By: Hannah Browning, MA, CCC-SLP, Public Schools Committee 

What Is Multi-Tiered System of Supports?
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) defines Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) as ”a schoolwide approach that addresses the needs of all students, including struggling learners and students with disabilities, and integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level instructional and behavioral system to maximize student achievement and reduce problem behaviors.” MTSS is available to all students within a school district, including students who are served under the umbrella of special education with collaboration between general education and special education professionals. 

Who Is Part of the MTSS Team?
TEA provides information on professionals that may be MTSS team members: “General education teachers, special education teachers, interventionists, specialists (reading specialist, math specialist, behavior specialist, etc.), administrators, school counselors, social workers, evaluation personnel.” 

What Do Speech-Language Pathologists Offer to the MTSS Team?
A weakness in speech and language skills adversely affects reading, writing, and spelling. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have specialized skills that can provide invaluable direct or indirect feedback and support to MTSS teams. SLPs are proficient at data collection, progress monitoring, and in having an understanding that progress requires targeting specific skills consistently. SLPs are competent research- and evidence-based practice providers. “As more Texas schools opt to implement response to intervention (RTI) to prevent learning difficulties, student evaluation personnel will play increasingly major roles in collecting and interpreting this information, particularly regarding decisions about student eligibility for special education services” (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006). 

SLP Obstacles
Based on the experience of some SLPs and acknowledging the article completed by Ehren 2007, it seems that administrators and school staff lack knowledge and/or understanding of our professions. SLPs are frequently called “speech teachers” and viewed as an obscure provider of any service that is needed, whether within our scope of practice or not (Ehren, 2007). Frequently, SLPs are the initial step in referrals or special education testing even though other academic concerns are present. Intervention breakdowns occur as SLPs are asked to respond to all reading and writing academic services and may be the long-term professional that addresses academic and/or cognitive skills that are not related to speech/language concerns. SLP shortages in schools may impact the availability to contribute to the MTSS team as high caseloads and workloads take precedence. SLPs may feel pressure to provide and develop programming and instruction in academic areas that are not related to speech/language. 

Moving Forward
If your district does not have a plan in place, you may be inspired to lead a committee or group of professionals to develop a MTSS team. This could be an opportunity to connect further and to have conversations with interventionists and administrators about intervention and the professions of speech and language. A successful MTSS team utilizes each team member's unique perspective, knowledge, experience, and collaboration to provide students with critical and appropriate support. “The notion that SLPs need to be more involved in literacy and curriculum is not new. However, the buzz about RTI (MTSS) in states, districts, and schools provides a golden opportunity for SLPs to show what they know and can do to improve academic achievement through their work with language” (Ehren, 2007). 

References 

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Committee on Roles and Responsibilities of the School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist. (2010) Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in schools (position statement, professional issues statement). Rockville, MD: Author. 

Ehren, B. J. (2007, Sept. 25). Responsiveness to intervention: An opportunity to reinvent speech-language services in schools. The ASHA Leader, 12(13), 10-12, 25. 

Ehren, B. & Staskowski M., (2011, May 12, 2011). Speech-Language Pathologists and RTI. The RTI Action Network. RTINetwork.org 

Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. (2018). A resource for student evaluation personnel in schools implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) (Revised). Austin, TX: Author. 

Texas Education Agency. TEA Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Questions and Answers. Retrieved from: https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/special-education/tea-special-education-guidance