Four Key Actions for State Education Agency Teams to Support Implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Oct 15, 2026

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) help states and districts address students’ academic and social-emotional-behavioral needs through increasing-intensity supports, research-informed practices, and data-based decision making. The role of the State Education Agency (SEA) is critical to fidelity, sustainability, and scale-up, including aligning policy, coordinating resources, and building local capacity. The brief outlines four key actions for SEA teams: guidance, standardized resources, policy/service coordination, and investment in local implementation capacity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Role of the State Education Agency (SEA)

The Role of SEAs in Supporting Implementation Fidelity

Key Actions for SEA Teams

Provide Guidance

Standardize Resources and Materials

Coordinate and Align Policies and Services

Invest in Local Implementation Capacity

Four Key Actions for State Education Agency Teams to Support Implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Goodman, S. , Ward, C. & McIntosh, K. Introduction As states and districts adopt policies that address the “whole child,” many look to multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) that attend to academic and social-emotional-behavioral needs of students. Key features of MTSS include a continuum of supports with increasing intensity matched to student need, the use of researchinformed practices, and data for decision making. School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is an example of an effective MTSS for behavior (Horner, Sugai, & Anderson, 2010) . The State Education Agency (SEA) plays a critical role in the implementation fidelity, sustainability, and scale-up of MTSS. Typically, the SEA supports implementation by setting policy, providing visibility, coordinating resource allocation, and aligning efforts from the Department of Education down to the classroom [[https://www.pbis.org/resource/](https://www.pbis.org/resource/)[ ](https://www.pbis.org/resource/)training-and-professional-developmentblueprint-for-pbis] . [https://sisep.fpg.unc.edu](https://sisep.fpg.unc.edu) Many statewide initiatives fail due to the lack of developing local implementation capacity that is aligned, coordinated, and supported at the state level. Limited personnel and resources from the state level necessitate the need to leverage regional and district structures. Investment in local capacity also helps to address unique contextual features of local settings. The figure below illustrates SEA supports for districts and schools. SEA Supports for Districts and Schools A variation of this illustration would be the addition of intermediate or regional educational units that support local districts and schools. The Role of SEAs in Supporting Implementation Fidelity State agencies provide for MTSS initiatives with the purpose of producing meaningful outcomes. The impact of MTSS is dependent upon the ability of educators to implement the practices correctly and consistently. A lack of implementation fidelity can result in a practice or program being less effective, less efficient, or producing less-predictable responses (Sanetti Collier-Meek, Long, Kim,& Kratochwill, 2014; Wang et al. , 2015) . A focus on supporting fidelity of implementation increases the likelihood of student success. This document brief highlights four key actions SEA teams can take to help support implementation of MTSS with fidelity. Key Actions for SEA Teams 1 / Provide Guidance 2 / Standardize Resources and Materials The SEA provides guidance for MTSS through information, direction, policy, and procedures that advise the implementation of MTSS within districts and schools. It is beneficial when the SEA clearly defines MTSS. Educators are more effective in implementing MTSS when they understand what it is and why it is important. The SEA can also align state education policies that promote effective MTSS implementation accurately and consistently as defined. Through these various efforts, the SEA can provide support and guidance for the standardization of MTSS implementation. It is important that MTSS critical features are adapted at the Local Education Agency (LEA) and school level to fit local values, needs, and resources. SEAs also support monitoring and evaluation by providing guidance on how different types of data can be used to guide improvements to implementation and answer key questions regarding initiative effectiveness. By supporting the use of data within a continuous improvement process, the SEA can help to ensure that the implementation efforts are occurring consistently and as intended. The SEA assists implementation through the development and dissemination of tools, materials, and funding that make it easier to implement MTSS. It is also helpful for the SEA to provide resources such as training materials

FAQs

What is MTSS, and why do districts and states adopt it?

MTSS provides a continuum of supports matched to student needs, uses research-informed practices, and relies on data for decisions to address academic and social-emotional-behavioral needs.

Why is implementation fidelity important in MTSS?

Implementation fidelity affects whether MTSS practices work correctly and consistently; low fidelity can make programs less effective, less efficient, and harder to predict.

What four actions can SEA teams take to support MTSS with fidelity?

SEA teams can provide guidance, standardize resources and materials, coordinate and align policies and services, and invest in local implementation capacity.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Alex Sinclair