools and districts.
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Collaborative Effort: MTSS requires teamwork among all district staff, including general educators, special educators, related service providers, and English Language staff.
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Preventative Framework: The system is designed to enhance overall achievement by identifying struggling learners as early as possible and providing timely support using evidence-based programs and teaching strategies.
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General Education Initiative: While MTSS supports all students, including those with special needs, it primarily focuses on improving outcomes for all learners within the general education system.
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Ongoing Progress Monitoring: Regularly assessing student progress allows for timely adjustments to interventions and supports as needed.
By organizing best practices and effectively aligning resources, MTSS provides the necessary infrastructure for schools to support optimal student performance. This comprehensive approach aims to ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve or exceed proficiency while minimizing long-term learning challenges. Just as an ecosystem thrives on the interdependence of its components, MTSS fosters a collaborative environment where every element contributes to the success of our students.
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RTI
Response to Intervention (RTI) is an integral component of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. Within the MTSS model, RTI serves as a proactive approach to identifying and supporting students with learning and behavior needs. It operates across all tiers of the MTSS structure, emphasizing ongoing progress monitoring and data-driven decision-making. RTI encompasses the use of research-based instruction and interventions, which increase in intensity from Tier 1 (core instruction for all students) to Tier 2 (targeted support for some students) and Tier 3 (intensive, individualized interventions). By systematically assessing students' needs and adjusting instruction accordingly, RTI helps ensure that all students receive appropriate support to succeed academically and behaviorally, aligning with the overarching goals of MTSS to provide comprehensive support for every learner in the school district.
Tier 1: Core Instruction
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At Tier 1, all students receive scientific, research-based core instruction implemented with integrity, emphasizing grade-level standards and school-wide behavioral expectations. Instruction at Tier 1 should be explicit and differentiated and include flexible grouping and active student engagement. High-quality instruction is essential to ensure 80% of student needs are met at Tier 1.
Tier 2: Targeted Group Intervention
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At Tier 2, students identified as at-risk academically or behaviorally through universal screeners receive targeted support that includes both research-based interventions and enrichment opportunities. This approach ensures that all learners, whether needing additional help or advanced challenges, receive appropriate support within the MTSS framework.
Tier 3: Intensive Individualized Intervention
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Tier 3 is the most intensive level of support within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, designed for students who have not made sufficient progress with Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions. It includes both intervention for struggling students and enrichment for advanced learners. Key features of Tier 3 involve individualized instruction based on data from problem-solving processes, smaller student-teacher ratios, and increased intensity through more frequent or longer sessions. Additionally, Tier 3 plans extend beyond intervention time to include strategies that maximize student outcomes during core instruction (Tier 1) and utilize ongoing progress monitoring. This level of support addresses severe academic, social, emotional, or behavioral needs for struggling students while providing advanced learners with opportunities to extend their learning beyond grade-level standards. Overall, Tier 3 is characterized by its personalized approach to meet the unique needs of students requiring additional assistance.
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MTSS & Special Education Entitlement
RtI is an essential component of the special education entitlement process. In accordance with 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.130, districts must use a process that determines how a child responds to scientific, research-based interventions as part of the evaluation procedures to determine special education eligibility under the category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Students will be identified as having a Specific Learning Disability if they do not demonstrate appropriate growth over time in response to increased Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention support, or if they require a high level of Tier 3 support in order to continue to make appropriate educational growth. The District is no longer able to use standardized testing (discrepancy-based model) alone as a determination of Specific Learning Disability. While this requirement is specific to SLD, districts also have the option of using such a process as part of the evaluation procedures for other disability categories. District 25 teams use RtI as a component of evaluations under Developmental Delay and Other Health Impairment, as well as for determination of related services such as occupational therapy, social work, and speech-language. More information on the Illinois State Board of Education's requirements for the use of RtI in determining a Specific Learning Disability can be found in the link section on the right side of this page.
To learn more about state guidelines for MTSS, RTI and special education entitlement please use the following links:
- Illinois Special Education Eligibility within an RTI Framework
- Illinios State RTI Plan
- Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement within a Response to Intervention Framework: Frequently Asked Questions
- Illinois State Parent FAQ for RTI
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Advanced Learning MTSS
Advanced Learning Enrichment follows a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, designed to provide targeted enrichment to students who demonstrate a need for additional academic challenges beyond what is offered in the core curriculum. This program was developed based on recommendations from Dr. Scott Peters' review of Arlington Heights' advanced learning opportunities and procedures. You can read the full report by clicking here.
Key features of our enrichment program include:
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Universal Screening: All students participate in assessments that help us identify those who may benefit from enrichment.
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Regular Data Analysis: We review student performance data multiple times throughout the year. This allows us to track progress and ensure we're meeting each student's evolving needs.
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Flexible Grouping: Based on this ongoing data analysis, we adjust student groups accordingly. This flexibility ensures that students receive the most appropriate level of enrichment at any given time.
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Advanced Learning Specialists: We've introduced this new role to work directly with small groups of students, providing enrichment activities that extend beyond what is offered in the core curriculum.
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Tailored Enrichment: We offer additional activities that extend beyond the enrichment provided in the core curriculum. These sessions are designed to deepen understanding, foster critical thinking, and nurture a love for learning.
This dynamic and responsive approach aims to effectively challenge and support our advanced learners. It helps students reach their full potential within the MTSS framework. Additionally, it provides enrichment opportunities that both complement and extend the core curriculum. Through these efforts, we strive to meet the unique needs of our high-achieving students and foster their continued growth and development.
As this is a new program, it will grow and evolve in response to student needs and data collected over time. We are committed to a phased approach in implementing our enrichment offerings to ensure we can effectively serve our advanced learners across different subject areas. The following timeline outlines our planned expansion of enrichment services:
This gradual implementation allows us to focus on specific subjects at different grade levels initially, ensuring a strong foundation before expanding to cover both Math and ELA across all grades. As we progress, we will continuously evaluate the program's effectiveness and make adjustments based on student performance data and feedback from students, parents, and educators.
Criteria
Students are considered for enrichment based on universal screening data from NWEA MAP assessments. This process helps identify students who may benefit from additional enrichment beyond what is offered in the regular classroom. We use specific criteria as guidelines to inform our selection of students who demonstrate a need for these advanced learning opportunities.
Data is analyzed after each administration of the NWEA MAP assessments, allowing us to form new student groups based on their performance. This ongoing analysis ensures that we can adapt our instructional strategies to meet our students' evolving needs. Enrichment cycles typically last 8 to 10 weeks, providing targeted support during this period to help students achieve their academic goals.
The following chart outlines the preliminary criteria we use as a guide for placement in Tier 2 enrichment.
Student profile
Decision Recommendation
Students who score above the 95th percentile
Student should receive T2 enrichment
Students who score between the 90th - 94th percentile
Student may receive T2 enrichment
Parents are notified when their child has been identified prior to the start of each enrichment cycle.
Program Models
Advanced Learning Specialists utilize both pull-out and push-in models to support high-achieving students:
Pull-Out Model: Students are taken out of their regular classroom for specialized enrichment sessions with the Advanced Learning Specialist. This allows for focused, small-group instruction tailored to advanced learners' needs.
Push-In Model: The Advanced Learning Specialist works within the regular classroom, collaborating with the general education teacher to provide enrichment and support for advanced learners during standard lessons.
These approaches are often used in combination to best meet the needs of advanced students while maintaining their connection to the core curriculum.
For more information about Advanced Learning in District 25, visit our Advanced Learning page.
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