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Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Dear Families and Colleagues,
There’s an acronym you might be hearing frequently these days—in the classroom, at parent-teacher conferences, in staff professional development, and more. That acronym is MTSS, and it stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. While MTSS has a lengthy title, it means something very straightforward: every student gets what they need.
MTSS starts with deeply understanding students’ progress. Teachers carefully analyze multiple data points, including diagnostics, assessments, classwork, and more, to identify students who need extra support and what type of support they need. For example, with reading, one student might require extra help with phonics, in order to improve their fluency, while another might benefit from vocabulary support, to better understand the words on the page.
Then, to address these unique needs, teachers provide each student with targeted instruction—called an intervention—so they can practice that specific skill, often in small groups. Over the course of the school year, teachers adjust these interventions based on students' progress.
Many schools have been implementing MTSS for a long time. But as I announced recently, we are now taking a systemwide approach to MTSS as part of NYC Reads. We are setting guidelines for MTSS across our city, designating which interventions schools should use so that all children—including our students with disabilities and multilingual learners—have high-quality, personalized learning experiences.
With MTSS, we are ensuring our students get what they need to become proficient, thriving readers.
In partnership,
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
Chancellor
The Chancellor’s Spotlight:
At The Leadership and Community Service Academy in the Bronx, MTSS is an all-hands-on-deck effort. The entire staff helps to implement MTSS, whether by delivering interventions or supporting with logistics. The school uses every opportunity throughout the day to offer as many small-group interventions as possible, and the results are evident in students’ own reflections. As one student said, “I was improving on every benchmark” thanks to the school’s reading groups.
Nominate a person or program for The Chancellor’s Spotlight here.
Our Highlight Video:
For translations, please visit our YouTube page.
NYCPS News and Resources:
- Review opportunities for students this month on The Morning Bell.
- For additional news and resources, follow NYCPS online at Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
- Here’s the weekly video from Mayor Eric Adams. You can sign up to receive updates directly from the Mayor's Office.