Nearly 1 in 5 Australian students start secondary school at or below minimum standards for literacy or numeracy. This puts them at least 3 years behind their peers. When students struggle with literacy and numeracy, particularly at a foundational level, they can become disengaged and fall further behind their peers, making it difficult for them to catch up.
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) recommends the use of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to better assist Years 7 to 9 students struggling with foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
AERO has developed a suite of resources for secondary school leaders and teachers looking to use MTSS to better support Years 7 to 9 students struggling with foundational literacy and numeracy skills. The resources are designed to equip school leaders to effectively deliver an impactful and sustainable MTSS framework.
This user guide:
- explains AERO’s MTSS resources
- recommends the most relevant resources for teachers and leaders depending on their responsibilities
- provides suggestions for their use.
Types of resources
AERO has produced 6 types of resources, which go into detail about different aspects of MTSS.
Evidence explainers use evidence to explain important topics and concepts related to supporting students struggling with foundational skills:
- Introduction to a Multi-Tiered System of Supports outlines the key features of MTSS and provides evidence to support the delivery of this approach.
- Why Some Secondary Students Struggle With Reading outlines the specific skills gaps and difficulties that cause secondary students to struggle with reading.
MTSS practice guides outline effective evidence-based practices when delivering MTSS, and help schools identify next steps in delivering MTSS effectively:
- Using Assessments to Support an MTSS Framework
- Choosing Reading Assessments in MTSS
- Choosing, Monitoring and Modifying Reading Interventions in MTSS.
MTSS practice resources provide practical guidance for implementing and building proficiency in delivering MTSS in schools:
- Supporting Student Wellbeing and Engagement in MTSS
- MTSS Decision Tree
- Example Reading Assessment Tools in MTSS
- Example Interventions for Word Reading
- Example of Tier 2 Intervention for Subject-Specific Reading Comprehension.
The MTSS research report on designing a tiered interventions approach in schools provides detailed evidence and information on setting up and resourcing an MTSS approach, including staffing, timetabling and intensity of intervention.
Our video snapshots of practice show how 7 schools in Australia have implemented MTSS:
- MTSS at Como Secondary College (WA)
- MTSS at Parramatta Marist High School (NSW)
- MTSS at Parafield Gardens High School (SA)
- MTSS at Craigmore High School (SA)
- MTSS at Mount Rowan Secondary College (Vic)
- MTSS at East Loddon P–12 (Vic)
- MTSS at Reece High School (Tas).
The suite of short, themed video snapshots arrange the work of the 7 schools across multiple themes, showing how best practice can be delivered across multiple contexts:
- Leading MTSS
- Building an Effective MTSS Team
- MTSS Timetabling and Intensity Decision-Making
- Using Data in MTSS: Screening
- Using Data in MTSS: Progress Monitoring
- Supporting Student and Community Buy-in for MTSS.
How to use these resources
Different resources may be useful at different times, depending on your school’s familiarity with MTSS.
To introduce MTSS
The following resources provide a general overview of an MTSS framework, focusing on delivering MTSS as a school-wide framework:
- Introduction to a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (Explainer)
- Using Assessments to Support an MTSS Framework (Practice Guide)
- Supporting Student Wellbeing and Engagement in MTSS (Practice Resource)
- Supporting Student and Community Buy-in for MTSS (Video)
- MTSS at Como Secondary College (WA)
- MTSS at Parramatta Marist High School (NSW)
- MTSS at Parafield Gardens High School (SA)
- MTSS at Craigmore High School (SA)
- MTSS at Mount Rowan Secondary College (Vic)
- MTSS at East Loddon P–12 (Vic)
- MTSS at Reece High School (Tas).
To operationalise MTSS
The following resources help leaders to operationalise MTSS in schools:
- Designing an Intervention Approach: Making Staffing and Timetabling Decisions
- Leading MTSS (Video)
- Building an Effective MTSS Team (Video)
- MTSS Timetabling and Intensity Decision-Making (Video).
To implement MTSS for reading instruction
AERO has developed a suite of guidance on delivering reading MTSS in secondary schools, in partnership with the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation:
- Why Some Secondary Students Struggle With Reading
- MTSS Decision Tree
- Choosing Reading Assessments in MTSS
- Example Reading Assessment Tools in MTSS
- Choosing, Monitoring and Modifying Reading Interventions in MTSS
- Using Data in MTSS: Screening (Video)
- Using Data in MTSS: Progress Monitoring (Video)
- Example Interventions for Word Reading
- Example of Tier 2 Intervention for Subject-Specific Reading Comprehension.
Keywords: multi-tiered system of supports