What Is MTSS?

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MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) is a framework that helps schools provide the right level of academic, behavioral, and attendance support to every student — based on their individual needs.

MTSS is typically structured across three tiers:

• Tier 1: Universal supports for all students
• Tier 2: Targeted interventions for students showing early signs of struggle
• Tier 3: Intensive, individualized support for students with persistent or complex needs

Though often associated with academics and behavior, MTSS has become a foundational framework for addressing attendance and engagement across schools and districts.

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Why It Matters

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Attendance isn’t just a data point — it’s a key predictor of student success. When applied effectively, MTSS helps schools:

• Catch attendance issues early
• Tailor interventions based on severity and root cause
• Reduce chronic absenteeism and truancy
• Improve student outcomes without overloading staff

Without a structured framework, schools often rely on reactive strategies that are too little, too late. MTSS turns that into a proactive, student-centered model.

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How Schools Use This Term in Practice

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In an attendance context, MTSS allows schools to organize support systems like this:

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Tier 1 (All Students)

• Clear attendance expectations
• Daily monitoring and communication
• School-wide attendance incentives
• Universal access to family communication tools

Tier 2 (At-Risk Students)

• Triggered by early warning indicators (e.g., 5+ absences)
• Interventions like check-ins, attendance success plans, goal setting
• Targeted parent outreach or counseling support

Tier 3 (Chronically Absent or Truant Students)

• Individual case management or referral to SARB
• Wraparound services involving community partners
• Family conferences and intensive support planning

MTSS ensures that intervention is proportional, not one-size-fits-all. It also creates cross-team collaboration, often including attendance clerks, counselors, administrators, and family liaisons.

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What’s the Difference Between MTSS and RTI?

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RTI (Response to Intervention) is often used interchangeably with MTSS, but there’s a key distinction:

• RTI is traditionally focused on academic interventions only.
• MTSS is a broader, integrated framework that includes academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and attendance supports.

In other words, RTI is a component of MTSS, not a replacement for it.

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Related Terms and Concepts

• Attendance Intervention – Specific strategies assigned within Tier 2 or Tier 3
• Early Warning Systems – Tools that surface students in need of Tier 2 support
• Chronic Absenteeism – Often triggers Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions
• Wraparound Services – Intensive supports typically associated with Tier 3
• SART / SARB – Formalized Tier 3 responses to persistent absenteeism

Example Scenario

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A district in Colorado Springs uses MTSS to organize its attendance work. All schools implement Tier 1 strategies like daily greetings, attendance posters, and parent updates. Students who miss 5 days are flagged by the SIS and assigned a Tier 2 intervention — typically a check-in and an attendance success plan. If a student continues to miss school and reaches 10% absenteeism, the district refers them to Tier 3 supports, which may include a counselor, family meeting, or referral to community-based services.

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How MTSS Impacts Districts

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MTSS helps districts move from isolated interventions to a coordinated system of support. The benefits include:

• Clear ownership of intervention responsibilities
• Early detection and prevention of chronic absenteeism
• Scalable frameworks for large districts
• Better alignment with state and federal accountability expectations

Districts with strong MTSS structures are better positioned to meet attendance goals without burning out site staff.

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How Are Schools Across the U.S. Improving MTSS for Attendance?

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While most districts have MTSS frameworks on paper, leading systems are making real-world improvements:

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1. Attendance-Specific Tiering - Districts are defining clear attendance thresholds for Tier 2 and Tier 3 — for example, flagging students after 5 absences for Tier 2, and after 10% for Tier 3.

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2. Cross-Team Training - MTSS isn’t just for academic teams anymore — districts are training attendance clerks, counselors, and principals in how to apply the MTSS lens to absenteeism.

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3. Centralized Intervention Tracking - Rather than storing interventions in binders or spreadsheets, schools are using digital systems (like Nudge) to track, assign, and review interventions by tier.

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4. Equity-Driven Analysis - Districts are disaggregating Tier 2 and 3 data by student group (e.g., foster youth, English learners) to ensure MTSS is being applied fairly and effectively.

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5. Prevention-Focused Culture - More districts are embedding Tier 1 attendance culture-building work into back-to-school nights, advisory periods, and student goal setting.

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How Nudge Helps

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Nudge brings structure and visibility to MTSS-based attendance work — without adding complexity.

With Nudge, districts can:

• Define and track interventions by tier
• Automatically flag students based on attendance thresholds
• Assign interventions and follow-ups to specific staff
• Monitor Tier 1, 2, and 3 activity across the district
• Evaluate which interventions are working — and where to improve

Nudge turns MTSS from a binder on a shelf into a real-time system that drives action.