Program
Education K-12 M.A.
Number of Pages
64
Year Approved
2026
First Advisor
Lisa Silmser
Second Reader
John Bergeland
Abstract
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are widely used in schools to organize academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support for students. Although MTSS is intended to function as a comprehensive schoolwide framework, implementation often becomes fragmented when schools treat it as a standalone tiered-intervention model rather than an integrated system of support, instruction, assessment, and intervention. This fragmentation can limit the effectiveness of MTSS and reduce its impact on student achievement and organizational improvement. This literature review examines how school leaders leverage MTSS as a dynamic, schoolwide system to improve student achievement and organizational effectiveness. This review focuses on leadership structures, organizational routines, data practices, and implementation conditions that support or limit high-fidelity MTSS implementation and operationalization. Across the literature, effective MTSS implementation depends on coherent systems, clearly defined roles, consistent data-review cycles, progress monitoring, collaborative problem-solving teams, professional learning communities, coaching cycles, and ongoing fidelity monitoring. Findings suggest that MTSS is most effective when school leaders establish coherent organizational structures, monitor fidelity, and use data-driven routines to move the framework from implementation to measurable impact.
Degree Name
Education K-12 M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Reinarts, A. K. (2026). From Implementation to Impact: Schoolwide MTSS Systems and Student Growth [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1302
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