Multi-Tiered System of Supports

The Georgia Multi-Tiered System of Supports is a data-driven, multi-level prevention system designed to support the whole child across academics, behavior, and social-emotional well-being. It's a proactive approach that allows our schools to identify student needs early and provide appropriate support at varying levels of intensity.

Imagine a pyramid of support, with most students benefiting from the foundational level, and fewer students needing more intensive support:

• Tier 1: Universal Support (All Students)

  • High-quality, research-based instruction for all students in the general education classroom

  • Positive behavioral expectations taught and reinforced for everyone

  • Universal screenings are conducted regularly to identify students who may need additional support

• Tier 2: Targeted Support (Some Students)

  • Supplemental, small-group interventions for students who need more support than Tier 1 alone provides
  • Focused instruction and strategies to address specific academic or behavioral needs
  • Progress monitoring is used to track student response to interventions

• Tier 3: Intensive Support (Few Students)

  • Individualized and intensive interventions for students who have not responded sufficiently to Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports
  • These supports are highly personalized and delivered frequently, often in small groups or one-on-one settings.
  • Frequent and comprehensive progress monitoring guides decision-making.

As a parent, you can support the Multi-Tiered System of Supports process for your child's success by doing the following:

• Communicate regularly with your child's teacher
• Attend meetings to discuss your child's progress and support plan
• Reinforce learning and behavioral strategies at home
• Ask questions if anything is unclear

The Multi-tiered System of Supports takes a proactive approach to identify students with academic or behavioral needs. Early assessment and intervention for children can help them catch up with their peers sooner. We use these key components:

• Universal screening of all students early in the school year (iReady)
• Tiers of interventions that can be amplified in response to levels of need (Response to Intervention)
• Ongoing data collection and continual assessment
• Schoolwide approach to expectations and supports (Positive Behavior Intervention Systems and/or Leader in Me)
• Parent Engagement

• Georgia Department of Education: View a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Overview
• Parent to Parent of Georgia: View Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Families (Includes helpful videos)
   

House Bill 307, also known as the "Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act," builds on our commitment to early literacy and provides specific guidelines for identifying and supporting students with characteristics of dyslexia. This legislation emphasizes evidence-based reading instruction and early intervention to improve reading outcomes for all students, particularly those who struggle.

• Universal Reading Screeners: Schools are now required to administer universal reading screeners three times a year to students in kindergarten through third grade to identify those at risk of reading difficulties, including characteristics of dyslexia.
• Prohibition of Three-Cueing System: The bill prohibits the use of the three-cueing system (a method of teaching reading that relies on meaning, syntax, and visual cues) in high-quality instructional materials for Kindergarten through third-grade students. Instead, it promotes instruction aligned with the science of reading.
• Structured Literacy: The legislation defines and promotes "structured literacy," an evidence-based approach to teaching reading and writing that is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic.
• Support Plans and Parent Notification: For students identified as significantly at risk of not achieving grade-level reading proficiency or with characteristics of dyslexia, support plans will be developed, and parents will receive detailed notification.
• Teacher Training: House Bill 307 directs the Georgia Department of Education to develop training programs for teachers on the science of reading and structured literacy.

According to House Bill 307, dyslexia is defined as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
 

• Georgia Department of Education: View a Dyslexia House Bill 307 Information Page
• Georgia Department of Education: View a Literacy Information Page