Board reviews multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) presentation; staff estimate multi‑year rollout

The Arlington School District board received a second presentation on multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) from Carrie Henderson, executive director of teaching and learning, who framed MTSS as a districtwide, evidence‑based continuum of academic and behavioral supports.

Henderson emphasized universal design for learning (UDL) and repeated the presentation’s refrain that "kids are not broken," saying MTSS matches the intensity of instruction to student need. She described MTSS core components drawn from Washington state's model and the American Institutes for Research: universal screening, diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring, multi‑level prevention and data‑based decision making.

Henderson said family and community involvement is necessary but is "at the beginning stages" in Arlington for MTSS‑specific system development. She noted that while families participate in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and other building‑level interactions, the district has not broadly trained or involved families on universal screeners, diagnostic tools and progress monitoring as elements of a systemwide MTSS approach.

On scale and targets, Henderson referenced commonly used benchmarks: in a fully functioning MTSS system about 80 percent of students should have their needs met in universal instruction (Tier 1). She said historical special‑education identification rates were around 3–5 percent at MTSS’s inception, but Arlington currently serves "15–16 percent" of students in special education; she framed part of MTSS work as returning to a system where fewer students require intensive support by improving core instruction and targeted interventions.

Board members asked about timeline and resources. Henderson said the district is working with consultants funded through a county grant; the consultants are focusing first on behavior and will phase in academic components. She estimated "5 to 7 years" to develop and systematize the MTSS components and said maintenance and fidelity work would follow implementation. She also told the board that consultants will leave and the district must build internal capacity to sustain MTSS work.

Director Kelly asked whether existing parent structures—PTA, IEP meetings and advisory councils—count as family engagement for MTSS. Henderson responded that while those activities engage families about individual students, the district still needs a deliberate structure to involve families and community in systemwide decisions about screening and progress monitoring.

Henderson asked for board support in policy, visibility, partnership building and alignment of funding and said those elements are central to sustaining MTSS work.

Ending: Staff characterized MTSS as a long‑term, systemwide effort that will require district policy, training, and sustained funding; the board did not take action at the meeting but signaled interest in continued development and periodic updates.