What is the primary focus of tiered support in a multi-tiered support system, MTSS?

• A. Providing teaching and academic support to students
• B. Offering targeted teaching to help students practice academic or behavioral skills.
• C. Promoting positive behavior through school-wide initiatives.
• D. Working with students one-on-one

Answer: (B)

The primary focus of tiered support in a multi-tiered support system (MTSS) is to offer targeted teaching that helps students practice specific academic or behavioral skills. This approach recognizes that students have varying levels of needs and different rates of progress. By providing tiered support, educators can implement interventions that are increasingly intensive, allowing them to tailor the instruction to the specific needs of each student.

At lower tiers, the support may involve general classroom strategies that benefit all students. As the tiers progress, the interventions become more specialized and targeted, focusing on skill development in a way that is responsive to individual student needs. This ensures that students who require more assistance receive the focused help necessary to succeed. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance learning outcomes by strategically addressing the diverse challenges students face, which aligns perfectly with the framework of MTSS.