7.1: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Progress Monitoring and Universal Screening

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children’s 2021 position statement defines a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework for early childhood as an integrated, tiered approach to providing high-quality teaching and responsive caregiving for all young children. MTSS emphasizes differentiated supports based on data-driven decision-making to address developmental, academic, and social-emotional needs across diverse settings and populations (Division for Early Childhood 2021, 2–3).

Core principles of MTSS include:

1. all children can learn when provided with high-quality instruction;
2. universal access to the general curriculum;
3. focus on academic and developmental goals;
4. early identification of delays;
5. collaborative, evidence-based interventions; and
6. continuous progress monitoring (Carta and Young 2019, 3).

The MTSS framework promotes a whole-child approach, recognizing the interdependence of developmental domains and advocating for blended practices that integrate early intervention, early childhood education, and special education strategies (National Academies Press 2016; Grisham-Brown and Hemmeter 2017).

What does MTSS look like in practice?

High-quality use of a MTSS framework includes: (a) universal screening to identify children at risk before significant delays occur; (b) differentiated goals and outcomes based on data to match instruction to needs; (c) tiered instruction, ranging from universal supports (Tier 1) to targeted (Tier 2) and individualized interventions (Tier 3); and (d) progress monitoring to ensure responsiveness and adjust support intensity (Grisham-Brown and Pretti-Frontczak 2011; Buzhardt et al. 2012). 

At each tier of MTSS, teams use multiple RIOT components to make decisions, ensuring that screening results are not used in isolation

Tier One supports, or universal teaching practices are high-quality, responsive actions teachers should take regardless of their students' background or ability. These practices are designed to be developmentally. linguistically, and culturally appropriate and serve as the foundation for more intensive supports.

Universal teaching strategies focus on the "whole child," addressing academic, behavioral, and developmental needs through daily interactions. Key strategies should include:

• Balanced Schedules and Routines: Providing a mix of child-led and teacher-led activities that minimize time spent in transitions.
• Positive Behavior Supports: Including clearly teaching expectations for every activity and reinforcing appropriate behaviors with behavior-specific praise.
• Routine-Based Teaching: Using daily routines, such as handwashing or zipping a jacket, as natural opportunities to teach relevant skills.
• Focus on Social-Emotional Learning: Utilizing real-life situations and peer conflicts to help children identify feelings and problem-solve.
• Responsive Interaction: Following the child's lead, imitating, and expanding on their communication to foster autonomy and engagement.
• Critical Thinking Questions: Challenging children with questions that range from simple recall to complex "how" and "why" inquiries.

Universal Screening Tools

In an early childhood MTSS framework, a critical distinction is made between universal screening and developmental screening tools:

Type of Screening Tool	Universal Screening	Developmental Screening
Core Question	"Is this child performing at benchmark levels?"	"Is the child’s development typical and is further testing warranted?"
Primary Purpose	To identify children at risk for academic or social-emotional needs who may benefit from additional instructional support before they fall behind.	To help identify children who may have a developmental delay or disability.
Goal	Prevention: Ameliorating learning difficulties early to potentially reduce the need for special education.	Child Find: Deciding if a child requires a comprehensive evaluation for special education services.
Tools	My IGDIs and PALS-PreK.	Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and DIAL/Speed DIAL.

Universal screening tools must be quick, efficient, and inexpensive because they are administered to all children, often several times a year (e.g., quarterly). The results of these universal screenings should be then used in combination with teacher observations to determine if the child requires additional support in a specific area (i.e. literacy, math, and/or social-emotional learning). In section 7.2 we will discuss developmental screening tools that are utilized as part of Child Find procedures. 

Tier Two support consists of targeted teaching and caregiving strategies designed for children whose development has stalled or who are struggling to master specific aspects of common goals, such as independence or consistency in specific content skills. These interventions are more focused and intentional than universal supports and can be implemented by providing increased dosage of instruction—like more frequent shared-book reading, variation of modality and presentation of content, or through accommodations such as adding specific attending cues to highlight relevant features during instruction. Examples of Tier 2 practices include small group instruction, packaged literacy interventions like Story Friends, or focused instruction or repetition of concepts in small groups. To ensure these targeted supports are effective, educators typically conduct systematic progress monitoring every 3-4 weeks.

Tier Three support and instruction involves intensive, highly specialized practices aimed at helping children achieve individualized outcomes. This tier is reserved for children who need systematic instruction on missing foundational skills or those who face significant barriers to learning. Tier 3 is characterized by the greatest level of individualization, intensity, and frequency; notably, these supports are provided in addition to Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction rather than as a replacement. Evidence-based Tier 3 strategies can include chaining, naturalistic language instruction, and function-based behavior interventions. Because of the specialized nature of these needs, progress monitoring at this tier is the most frequent, often occurring on a daily or weekly basis.

Additional information and guidance on multi-tiered systems of support specific to social emotional learning can be found on the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations website.