Multitiered Systems of Support

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a framework that can be used for a range of intervention service delivery models, including those that seek to remediate maladaptive learning, behavioral, or social-emotional deficits before they lead to disability placement, office discipline referrals, significant social-emotional concerns, or self-harm/suicide. The three-tiered MTSS framework offers more intensive interventions and more frequent progress monitoring at each tier.

Using MTSS for academics, behavior, social-emotional wellbeing, and suicide prevention promotes uniformity across schools, provides early intervention to students, abides by state guidelines, and recognizes that academic, behavioral, and social-emotional difficulties tend to be interconnected and often do not operate independently of one another.

This quick-reference guide presents detailed MTSS flowcharts for academic RTI, behavior (school wide positive behavioral support/SWPBS), social emotional RTI, and suicide prevention. Each flowchart: identifies core curriculum, practices, and programs; suggests universal screening tools; lists criteria for determining whether to advance student to next tier; recommends interventions at each tier; identifies progress monitoring tools and frequency of use.

School psychologists, school counselors, teachers, and administrators will find this concise, yet comprehensive guide to be an essential tool for supporting students across domains in an organized and coherent fashion.

Gary Schaffer is a school psychologist and author of the book Nuts & Bolts: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: A Basic Guide to Implementing Preventative Practice in Our Schools and Community. Gary is currently employed by the NYS Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. Additionally, he provides consultation and assessment services for the Erie County Medical Center and serves in the capacity of part-time professor of school psychology and counseling at Niagara University.

Previously, Gary was employed by the NYS Office of Mental Health, Frontier School District, and Lansing School District. In June, 2015, Gary met with national legislators in Washington, DC to support the inclusion of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). He provides professional presentations and offers consultation on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and best preventative practices under three-tiered frameworks, such as RtI and SWPBS.

Gary s areas of interest and topics of presentation include multi-tiered systems of support, intervention service delivery models, autism spectrum disorder, and living with hidden disabilities. Currently, he is leading a national study on adolescents and adults with high functioning autism. He is also leading a study on the practice of school psychology in non-traditional settings and writing a second book on MTSS. For National Professional Resources, he is the author of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: A Flowchart for MTSS, RTI, SWPBS, Social-Emotional RTI, and Suicide Prevention & Intervention.