How Leaders Use MTSS Data to Drive School Improvement

It’s your job to pull all the pieces together—and WOW, are there many pieces! From curriculum planning and enrollment management to staffing, supporting diverse student and teacher needs, and engaging your community, your role touches every part of the school ecosystem. Underneath it all is a well of data that can inform your next steps. Using data effectively is a crucial leadership skill.  Academic assessments, intervention monitoring, attendance and behavioral data help you make informed decisions that drive school improvement and boost student success....IF you know what to look at, how, and when. 

To kickstart your year effectively, here are some best practices and essential questions that will help your teams move from data collection to purposeful action across your MTSS work.

Reflection and Performance Insights

You are diving headlong into a new school year, but some of the most valuable data you can spend time with right now is last year’s EOY data! A look in that rear-view mirror can guide your decision-making, ensuring alignment with the school’s vision, facilitating targeted improvements, sharpening your strategic focus, and enhancing accountability for the year ahead.

💡Key questions to consider:

• What insights did we gain from last year’s performance data, and how will these insights shape our strategies for this year?
• What are our primary instructional goals and priorities for this year, and how do they align with the school’s overall vision?

Set Up and Measurement of MTSS Practice

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is most effective when approached as a practice of continuous improvement. Regular monitoring of implementation helps you set clear, measurable goals, track progress through relevant metrics, and promote staff collaboration. 

💡Key questions to consider:

• What are our goals for MTSS implementation, and how will we measure success?
• What metrics and data points will we use to track progress and inform decision-making?
• How will we support staff in collaborating and sharing best practices?

Tips for Success

To promote collaboration and regular sharing of best practices among staff to make MTSS a school-wide effort, consider these strategies:

• Schedule collaboration time for staff to meet, review MTSS data, and plan strategies and interventions together.
• Offer ongoing professional development, workshops, and digital resources focused on MTSS. Encourage staff to engage in and share findings from MTSS-related research.
• Recognize and showcase effective MTSS practices and their impact. 
• Facilitate peer observations or feedback on MTSS practices to understand learnings and scope for improvements. 
• Pair experienced staff with newcomers for support and guidance.

You can always track progress with the Implementation Health Report on the Branching Minds platform. This report provides detailed insights on all aspects of MTSS implementation at your school(s), including user engagement, tier breakdowns by subject, support plan documentation, completion of action items, use of assessments for progress monitoring, and data ingestion from universal screeners.

Core Instruction and Differentiation 

Another key step is to evaluate the quality of core instruction and ensure it is differentiated to support diverse learners. Addressing these questions helps evaluate and improve Tier 1 supports, choose the right assessment tools, and identify necessary professional development to enhance instructional quality.

💡Key questions to consider:

• Are our Tier 1 supports effectively meeting the needs of all students?
• Which assessment tools and strategies will we use to evaluate student learning and progress effectively?
• What professional development is needed to enhance Tier 1 instruction and support?

Student Assessment and Intervention 

Two best practices include a regular screening processes for early identification of students requiring Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions and clear protocols for record-keeping and monitoring.

💡Key questions to consider:

• How will we screen and assess students to identify those who need additional support?
• How will we address and manage student behavior to promote a positive and productive learning environment?
  

Educators love how Branching Minds provides an integrated behavioral screener, the Student Risk Screening Scale - Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE), that helps you proactively identify possible behavioral needs and take action to develop targeted behavior plans and group students with similar skill gaps for intervention.

Sustainability 

Finally, assess your MTSS implementation with an eye to sustainability.  

💡Key questions to consider:

• How will we evaluate and refine our MTSS practices based on feedback and outcomes?
• What is our plan for sustaining MTSS practices over the long term?

When the puzzle pieces align, it becomes clear that data alone isn’t enough. The real impact comes from knowing how to interpret it and using those insights to guide your MTSS practice.