Student Support Services

MTSS: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

MTSS, formerly Response to Intervention (RTI), is a framework of instruction that provides support to ALL students to ensure mastery of grade-level content standards.  The tiers of MTSS provide varying levels of support for students struggling to reach mastery and those exceeding grade level.

MTSS provides a framework incorporating screening, progress monitoring, and data-based decision-making to provide effective instruction. MTSS and RtI are viewed as similar concepts; however, since 2012, education leaders have witnessed a systematic movement that captures the Whole Child experience in school, of which RtI is only one component of MTSS.

MTSS Critical Components

Four critical components guide the MTSS framework in Otsego Public Schools.  These components are a collaborative culture, concentrated instruction, convergent assessment, and certain access.

Collaborative Culture: All stakeholders believe they are responsible for ensuring that all students learn at high levels.

Concentrated Instruction:  The curriculum is developed based on identified essential standards.

Convergent Assessment:  The systematic use of data to determine the learning needs of each student and to monitor the effectiveness of instruction connected to essential standards.

Certain Access:  An articulated process guarantees each student the support and time he/she needs to learn at high levels.

Source: Buffum, Mattos, Weber.  Simplifying Response to Intervention Four Essential Principles, Solution Tree Press, 2012.