Family Resource Book

Understanding support from elementary school through secondary school

A family-friendly guide
This flipbook explains what MTSS is, how support is organized, and what families can expect as students move from elementary school into middle and high school.

Understanding MTSS

General information for every family

What is MTSS?

MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Support. Jt is a school wide framework that helps educators identify what students need and provide the right level of academic, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional support. MTSS is not a program or a label; support can change as a student's needs change.

Support is matched to student need

Tier 1

For all students

High-quality instruction, prevention, and schoolwide supports.

Tier 2

For some students

Targeted support in addition to Tier 1.

Tier 3

For a few students

Intensive, individualized support with closer monitoring.

A three-tiered pyramid labeled "Tier 1," "Tier 2," and "Tier 3" stands in the foreground, topped with a red flag against a background of a light grey circle, clouds, and red radial lines.

The Whole Child Matters

Schools look at the full picture

Student success is influenced by more than academics. MTSS considers academics, behavior, auendance, and well-being so teams can identify barriers, match support suppontl when progress is not happening.

How MTSS decisions are made

Identify the student's need using multiple sources of infonnation.
Select a support or intervention that matches the identified need.
Deliver the support as planned and collect progress information.
Review the data with the school team and family.
Continue, adjust, intensify, or fade support based on the student's response.

Elementary MTSS

Building strong foundations early

In elementary school, MTSS focuses on early identification, strong core instruction, and timely support so students can build the academic, behavioral, and attendance habits needed for continued success.

What families may see

Universal instruction and schoolwide supports for all students.
Screening and classroom data used to identify students who may need additional help.
Targeted small-group or individualized intervention in specific skill areas.
Progress monitoring to determine whether the support is working. Regular team review and adjustments when a student is not responding as expected.

A teacher in a red cardigan guides three young students reading a book at a table, with an educational poster and a bookshelf in the background.

Common areas of support

Academics

Reading & math

Foundational skills, fluency, comprehension, number sense, computation, and problem solving.

Behavior

Skills & routines

Self-management, classroom routines, social skills, and positive behavior supports.

Attendance

Access to learning

Identifying patterns of absence or tardiness and connecting families to appropriate supports.

What intervention should look like

Specific, scheduled, and measurable

An intervention should address a clearly identified skill or need. Families should be able to understand what support is being provided, how often it occurs, how progress will be measured, and when the team will review the results.

Questions families can ask

What specific skill or concern are we addressing?
What support will my child receive, and how often?
How will you know whether the intervention is working?
When will the team review the data and decide next steps?

Secondary MTSS

Coordinating support across middle and high school

In middle and high school, students have multiple teachers, courses, and expectations. MTSS helps the school team coordinate information across classes and focus support on the needs that most affect learning, engagement, course completion, and progress toward graduation.

Data that may guide support

Course grades, assignments, assessments, and classroom performance.
Attendance patterns, including absences and tardiness.
Behavior and discipline information.
Screening, benchmark, and progress-monitoring data when applicable.
Teacher observations, work samples, and student/family input.

Three students holding books and a laptop stand in the foreground against the backdrop of a school building.

What support may look like

Academic

Targeted course support

Skill-based intervention, structured practice, tutoring or intervention periods, and support tied to course needs.

Behavior & Attendance

Engagement supports

Check-ins, routines, behavior suppo1ts, attendance problem solving, and coordinated family outreach.

Intensive Support

Individualized planning

More frequent review, individualized intervention, closer progress monitoring, and coordinated team problem solving.

A key difference in secondary schools

Coordination matters

Because a student may have several teachers, the team should identify the most important need, use consistent information across classes, and avoid creating disconnected supports. The goal is a clear plan that the student, family, and staff can understand.

Questions families can ask

Which classes or data show the greatest need?
When and where will the support happen?
How will teachers and the MTSS team communicate about progress?
What will change if my child is not improving?

Families are part of the MTSS team

What to expect and how to stay involved.

Families should receive clear information

Why the school team is concerned and what data support the concern.
What intervention or support is being provided.
How often the support will occur and who will provide it.
How progress will be measured.
When the team will meet again to review results and determine next steps.

Families can strengthen the plan

Share changes, strengths, concerns, or patterns you notice at home.
Ask questions when a goal, intervention, or data point is unclear.
Support consistent attendance and routines whenever possible.
Celebrate growth, even when the student is still working toward the larger goal.
Stay connected to the teacher, school MTSS contact, counselor, or administrator.

Illustration of a family of three sits at a table talking with a professional woman in a red blazer, with a "Stronger Together for Every Student" sign.

Data that may guide support

Course grades, assignments, assessments, and classroom performance.
Attendance patterns, including absences and tardiness.
Behavior and discipline information.
Screening, benchmark, and progress-monitoring data when applicable.
Teacher observations, work samples, and student/family input.

Key MTSS terms

Screening

A brief check used to identify students who may need additional support.

Intervention

A planned, evidence-based support matched to a specific student need.

Progress Monitoring

Regular data collection used to see whether the student is responding
to support.

Data review

A team discussion of progress information used to decide whether support should continue or change.

Support at Humphries

School contact for MTSS support

Families can reach out to the school's MTSS professional for questions, guidance, and support related to MTSS implementation.

Elementary Support

Bree Sharper

TEACHER EIP 1-3

Contact