Urbandale schools present district-wide approach to Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
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Summary
District directors presented progress and implementation details for a multi-tiered system of support that organizes universal instruction and targeted interventions across tiers for academic and behavioral needs.
Urbandale Community School District directors on March 3 briefed the school board on the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), describing districtwide screening, data use and training to align universal instruction and targeted interventions.
Why it matters: MTSS is the district’s framework for matching instructional practice and supplemental interventions to student needs, from universal (Tier 1) instruction to targeted (Tier 2) and intensive (Tier 3) supports. The model affects curriculum, staffing, professional development, intervention scheduling and student progress monitoring.
What presenters said: Brittany Schall, director of teaching and learning, and Stephanie Davis, director of student services and equity, outlined the district’s approach and progress. They described MTSS as prevention-focused rather than labeling students. The district uses EduCLIMBER as its data-management and universal‑screening platform so schools can view grade-level patterns and identify students who need supplemental or intensive interventions.
The presenters described a three-tier analogy: Tier 1 compares to daily dental care (universal, preventative instruction aligned to Iowa academic standards); Tier 2 is short-term supplemental support for approximately 10–15% of students who need additional help; and Tier 3 is intensive, long-term intervention for approximately 1–5% of students who require foundational skill remediation.
District actions and tools: The district has clarified what high-quality Tier 1 instruction looks like, mapped time blocks across grade levels, implemented common screening and progress-monitoring processes, and established standard “first response” treatments in academics and social-emotional behavior. The district has trained interventionists in Orton‑Gillingham literacy approaches and provided additional math intervention training. The extended learning program (ELP) has expanded personnel to support identified learning needs and to coach teachers on differentiation.
Opportunities and next steps: Presenters said the district will continue coaching buildings to increase implementation fluency, expand the toolkit for students not responding to Tier 2/3 supports, deepen intensive behavior supports, improve identification practices, and align identification with programming. They noted that self-assessments (SAMIs) are completed annually at each building to measure MTSS implementation health.
Ending: Board members asked clarifying questions about recommended percentages for Tiers 2 and 3 and about how schedule blocks ("WIN time," "You time," intervention labs) are used at each level. The presenters said work will continue in professional development and in systemwide data literacy.
