MTSS Integrated Conference 25

This session introduces a new school model where academics and experiential learning are equally prioritized, every student has a personalized plan, and teachers serve as content specialists embedded in the community. Participants will explore how a decentralized, healing-centered MTSS approach can transform education by rooting learning in identity, wellness, and joy—and dismantling white-centered, compliance-driven systems.

Lasting change doesn’t come from adding new programs; it comes from changing the systems that hold persistent challenges in place. This interactive session explores how the Six Conditions for Systems Change (Kania et al., 2018) align with MTSS implementation when guided by Implementation and Improvement Science. Participants will examine the “water” beneath school systems and engage in practical strategies to shift policies, practices, power dynamics, and mental models for sustainable transformation.

Learn how school and district teams can use participatory program evaluation to strengthen inclusionary practices within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Grounded in collaborative inquiry and lived experience, this session introduces a four-step model for engaging educators, students, and families in evaluating progress and shaping more equitable systems. By bringing stakeholder voices into every stage of the evaluation—from defining priorities to interpreting data—teams can uncover barriers to inclusion, build shared ownership, and develop meaningful, context-sensitive solutions.

Participants will explore practical strategies to foster staff reflection, promote equity, and increase the relevance and use of data across all tiers of support. Emphasis will be placed on how participatory approaches can elevate inclusive mindsets, improve fidelity of inclusive practices, and support sustainable systems change driven by those closest to the classroom.