Within a three-tiered intervention framework, such as School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Tier 2 interventions were initially conceived as employing a standard protocol across all at-risk students. Research and practice, however, suggests advantages to adapting interventions so they are tailored to individual student needs.…

This article is the second of a series of articles appearing in "Communiqué" about how school psychologists can adopt and promote the evidence-based practices in math assessment and instruction. The focus of this article is on measuring math skills for screening, diagnostic decisions, and progress monitoring. [For the first article in…

Research indicates that intensification in multitiered systems of support (MTSS) can prevent problem behavior and academic deficits from worsening and ensure that students with the most intensive needs receive the most appropriate supports. In MTSS, it is important to consider evidence-based practices that teachers can intensify to improve student…

Students with co-occurring reading difficulties and inattention tend to respond to reading interventions less favorably than those with reading difficulties without inattention. However, there is limited research on how to increase student engagement during reading instruction for these students. To support the engagement of students with…

Although advances have been made in educational research, broad discrepancies continue in the educational experiences and outcomes of subgroups of youth. Research that focus on "what works" and tiered-models of evidence-based practices may not be well suited for tailoring interventions to support diverse learners. Building from dynamic…

Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) is a preventative and responsive three-tiered framework comprised of a continuum of evidence-based practices and interventions. Adaptation, or tailoring is a critical component to the PBIS system, as it is not intended to be a standard treatment protocol, particularly at the Tier 2 level. Tier 2…

Students with co-occurring reading difficulties and inattention tend to respond to reading interventions less favorably than those with reading difficulties without inattention. However, there is limited research on how to increase student engagement during reading instruction for these students. To support the engagement of students with…

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework for organizing and providing a tiered instructional continuum to support learning for all students. MTSS has the potential to meet the academic and behavioral needs of all students. However students with the most significant cognitive disabilities often are not included in this framework even…

Inclusion of students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities, in Catholic schools is becoming more prevalent. Despite a long history of the call to serve all learners, Catholic schools have been slow to welcome students who are academically and behaviorally diverse. Meeting the needs of all learners requires understanding…

Sixty-one educational leaders from a rural section of the Northeastern United States participated in this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study to determine the extent to which educational leaders felt knowledgeable and prepared to lead the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in their schools. Despite educators' initial…

Our most underserved student groups have been marginalized for centuries in school systems that impose upon them traditional American culture, thereby perpetuating the cycle of marginalization. Many educational organizations use evidence-based approaches that aim to create equity for all and are often introduced in silos, duets, trios, or even…

A tenet of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is that even evidence-based interventions will not be effective with all children. We examined preschool children's response to a supplemental literacy intervention ("Story Friends") in two classrooms. Children with weak vocabulary skills were identified and received the intervention.…

The challenges of working within rural schools can impact successful implementation of a multitiered system of supports (MTSS). Although special education and general education teachers' responsibilities within a MTSS framework have been addressed through a myriad of school districts across the nation, rural districts face unique challenges that…

Professional development through in-service training may not be of sufficient duration, intensity, and specificity to improve teachers' instructional skills. Due to the increased need to support teachers' use of evidence-based practices in multi-tiered systems of support such as RTI [Response to Intervention] and PBIS [Positive Behavior…

Research suggests that evidence-based practices (EBPs) implemented in secondary school settings will support the academic achievement of students with specific learning needs (Scruggs, Mastropieri, Berkeley, & Graetz, 2010). In order to effectively promote the use of EBPs in general education classroom settings, secondary schools are currently…