Critical Incidents in the Scale-Up of State Multitiered Systems of Supports

Abstract

State and national educational leaders encourage the use of an integrated multitiered system of supports (MTSS) to improve services to students with academic and social behavior problems. Implementing and sustaining MTSS is facilitated by support from leaders in state education agencies (SEAs). The purpose of this study was to identify the specific events, resources, and supports that help or hinder the work of scaling up an integrated MTSS approach from the perspective of MTSS leaders in SEAs. Researchers interviewed leaders in 27 U.S. states using the critical incident technique, a qualitative methodology to identify critical incidents associated with changes in practice. Eight helping incident, seven hindering incident, and nine "wish list" categories were identified. Helping categories included multidisciplinary leadership, access to professional development, consistent language and/or practices, consultation with external partners, and a focus on student outcomes in evaluation and planning. Seven hindering categories included competing philosophies, high personnel turnover, varying levels of readiness, and inadequate data systems. Participants also identified two unique categories associated with the items they wished had happened or could happen in the future including access to personnel with highlevel MTSS training and access to more effective interventions.

Reshaping Educational Systems to Realize the Promise of Inclusive Education

“…Since the inception of the SWIFT framework, other potential scaffolding supports are beginning to emerge in the research literature. Charlton, Sabey, Dawson, Pyle, Lund, and Ross (2018), for example, reported a qualitative investigation of state MTSS scale-up efforts in 27 states to ascertain which educational practices were perceived by administrators as "helping categories" for MTSS implementation, and which could be identified as "hindering categories." Helping categories included: multi-disciplinary leadership, access to professional development, consistent language practices, consultation with external partners, and a focus on student outcomes.…”

An Analysis of Mediating Effects of School Leadership on MTSS Implementation

“…Continuous attention has been paid to the role of leadership for MTSS implementation and its scale-up at the state educational agency (SEA) and LEA levels (Charlton et al, 2018); however, little research has been done on relationships among TA, MTSS implementation, and school-level leadership. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between school leadership and MTSS implementation within the context of SWIFT TA.…”

A Snapshot of RTI Implementation a Decade Later: New Picture, Same Story

“…A notable finding is their inconsistent use of the terms RTI and MTSS to describe all or portions of their tiered systems of support. While the variations may seem benign, Charlton and colleagues (2018) found that consistent language and practices were essential for scaling up integrated RTI/MTSS. Further analysis is necessary to fully understand the impact of the states’ inconsistent usage of RTI and MTSS.…”