Multi-tiered system of supports, a focus on academic growth for all: a program evaluation dissertation

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), also referred to as Response to Intervention (RtI), is a framework built around the previous No Child Left Behind (2000) and the National Reading Panel (2000) in accordance with the reauthorized (2004) Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) (Klinger & Edwards, 2006; Lopez & Mendoza, 2013; Otabia et al., 2019; Stahl, 2016). MTSS follows a system-wide continuum approach of high-quality instruction coordinated with evidence-based interventions to support the needs of all students school-wide (Loftus-Rattan et al., 2023; McCart & Miller, 2019). In more recent times, the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) moved the term from RtI to MTSS to incorporate not only academic outcomes but also social emotional and behavior supports (Otaiba et al., 2019). The purpose of the research study was to conduct a program evaluation on a single school’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports to determine if the program was leading to adequate academic student growth for all learners, including Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students (CLD). The evaluation took place at Thomas Elementary, one of 34 schools in a high performing Chicago suburban school district where 29 of the 31 rated schools were designated commendable or exemplary on the Illinois Report Card (Illinois State Board of Education, 2023). The program evaluation reviewed the fidelity of the system implementation, CLD students’ success in the program, and analyzed staff’s perception of the program, including their perspective on student success. Additionally, the review will provide a rationale for conducting the program evaluation at Thomas Elementary, including a comprehensive review of relevant literature on the historical context of MTSS, the methodology and research design in specific detail, as well as the findings and analysis of the evaluation as well as future recommendations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Schmid, Keeley Sue

Contributors dc:contributor

• Herrmann, Mary
• Bruno, Paul
• Roegman, Rachel
• Tan, Keivn

• MTSS
• Academic Growth
• Elementary Program Evaluation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Keeley Schmid

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129442

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129442