MTSS, Progress Monitoring, and Evaluation

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI)

In Texas public schools, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)—which encompasses Response to Intervention (RTI) for academics and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for behavior—provides a systematic, prevention-oriented framework for identifying and supporting struggling learners.

                                   /\ 
                                  /  \ 
                                 / T3 \  --> Tier 3: Intensive Intervention (~1-5% of students)
                                /------\      Individualized, high-frequency, daily 1:1 or 1:2 support.
                               /  T2    \ --> Tier 2: Targeted Intervention (~10-15% of students)
                              /----------\     Small groups of 3-5 students; supplemental 20-30 min.
                             /    T1      \--> Tier 1: Core Classroom Instruction (100% of students)
                            /--------------\    High-quality, differentiated TEKS instruction; UDL principles.

1. Tier 1: Universal Core Classroom Instruction

• Target Population: All students (100% of the classroom population). High-quality Tier 1 instruction should effectively meet the academic needs of approximately 80–85% of students.
• Instructional Delivery: Research-based core curriculum aligned strictly to the TEKS. Employs Universal Design for Learning (UDL), proactive differentiation, frequent formative checks, and culturally responsive teaching.
• Screening: Universal screeners administered 3 times per year (Beginning of Year [BOY], Middle of Year [MOY], End of Year [EOY]) to detect risk early.

2. Tier 2: Targeted Small-Group Intervention

• Target Population: Students who do not make adequate progress in Tier 1 core instruction (~10–15% of students).
• Instructional Delivery: Supplemental to Tier 1 core instruction—Tier 2 intervention never replaces initial classroom instruction. Delivered in homogeneous small groups of 3 to 5 students, typically for 20–30 minutes, 2 to 4 times per week.
• Focus: Targeted remediation of specific, foundational prerequisite deficits (e.g., phonemic awareness, basic arithmetic fluency, reading decoding).
• Progress Monitoring: Formative progress monitoring probes administered every 1 to 2 weeks, graphed against an explicit aimline.

3. Tier 3: Intensive Individualized Intervention

• Target Population: Students who demonstrate severe, persistent non-responsiveness to high-fidelity Tier 2 interventions (~1–5% of students).
• Instructional Delivery: Highly intensive, individualized, or very small-group instruction (1 to 2 students). Delivered daily for 30–45 minutes by an intervention specialist, reading coach, or highly trained educator.
• Focus: Explicit, systematic, multi-sensory remediation tailored directly to the student's unique cognitive profile.
• Progress Monitoring: Progress monitoring probes administered weekly to calculate rate of growth.

RTI cannot delay or deny an IDEA evaluation when disability is suspected. A teacher promptly shares objective evidence with the appropriate referral team and continues support. A parent request requires the district to follow the applicable consent/prior-written-notice procedures; it does not automatically establish eligibility or require the teacher to start a 504/IEP without evaluation. IDEA and Section 504 have different procedures. See OSEP's RTI evaluation memorandum.

MTSS / RTI Tiers Comparison Matrix

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Realistic Texas Classroom Scenarios

These are fictional teaching examples. Counts, timings, and outcomes illustrate decisions; they are not research findings or promised effects.

Scenario 1: Fifth-Grade Mathematics Item Analysis (Decimal Operations Example)

Mr. Thornton administers a common campus benchmark covering decimal operations. The campus goal is 80% mastery. Overall, 78% of his students passed the assessment. However, an item analysis of Question 14 reveals an alarming outlier: 62% of students missed this specific item: "Maria bought 3 notebooks for $2.45 each and a backpack for $18.99. She paid with a $50 bill. How much change should Maria receive?" Mr. Thornton examines the distractor distribution: 45% of students selected $26.34 (the sum of the items, failing to subtract from $50), and 17% selected $28.56 (paying for one notebook instead of three). He identifies that students understand basic decimal addition and subtraction algorithms, but fail in multi-step problem decomposition and checking reasonableness. Rather than assigning another worksheet of 20 decimal problems, Mr. Thornton plans a two-day workshop focused specifically on bar-modeling and multi-step word problem annotations (underline question, bracket given information, map steps before calculating).

Scenario 2: Second-Grade RTI Tier 2 Literacy Intervention (Phonics Example)

During middle-of-year universal screening, a second-grade teacher notes that Julian is reading 28 words correct per minute (WCPM), placing him well below an illustrative locally selected target of 52 WCPM, not a universal second-grade norm. An error analysis indicates that Julian has mastered short vowels and consonant digraphs, but consistently struggles to decode words containing silent-e and vowel teams. The teacher initiates Tier 2 intervention: Julian joins a four-student intervention group that meets for 25 minutes, four days a week, with the campus reading interventionist. The group uses explicit, systematic phonics instruction with multi-sensory sand trays and magnetic letter tiles. The teacher monitors Julian's progress weekly using standard one-minute fluency probes. Over eight weeks, Julian's slope steepens, climbing from 28 to 46 WCPM, confirming a strong positive response to Tier 2 support.

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Applying the Concepts and Avoiding Misconceptions

• Trap 1: The "Repeat Louder" Fallacy: Assuming that reteaching simply means re-reading the textbook chapter or giving students more time to finish the exact same worksheet. Choose an explanation, representation, practice, or scaffold that addresses the identified barrier and check its effect.
• Trap 2: Pulling Students from Tier 1 for Tier 2: Believing that Tier 2 intervention takes the place of core instruction. In Texas, Tier 2 intervention is always supplemental; pulling a struggling student out of core reading or math instruction to receive intervention ensures they fall even further behind on grade-level standards.
• Trap 3: Using RTI as a Gatekeeper to Delay Special Education: Assuming that a student must complete a predetermined number of RTI weeks before a parent can request a formal special education evaluation. Under federal Child Find mandates and Texas Education Agency rules, a referral can be made at any point, and the RTI process cannot be used to delay or deny evaluation.

Interpreting Intervention Plans

The tier percentages, group sizes, screening schedules, intervention minutes, and monitoring intervals above are examples of commonly used planning patterns. They are not statewide quotas or prerequisites for receiving help. Use the selected intervention's evidence-based protocol, current assessment guidance, and the student's response. Tier 3 does not automatically mean special education; students with an IEP can also benefit from general MTSS supports. Review implementation fidelity before attributing weak progress to a learner. Record the actual instruction delivered, attendance, results, and the team's next review date.