# Multi-Tiered System of Supports ## The right support at the _right time_, for every student. MTSS is the framework that quietly powers Method's academic growth. Here's how it works in a flex / online setting — and how we know who needs what. ## What it is ### The framework, without the jargon. MTSS — Multi-Tiered System of Supports — is how schools match the level of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support to what each student actually needs. Instead of one-size-fits-all instruction or pulling struggling students into a separate program, MTSS organizes support into three layered tiers, with students moving between them as their needs change. At Method, MTSS isn't a department — it's the daily rhythm of the school. The model only works because every student already has a Homeroom Teacher and a Student Success Motivator who knows them by name. ### The three tiers, at a glance - **Tier 1 — Universal:** high-quality core instruction + weekly 1:1 check-ins for every student. - **Tier 2 — Targeted:** time-limited supplemental support layered on top of core instruction. - **Tier 3 — Intensive:** individualized, multi-team support for persistent challenges. ## The tiers ### How each tier actually works at Method. #### Tier 1 ##### Universal Support ~80% of students Every Method student begins at Tier 1, where their Homeroom Teacher (HRT) and Student Success Motivator (SSM) deliver high-quality core instruction, weekly 1:1 check-ins, and proactive monitoring across academics, attendance, and social-emotional wellbeing — so that most students never need to go further. #### Tier 2 ##### Targeted Support ~15% at any given time When data signals a need — missed work, attendance gaps, or disengagement — a student receives supplemental support layered on top of core instruction, such as academic support classes, additional office hours, counselor referrals, or adjusted pacing, coordinated by the HRT and SSM and time-limited to what the student actually needs. #### Tier 3 ##### Intensive Support ~5% with persistent challenges A small number of students with persistent challenges receive individualized, multi-team support — which may include IEP adjustments, academic recovery plans, health and social services, or a possible placement change — coordinated across the full student support team until the student is ready to step back down. Distribution figures reflect Method averages and shift over the course of a school year as students step up and step back down between tiers. ### How we track student progress Method tracks student supports and progress internally using our student information system. We administer academic screeners and diagnostics annually to identify skill gaps and establish baselines, and we monitor engagement data — logins, live session attendance, work completion, and grades — on a **weekly** basis, so the right support reaches the right student as soon as they need it. ### Whole-child by design MTSS at Method covers more than academics. The same tiered framework is used for behavioral and social-emotional needs — so a student struggling with engagement, attendance, or wellbeing gets the same coordinated, data-informed response a student struggling with algebra would. ## Frequently asked ### MTSS questions, answered. #### What is MTSS? MTSS — Multi-Tiered System of Supports — is a framework schools use to match the level of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support to what each student actually needs. It organizes support into three tiers: universal (everyone), targeted (some students, time-limited), and intensive (a small number of students with persistent challenges). #### How does Method deliver MTSS in a flex / online model? Method's flex model is built around weekly 1:1 check-ins between students and their Homeroom Teacher and Student Success Motivator. Those check-ins — combined with weekly engagement data — surface needs early, so most interventions happen before a student falls behind. Tier 2 and 3 supports are layered on top of core instruction without removing the student from their normal pace. #### Who runs MTSS at Method? MTSS is led by Sarah Avanessian, Director of Learning and Experience, and embedded in the daily work of every instructional leader and staff member — from Homeroom Teachers and Student Success Managers to Special Education staff and school counselors. #### How do you decide when a student moves between tiers? Decisions are data-informed. Method administers academic screeners and diagnostics annually to identify skill gaps and establish baselines, and monitors engagement data — logins, live session attendance, work completion, and grades — on a weekly basis. When the data and the HRT/SSM check-ins agree that a student needs more, supports step up; when the student is steady, supports step back down. #### Is MTSS the same as Special Education? No. MTSS is a general-education framework available to every student. Special Education services (IEPs and 504 plans) may be one component of a Tier 3 plan when appropriate, but most Tier 2 and many Tier 3 supports involve no special-education designation at all. ## Want to see MTSS in action for your student? ### Talk to a Method enrollment specialist. We'll walk you through how Method's tiered support model would meet your student where they are.