How MTSS Helps Us Meet Student Needs
In Highline, we are committed to ensuring every student gets the support or enrichment they need to succeed and graduate ready for the future they choose. This helps us fulfill our Highline Promise. One of the ways we do that is through the use of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).
What is MTSS?
MTSS is a framework that gives students the right support or enrichment to help them succeed. It can address a full range of student needs:
- Academic
- Attendance
- College and Career Readiness
- Language Learning
- Social and Emotional
- Behavioral
MTSS allows us to adjust support and enrichment to match students’ unique needs in a way that fits their culture and language. Teachers and staff continuously learn and modify their practices based on how students respond to the support provided. By integrating academic and non-academic support, MTSS helps us address the needs of the whole student.
What Makes MTSS Work?
MTSS helps educators work together to provide the right level of support or enrichment for each student. There are five components and they are all connected. As a student’s needs change, the level of support or enrichment adjusts too.
- Team-Driven Shared Leadership: Teams share the responsibility of making decisions in an MTSS framework. Teams make decisions about systems, programs, and individual students based on reliable data.
- Data-Based Decision Making: We regularly gather and review different types of information to understand student needs. This structured approach helps us make informed decisions based on a full picture of each student’s progress.
- Family, Student, and Community Engagement: Teams intentionally engage families, students, and community partners to plan, implement, and improve services.
- Continuum of Supports: Staff and community partners provide different levels of support or enrichment based on student needs. It starts with strong core instruction for all students, with additional support or enrichment available as needed.
- Evidence-Based Practices: Staff use culturally relevant and evidence-based practices to accelerate student learning across all tiers.
Strengthening MTSS in Highline
Highline has been growing in our use of MTSS for many years. The newly created District MTSS Implementation Team (DMIT) is made up of school building and central office staff who meet twice per month to:
- Develop clear guidance for schools on MTSS Implementation.
- Create training and support for schools.
- Coordinate and align collaboration across departments to support MTSS-related cohesion.
The Implementation Team is working closely with four focus schools—Parkside, Mount View, Pacific, and Evergreen. These schools are receiving additional training, coaching and support to implement MTSS. They also provide valuable feedback to help refine district MTSS resources before they are expanded to all schools next year.