This qualitative research study explored how principal efficacy influences the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). At the time of this study, the majority of literature focused on efficacy in MTSS focused on the teacher and minimal literature focused on the principal efficacy. Research has explored in-depth the principal as…

A first-person essay on the ways that Cégep teaching is different from teaching at a university. The reflection explores how belonging -- an "inness" -- is enacted within a creative arts department by focusing on various experiences from being hired to navigating teaching online during the pandemic. By doing so, the author recognizes how…

School counselors play an instrumental role in advancing equity and access for students through tiered supports and specifically group counseling. In this article, we propose the need to move away from a deficit-based model of groups focused on student skill gaps. First, we outline a culturally sustaining group approach that focuses on students'…

The purpose of this paper is to define and describe the 'Telos' or purpose of special education. We argue that special education has three main (tripartite) functions: (a) research, (b) a distinct system, and (c) special instruction. The overall Telos of special education is to provide an educational service to better serve students whose…

Early identification and instruction aimed at addressing potential reading difficulties is the key to preventing prolonged difficulties in learning to read and ensuring that all students are reading with proficiency by the end of third grade. Tier 1 core reading curricula needs to be: (a) evidence based, (b) systematic and structured, (c)…

Treatment fidelity is essential for predicting student outcomes and discerning between intervention ineffectiveness and invalid implementation. Despite its significance, research on treatment fidelity within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks is limited. Despite their moderating role in…

Program-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PWPBIS), an early childhood extension of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), is a multi-tiered system of supports that has shown promise in fostering the social, emotional, and behavioral development of young children in preschool settings. The literature indicates…

Core reading instruction and interventions have differential effects based on student characteristics such as cognitive ability and pre-intervention skill level. Evidence for differential effect based on affective characteristics is scant and ambiguous; however, students with problem behavior are more often non-responsive to core reading…

School counselors underutilize three community entities within the Black American community: the Black Church, salons and barbershops, and Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). School counselors can use cultural wealth and multitiered systems of support (MTSS) as frameworks for making these connections to further cultivate Black American…

Although there are a growing number of implementation strategies to increase the adoption, fidelity, and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBP), they are often complex and bulky, which can interfere with their widespread application. To address these challenges, the Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize Evidence (HELM) strategy was created…

Two brains are better than one, as the saying goes, and this is especially true in education. Educators who employ effective collaboration and co-teaching greatly amplify student engagement, achievement, and growth, particularly for those learners needing extra support. Written by two of the nation's top experts in co-teaching, "Connecting…

The adoption and sustainability of evidence-based Tier 1 literacy practices in secondary content-area classes is important to improve reading success for students with learning disabilities. We conducted an exploratory multiple-case study investigating teachers' adoption and sustained use of evidence-based Tier 1 literacy practices that benefit…

Across the United States, many school leaders are engaging in systematic screening processes as part of integrated, tiered systems of support to meet students' multiple needs. Systematic screening is a key practice used to examine the overall level of students' performance for the school as a whole and identify students who may need additional…

Although the number of U.S. schools implementing multitiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B) continues to grow, most schools have still not adopted these evidence-based frameworks. We examined the views of educators (N = 561) at the outset of adopting MTSS-B in their schools or districts. Our survey addressed the (a) reasons schools and…

Since at least 2001, an emphasis has been placed on the use of evidence-based practices in schools to close achievement gaps. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) emerged during this time as a framework of evidence-based practices adopted by nearly all U.S. states including Georgia. When implemented with fidelity, MTSS has the potential to close…