Building a Cohesive MTSS Framework at Farrell B. Howell ECE–8

At Farrell B. Howell ECE–8, we recognized a common challenge: strong individual efforts across teams, but no fully aligned system connecting them. Academic, behavioral, language, and social-emotional supports were happening, but not always in a way that was cohesive, efficient, or sustainable.

As the Senior Team Lead for Special Education, I partnered with school leadership, interventionists, ELD, and general education teams to design and implement a comprehensive Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). This work was grounded in distributed leadership, shared ownership, and a commitment to building systems that last beyond any one individual.

The result was a unified, schoolwide MTSS framework that aligns people, practices, and data to better support students.

Building a Unified MTSS Framework

We began by clearly defining MTSS as more than an academic system. Instead, we built a framework that integrates four core domains:

• Engagement (PBIS)

• Language (ISA/ELD)

• Academics (RTI)

• Social, Emotional, and Attentional Learning (SEAL)

Each domain includes identified leaders, systems, and responsibilities. This structure ensured that support for students was not siloed, but coordinated across the school.

At the foundation of this system, we aligned:

• Data-Driven Instruction (DDI)

• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

• Student Intervention Team (SIT)

This created a consistent engine for identifying needs, planning interventions, and monitoring progress.

Creating a Clear and Aligned Data System

A major barrier to effective MTSS implementation is unclear or inconsistent use of data.

To address this, we developed a schoolwide RTI Planning Matrix that clearly defines:

• Universal screeners

• Benchmark assessments

• Diagnostic tools

• Progress monitoring systems

• Progress tracking methods

This matrix aligned literacy, math, and behavior systems so that teams were using consistent and intentional data sources.

The impact was immediate:

• Increased clarity for teachers

• Stronger intervention alignment

• More consistent decision-making across grade levels

  

Defining Roles and Strengthening Team Structures

Systems break down when roles are unclear.

We established clear structures for:

• Grade-level SIT leadership

• Interventionist assignments by grade and language

• Points of contact for multilingual learners

• Referral pathways to special education

This ensured:

• Every student group had access to support

• Every team member knew their role

• Communication across teams was consistent and efficient

This work was developed collaboratively across ELD, Special Education, intervention teams, and administration, reinforcing a distributed leadership model.

Aligning Interventions to Student Needs

One of the most important shifts was moving from “available programs” to intentional intervention alignment.

We developed a clear intervention matrix that identifies:

• Which skills each intervention targets

• Which tiers (Tier 2 or Tier 3)

• How interventions align to student needs (phonics, fluency, comprehension, writing)

This allowed teams to:

• Match interventions directly to student data

• Avoid inconsistent or reactive program use

• Increase the effectiveness of small group instruction

RTI Planning Matrix: Assessments

RTI Planning Matrix: Instruction

Creating Efficient, Data-Driven Meetings

Even strong systems break down without clear implementation routines.

We designed a structured Tier 3 MTSS meeting protocol:

• 7 minutes per student

• Clearly defined roles (facilitator, data lead, recorder)

• Defined decision pathways (continue, adjust, refer/evaluate, step down)

This ensured that meetings were:

• Focused

• Data-driven

• Action-oriented

Instead of long discussions with unclear outcomes, teams now make timely, consistent decisions that directly impact instruction.

Leading Through Distributed Leadership

This system was not built by one person.

It was developed through:

• Collaboration with ELD, Special Education, interventionists, and administration

• Shared ownership of systems and outcomes

• Ongoing feedback and refinement

As Senior Team Lead for Special Education, my role was to:

• Provide structure and alignment across systems

• Bring expertise in intervention, MTSS, and special education processes

• Support teams in connecting general education supports to special education pathways

Distributed leadership ensured that the system is sustainable, scalable, and embedded into the daily work of the school.

Impact

This work resulted in:

• Increased clarity across MTSS systems

• Stronger alignment between general education, intervention, and special education

• More efficient and effective team meetings

• Improved intervention matching and progress monitoring

• Reduced inappropriate referrals and stronger identification practices

Most importantly, it created a system where students receive support earlier, more consistently, and more effectively.

Final Reflection

MTSS is often discussed as a framework, but its impact depends entirely on implementation.

At Farrell B. Howell, this work was about turning a concept into a functioning system, one that aligns people, structures, and practices to support every student.

This is the kind of work that transforms schools.