Policy and Practice Brief - One System for All - A Multi-Tiered System of Supports in Sanger Unified School District

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Spring 2020 school closures from COVID-19 shifted learning conditions, and the brief argues that Sanger Unified School District’s MTSS approach can help educators locate where students are and differentiate instruction using available data. It frames persistent disparities for students with disabilities in California as requiring change beyond procedural compliance and isolated special education. Using a whole-school, data-driven MTSS model with Universal Design for Learning, tiered supports, and regular academic/behavioral monitoring, it describes improved outcomes, fewer inappropriate referrals, better targeting, and greater system efficiency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

A Note About COVID-19 and MTSS

Special Education in California: The Need for Change

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Tier 1 Supports

Tier 2 Supports

Tier 3 Supports

Policy and Practice Brief One System for All A Multi-Tiered System of Supports in Sanger Unified School District JUNE 2020 Authors CoCo Massengale Linda Choi Jennifer O’Day Joel Knudson American Institutes for Research A Note About COVID-19 and MTSS In spring 2020, school closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the conditions in which students learn and experience schooling. Given the varying conditions districts face during this time, and the range of student needs now and when schools reopen, Sanger’s approach to MTSS might be particularly relevant and valuable as educators assess where students are and differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs based on those data. Special Education in California: The Need for Change California is committed to providing “a world class education for all students” regardless of background or disability (California Department of Education, 2019a) .1 State and local data, however, belie this commitment by revealing persistent disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes. For no group of students are these disparities more evident than for the large and diverse population of students with disabilities. In 2019, for example, of the 333 districts that were identified as needing differentiated support based on California School Dashboard, 187 (56%) were identified specifically for the performance of students with disabilities—far more than for any other subgroup (California School Boards Association, 2019) .2 In addition, California is among 26 states identified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services as needing assistance to meet federal requirements for serving students with disabilities (California Department of Education, 2018) . Although 83% of all California students graduate from high school on time, only about 66% of students with disabilities reach that milestone (Fensterwald, 2018) . The imperative to improve is clear. The question is how. Educators and stakeholders have proffered many explanations for California’s failure to adequately serve students with disabilities—from inadequate funding to teacher shortages and limited educator capacity to racist placement practices. But the primary cause may be more fundamental than even these systemic shortcomings suggest. According to the California Statewide Special Education Task Force (2015), the “prevailing model has made it acceptable, and in some instances seem desirable, to isolate special education as a unique and separate system that parallels general education”(p. 1) . This long-standing model relies heavily on teacher referrals to a designated team of special education teachers, counselors, and other specialists, who then monitor students according to federal requirements. The goal of those requirements is to provide a free appropriate public education to the maximum extent possible with children who are nondisabled. Traditional mindsets and an emphasis on procedural compliance rather than thoughtful problem-solving, however, have tended to reinforce a separate and often unequal education for many students with special needs. This situation is not inevitable. Other more inclusive and more successful models for meeting the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, have emerged. Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is one such model. MTSS arose in large part from the observation that many students referred for special education could be successful in general education classroom if they were provided with appropriate core instruction and early intervention to address specific needs. Such an approach could also improve learning opportunities for many students never considered for special education services. In this brief, we share one district’s approach to implementing MTSS, which combines an inclusive core instructional program based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning, regular

FAQs

Why does the brief connect COVID-19 school closures to MTSS?

It explains that closures dramatically changed how students learn and experience schooling. It then argues Sanger’s MTSS approach is relevant when educators use data to differentiate instruction for diverse needs during and after reopening.

What problem with California’s special education model does the brief highlight?

It argues that a long-standing model relies on teacher referrals and procedural compliance, which can reinforce a separate and unequal education. It cites the need to move away from isolating special education as a parallel system.

How does MTSS define support tiers for students?

The brief describes Tier 1 as inclusive core instruction for most students, Tier 2 as short-term small-group supports for about 5% to 10% of students, and Tier 3 as more intensive, longer-term interventions for about 1% to 5% of students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia