1. 5 Musts, Myths, & Maybes of MTSS
Stephanie Stollar, Ph.D.
Colorado READing Conference

2. What is MTSS?

3. What is MTSS?

4. Why MTSS? refer-test-place dependent on teacher referral
tests were one time, high inference, removed from classroom instruction
only way to get help was special education
special education was a separate system with all the magic stuff
wait to fail
pre-referral interventions
lack of progress meant suspected disability
special education was separate, a life sentence, and meant low expectations with little or no improvement
categorical service delivery
only a minority of kids learned to read – gaps gots bigger over time
if you don’t know what mtss is an alternative to then you can’t make sure you are doing something different than the old way

5. Assumptions of This Workshop
Some things are non-negotiable – if you aren’t doing them then you aren’t doing MTSS
Some things are negotiable – there is more than one way to implement the framework
It isn’t possible to overestimate the power of early literacy instruction
This is not a How To it is a What If

6. 5 Musts of MTSS Prevent Assess Schedule Improve Instruction
Use Problem Solving

7. Must #1: Prevent Reading Failure
Reading trajectories start early
Start low, tend to stay low
Start low, fall further behind
It takes more intensive support to catch up
It is possible to prevent reading failure for almost all students
Prevention, not intervention, must be the focus

8. Myths About... Preventing Reading Failure
Children will learn to read when they are ready
if we just find enough volunteers, buy enough programs, and get an intervention block in our schedule, we can intervene our way out of ineffective first instruction

9. Must #2: Assess Reading Directly
The district assessment system must have reliable and valid tools for the following purposes:
Screening
Diagnosis
Progress Monitoring
Outcome Evaluation
Decisions must be based on data reflecting student needs, not adult preference, convenience or history

10. Myths About... Assessment
There is a place for norm-referenced, high-inference assessments in MTSS
Do MTSS, but then you refer, test and place when there is insufficient progress
All tests are the same
If a test claims it can be used for progress monitoring, then it can be
Response to intervention is documenting failure
Progress monitoring teaches reading

11. Must #3: Schedule Core Reading Instruction Time
Intervention Time Within and Outside of Core
Grade Level Team Planning Time
Building Team Planning Time
Professional Development Time

12. Myths About... Schedules
We can just keep doing business as usual and call it MTSS

13. Must #4: Improve Instruction
Continuous improvement of classroom reading instruction
All students receive Tier 1 instruction
Cohesive, comprehensive curriculum using continuums of skills
Focus on essential elements of early literacy
Differentiation, grouping and progress monitoring in Tier 1
I Do It, We DO It, You Do It
Research-based instructional strategies
You MUST enable learning before suspecting a disability
Tier 2 in addition to Tier 1, not instead of Tier 1
Tiers 2 and 3 are different intensity, not necessarily different programs

14. Myths About: Instruction
There is research to support all kinds of reading instruction
Some students just can’t learn to read
If we try phonics and it doesn’t work, teach whole word approach
MTSS is an alternate route to special education
MTSS takes too long to ... (the mistaken believe that the goal is special education eligibility)
MTSS is a person, place, time of day, intervention

15. Must #5: Use Problem Solving
The relentless pursuit of outcomes You don’t have to know all of the answer, just keep asking these questions Used at the district, school, classroom, small group and individual student levels

16. Myths About ... Problem Solving
We can implement MTSS without doing it

17. Conclusion
Non-Negotiables Negotiables

18. Innovations Conference