This is the first blog of a five-part series on strengthening MTSS and behavior systems through data-driven strategic planning.
The data is on the screen.
Reading growth is inconsistent. Behaviour referrals are climbing in a handful of schools. Attendance trends are mixed.
Everyone in the meeting leans in – but in their own way.
Academic leaders focus on curriculum adjustments.
Counselors talk through Tier 2 referrals.
Principals share site-specific attendance concerns.
The individual challenges are being addressed – but not together.
In moments like this, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is usually part of the conversation.
The strategic plan defines the goals. MTSS is the structure meant to deliver on those goals. Data is what connects the two.
When they are aligned, tiered supports become part of a coordinated system. That’s where data-driven strategic planning begins.
Embedding MTSS Into Your Strategic Foundation
If MTSS is the structure for delivering your district’s goals, it can’t live in a separate system, binder, or dashboard.
It has to show up in your strategic plan itself.
That means:
- Strategic goals are written with tiered supports in mind
- Key performance indicators reflect academic, behavioral, and attendance data together
- Progress monitoring includes both fidelity within tiers and movement across them
When MTSS is embedded at this level, it stops being reactive and instead becomes the way the district executes its priorities.
The Role of Data: From Information to Direction
Data acts as the feedback loop that connects daily decisions to long-term goals.
If your strategic plan calls for improved literacy outcomes, data should show:
- Which students are receiving Tier 2 reading support
- Whether those interventions are working
- How quickly students are moving back into Tier 1
If attendance is a priority, your data conversations should connect:
- Tiered attendance interventions
- School-level trends
- District-wide patterns
Without that connection, data operates as a report instead of an action driver.
Turning Strategy into Culture
So how does this move from planning to practice?
It comes down to whether the people doing the work believe in it.
When educators and leaders can clearly see how their daily decisions connect to district goals and student outcomes, MTSS stops feeling procedural and starts feeling purposeful.
This is called collective efficacy.
Collective efficacy is shared ownership – where everyone understands how their role fits within the broader system. Once everyone works as a coordinated team rather than separate departments, isolated challenges turn into shared responsibilities.
In practice, this looks like:
- Data meetings that surface bright spots alongside gaps
- Cross-role teams that problem solve together instead of in parallel
- Clear connections between staff actions and measurable outcomes
- Professional learning that reinforces the district’s shared direction
Over time, Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports stop feeling like additional responsibilities to a few specialists. They become part of a coordinated system designed to deliver on district goals.
From Framework to Function
When strategy, MTSS, and data work in sync, the work starts to feel different.
Data conversations shift from isolated problems to shared patterns.
Tiered supports become more intentional and less reactive.
Roles become connected instead of siloed.
Separate initiatives evolve into a unified system.
That doesn’t mean the challenges disappear. It means they’re addressed through a structure that keeps everyone moving in the same direction – ensuring every student receives the support they need to succeed.
To support district leaders in this work, we created Strengthening MTSS & Behavior Systems: A Practical Guide to Data-Driven Planning.
The guide walks through how to:
- Embed MTSS directly into your district’s strategic goals
- Define meaningful data indicators across tiers
- Connect root causes to action planning
- Build collective ownership around measurable progress
- Navigate common hurdles to keep progress moving forward
Download the guide for step-by-step guidance, examples, and reflection questions you can use with your team.
