In this article, the authors illustrate how teachers use a strength based, culturally responsive Response to Intervention (RTI) framework to meet the varied needs of a culturally diverse, twice-exceptional student. Using a case-based approach, the authors demonstrate how classroom teachers and specialists collaborate with the student and her…

This quantitative study determined the impact of Persist Nashville's support interventions on persistence to the next semester and academic year of postsecondary education. Using Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 persistence data provided by Persist Nashville, the researchers examined the relationship between persistence and the support mechanisms of Care…

Tier 1 Instruction provides the essential foundation for all students to succeed, alleviating the need for more intensive support later. This Spotlight will help readers learn from schools implementing multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS); analyze new laws on math supports for struggling students; evaluate the long-term benefits of early…

Educational leaders through the United States have prioritized developing integrated tiered systems to assist educators in meeting students' academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being learning needs in an integrated fashion (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016). This is an important shift away from traditional reactive models towards…

We evaluated the impact of a supplemental, small-group kindergarten vocabulary intervention designed to reinforce content taught in core classroom instruction implemented within a multitiered system of support (MTSS) framework. Kindergarten teachers implemented a published vocabulary program with all their students during whole-class instruction…

In tiered systems, all school faculty and staff ideally recognize student academic, behavioral, and social achievement as a shared responsibility. In an ideal system, faculty and staff collaborate in a data-informed process to define common student expectations to facilitate success. Adults provide clarity for all students by defining expectations…

In this "Equity by Design" brief, we outline the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on student learning and wellness. Next, we critique common narratives and responses to student educational difficulties following the start of the pandemic. Finally, we conclude with key considerations for educational decision-making, prevention,…

With approximately $1.2 billion allocated to K-12 education through pandemic funding, West Virginia has the opportunity to utilize those dollars over the next 3 years to benefit its children. This infographic highlights the problems and possible solutions of supporting the mental health needs of West Virginia students.

Postsecondary attainment is often viewed as an accomplishment yielding financial, social, and economic gains. Moreover, education has been a passport to a better quality of life. However, certain populations are often hindered from achieving these aforementioned goals. In particular, Black males are viewed from a deficit perspective, especially…

Despite widespread implementation of multitiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B), evidence of racial discipline disproportionality persists. We argue MTSS-B must prioritize racial equity and healing in schools. We first discuss how discipline has centered Whiteness, providing a brief history of relevant events and sociopolitical forces…

Early adolescence is a time of rapid cognitive, psychosocial, and physical development, and an array of contextual factors, such as systemic racism, exert significant influence. Universal behavioral health screening data of 4,234 middle school students were examined to explore the influence of demographic (e.g. ethnicity, race) and contextual…

Educational leaders are firmly committed to detecting students at the first sign of concern for both major disorders of childhood: internalizing (e.g., extremely shy, anxious, withdrawn) and externalizing (e.g., noncompliant, aggressive, disruptive). Input from educators who have been engaged in the universal behavioral screening process contains…

Building on theories of cross linguistic transfer, reading proficiency of Spanish-speaking Emerging Bilinguals may be enhanced by providing tiered instruction through multitiered systems of support. To realize the benefits of this systems-level framework, technically adequate universal screening assessments to support teachers' decision making are…

Due to ongoing inequities, discrimination, and injustice, the antiracist movement has gained momentum in all parts of society, including education and school counseling. A foundational aspect of antiracism is self-reflection to increase awareness, identify biases, and build cultural proficiency. Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) is an…

School counselors are often integral in implementing multitiered systems of support (MTSS), and training in MTSS is crucial for building school counselors' MTSS capabilities (Sink, 2016). However, scholarship investigating school counselors' MTSS training is limited, particularly regarding their school counseling practices. In this study, we…