Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a collaborative, evidence-based approach to differentiating and personalizing instruction and intervention designed to support all students’ needs (e.g. academic, behavioral, social-emotional, student physical and mental health).

MTSS is not a single program or a referral process. It is the way our district organizes the full continuum of support available to students, from strong core instruction in the classroom all the way to intensive, individualized intervention, so that students can access what they need, when they need it. New York State defines MTSS as a systemic, evidence-based framework in which data-based problem solving and decision-making are practiced at every level of the educational system, ensuring that all learners have equitable access to a rigorous, high-quality education from pre-kindergarten forward.

At PUFSD, MTSS spans academic support, social-emotional learning, behavioral support, speech and language services, and physical and motor development. It is built on four interconnected practices: universal screening of all students at regular intervals throughout the year, a continuum of tiered interventions that increase in intensity based on student need, ongoing progress monitoring to assess how students are responding, and data-based decision-making through collaborative team meetings.

Every school in the district maintains a Child Support Team (CST), a group of educators, specialists, counselors, and administrators who meet regularly to review student data, plan interventions, and evaluate whether students are making progress. The CST is the engine of MTSS at the building level: the place where concerns are named, data is examined, and plans are made.