Developing Tier One Within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Framework

With pressure from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to increase student literacy, school districts across the state have adopted a multi-tiered support system (MTSS). The MTSS framework provides a structure for using data to guide changes in teaching and learning to promote the success of all students. According to research, the success of implementing MTSS starts with high-quality professional development. This study focuses on developing and delivering a series of professional development opportunities aimed at increasing 32 middle school teachers’ knowledge of the MTSS framework and the skills necessary to access and use data to make informed decisions when planning for intervention within core instruction. Quantitative data collected through a survey after each professional development session showed teacher growth and learning in the essential components of the MTSS framework and accessing and interpreting data from the universal screener to utilize when planning for Tier 1 instruction and intervention. However, more intensive development may be needed in using the gathered data to adjust classroom instruction based on student learning needs. Teacher perception data collected through exit tickets assessing the format and structure of the professional development session also showed satisfaction with the design and implementation of each session. Accordingly, these results suggest that high-quality professional development does support teacher learning as schools move towards implementing MTSS