Dear Parent and/or Guardian,
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is committed to supporting the academic progress of all students. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with an understanding of how we support individual students through structured intervention, how you can engage in that process, and how you can remain informed about your child’s progress. Many children successfully learn at school with universal instructional practices. However, some children need extra or intensive support in order to succeed. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework that helps schools and teachers give all CPS students the support they need to learn, grow, and succeed.
The MTSS framework helps schools create ways to:
- Identify each child’s needs and provide support as early as possible.
- Use research-based strategies and provide evidence-based interventions.
- Align supports to meet each child’s needs.
- Regularly check each child’s progress to know if instruction, strategies, and interventions are effectively meeting their needs.
- Adjust instruction, strategies, and interventions as needed.
- Include parents or guardians while developing and implementing supports.
MTSS has three tiers of instruction/intervention and support:
- Tier I includes the instruction and support provided to all children.
- Tier II (Supplemental) serves children needing more help. Additional instruction or intervention and support are provided to these children in small groups.
- Tier III (Intensive) is for children who need intensive support in order to succeed. Additional instruction, intervention, and support are provided to these children in even smaller groups or in one-on-one settings.
Every child’s progress is assessed multiple times per year to check whether their needs are being met, what additional resources may help them succeed, and then to adjust their supports as needed. You should expect to see benchmark assessments such as NWEA, TRC, mCLASS, and/or Fountas and Pinnell shared according to the assessment schedule. The evidence-based support and instruction children receive within each tier is based on assessment data and will vary according to each child’s learning levels. If your child is identified as needing Tier II or Tier III support, you may be invited to help us develop a plan for supporting your child, and you can request your child’s MTSS data from our school at any time.
When we implement MTSS, it helps us provide each student the supports they need to be successful. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Kendt at trkendt@cps.edu, Mrs. Chan at tcchan@cps.edu or Mr. Williams, case manager at pdwilliams4@cps.edu