Dr. Deneen Guss, County Superintendent of Schools
Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Supporting Every Student’s Success Through CA MTSS
California’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (CA MTSS) is a comprehensive and flexible framework that brings together academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning supports, along with mental health services, to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. This framework is designed to create real, lasting change in TK-12 education by continuously adapting and improving services to meet the unique needs of all students. It’s about creating a system where every student, regardless of their background or needs, can thrive and grow in an inclusive learning environment.
By building strong partnerships between schools, families, and communities, CA MTSS ensures that the support network for each student is as strong and effective as possible, making sure that no one falls through the cracks.
Our team is here to make a difference in the lives of students and communities. Connect with us to see how we can support your school through CA MTSS!
Our Work
At the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE), our team of experts plays a critical role in supporting schools as they implement the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). We focus on delivering professional development and facilitating continuous improvement cycles that target the academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health needs of students.
The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a comprehensive, data-driven framework designed to provide every student with the right level of support, ensuring their success across academic, behavioral, and social-emotional domains. It operates through a tiered approach. This tiered system is rooted in the belief that support should be tailored to the individual, promoting personalized learning and addressing each student’s unique needs.
At its core, MTSS emphasizes collaboration, bringing together administrators, educators, families, and communities to align supports with local needs. This collaborative approach not only ensures equity and inclusion but also improves student outcomes, fostering a stronger sense of community and increasing engagement in the learning process.
Social Emotional Learning & Mental Health
SEL reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process. It helps students develop skills such as:
- Setting and achieving positive goals
- Feeling and showing empathy for others
- Establishing and maintaining positive relationships
- Making responsible decisions
- Understanding and managing emotions
These skills are essential for both educators and students to thrive in the classroom, community, and in college and careers.
Monterey County Office of Education’s (MCOE) Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Vision ensures that ALL students have the skills and competencies to successfully navigate and meaningfully contribute to their schools, careers, families, relationships, and diverse communities. MCOE is committed to supporting an interconnected, sustainable, tiered system of support to improve social-emotional learning development and mental health in our districts and schools.
The CASEL Framework
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) focuses on empirical evidence, and their efforts have made it a trusted source for educational administrators and policymakers seeking guidance on advancing social and emotional learning in their PreK-12 students.
SEL Resources
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring people how to help an adolescent (age 12–18) who is experiencing mental health challenges, addiction, or is in crisis.
The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a five-step action plan for helping young people in crisis and non-crisis situations.
Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)
Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is a training program for teens brought to the United States by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in partnership with the Born This Way Foundation. It teaches teens in grades 9–12 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers.
LGBTQ+ Resources
MCOE is committed to supporting all of our students so that they may learn in a healthy, equitable and inclusive environment free from harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Suicide Prevention & Crisis Resources
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Line: 988
Free and confidential support, 24-hour,
7 days a week, for people in distress, as
well as for prevention and crisis
resources for you or your loved ones,
and best practices for professionals.
The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Trained counselors are available 24-hour, 7 days a week for persons in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk.
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741-741
Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text from anywhere in the USA to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.
The GLBT National Youth Talkline: (800) 246-7743
Peer-to-peer telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email support with factual information, and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.
Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.
Student Health & Wellness
The California Health Education Framework serves as a vital guide for health education in public schools from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve. Adopted in 2019 by the State Board of Education, it builds upon the 2008 California Health Education Content Standards. This framework equips educators, administrators, and other stakeholders with the resources needed to develop comprehensive health education programs that empower students to make informed decisions, adopt healthy behaviors, and promote well-being throughout their lives.
The Health Education Framework emphasizes eight core health education standards focusing on essential knowledge, critical skills, and positive attitudes in students. These standards guide instruction across six key health content areas:
- Nutrition and physical activity
- Growth, development, and sexual health
- Injury prevention and safety
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
- Mental, emotional, and social health
- Personal and community health
The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) is committed to supporting each district in developing and implementing a dynamic health education program to meet the unique needs of the community they serve while maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations.
Adopting A New Health Education Curriculum
A district balances state mandates and community needs when adopting a new health education curriculum. While there is no state-adopted curriculum, there are avenues to guide the adoption process.
District adoption teams may visit the MCOE Learning Resource Center or checkout curricula through the CA Healthy Kids Resource Center . Through the CHKRC website, districts can access reviewed curricula with their CAT scores. Additionally, many curriculum publishers provide free access periods to their digital platforms, which is the most common and widely accessible option.
CA Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) 2016
The California Healthy Youth Act 2016 (CA Education Code [EC] sections 51930-51939) is to provide every student with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from unintended pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- Requires public schools to provide students with comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education
- Education must be medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive of LGBTQ+ identities.
- Students receive instruction at least once in middle school and once in high school.
- Parents have the right to opt their children out of the instruction.,
- Schools choose the specific curriculum but it must meet the law's requirements.
Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE)
MCOE successfully supports tobacco use prevention throughout the county, reaching districts and schools serving students grades six through twelve, through ongoing professional development and technical assistance.
Youth tobacco and vape use is a critical health issue in our communities. With schools as a hub for resources for students, parents/guardians, and the larger community, our unified work addressing the health concerns of our education partners is imperative to the health and wellness of our County.
TUPE uses a tiered social-ecological model to assess how environmental and interpersonal factors can encourage or deter tobacco use and vaping among youth. Each level of the model identifies a point of influence and a potential opportunity for intervention.
- The Individual level: examines how factors such as attitudes and knowledge may increase or decrease the likelihood of tobacco use and vaping.
- Interpersonal level: examines the role of peers, family, partners, and mentors.
- School and Community level: explores how behavior is impacted by teachers and the social and physical characteristics of institutions, environmental settings, media, and advertising.
- Policy level: looks at the broader implications of laws, rules, and enforcement measures.
The Social-Ecological Model demonstrates that behavior is the result of the knowledge, values, and attitudes of individuals as well as social influences, including the people with whom they associate, the organizations to which they belong, and the communities in which they live.
The MCOE TUPE program staff provide Technical Assistance to LEAs including program guidance for prevention, intervention, and cessation services directed toward students, and educational services for school staff, students, and families. The MCOE team is ready to support your efforts in addressing this critical student health educational need through a comprehensive approach engaging district initiatives, such as MTSS, PBIS, and restorative practices.
TUPE Curricula Options
Inclusive Academics
The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) is committed to ensuring all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities. A key strategy in achieving this goal is the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) within the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.
UDL aligns perfectly with the MTSS emphasis on proactive intervention. By recognizing the diverse learning styles and needs within a classroom, educators can design lessons that cater to a broader range of students from the outset. This translates to providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression.
Imagine a classroom where a complex concept is explained through text, audio, and visuals, best practices for all learners. Students choose between various formative and summative assessment opportunities, including written essays, presentations, or creative projects, to showcase their learning. By framing learning through a UDL lens, teachers remove barriers for multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and enables students to learn on days when they aren’t performing at their best. Ultimately, UDL empowers educators to create classrooms where students feel engaged, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Bring UDL to Your School District
School and district administrators can jumpstart UDL implementation by partnering with MCOE. This collaboration can involve:
- Requesting professional development workshops on UDL principles for educators.
- Developing an implementation plan and coaching cycle for UDL integration.
- Identifying resources and tools aligned with UDL principles.
- Connecting with successful UDL models implemented in other schools.
This partnership leverages the MCOE team's expertise and resources to empower schools and create a district-wide shift towards UDL, removing barriers to learning for all students.
Clear on Goals, Flexible on Means
The cornerstone of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is "clear on goals, flexible on means." This means having a well-defined understanding of what knowledge and skills students should acquire (the goals). However, how students reach those goals (the means) can be adjusted to fit their learning styles, needs, and preferences. This flexibility allows students to demonstrate their understanding through various methods, such as written assignments, presentations, or creative projects. By providing these multiple means of action and expression, UDL ensures all students have an equal opportunity to achieve the same learning goals.
School Climate & Culture
A school’s climate refers to its current atmosphere and students' and staff's sense of belonging. Monterey County Office of Education’s MTSS team supports schools in assessing their climate through surveys, focus groups, and data analysis. Utilizing educational partner data helps identify areas of strength, like a strong sense of community, or areas for improvement, like addressing bullying concerns. On the other hand, school culture reflects the deeper values and beliefs that define a school. It's the foundation upon which the climate is built.
Our county office is here to partner with schools to create a blueprint for success. By working together on school climate and culture, we can ensure that every school becomes a place where all students feel safe, valued, and empowered to learn.
Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a decision-making framework that guides the selection, integration, and implementation of evidence-based behavioral practices. PBIS is a collaboration between district staff, school staff, and community partners to design an evidence-based, three-tiered framework to integrate data, systems, and practices affecting student daily outcomes.
There are five interrelated elements: equity, systems, data, practices, and outcomes. Equity is at the center of everything we do. Systems, data, and practices support our outcomes. Support for Staff behavior, student behavior, decision-making, and social competence / academic achievement surrounds all of this.
Capacity Building with Districts and Sites
This training builds local capacity within districts to provide continuing coaching support for district or site leadership to support district/school implementation efforts. PBIS teams will have ongoing access to the three-tiered framework.
Tier 3
This training builds local capacity within districts to provide continuing coaching support for district or site leadership to support district/school implementation efforts. PBIS teams will have ongoing access to the three-tiered framework.
- School-wide rules defining behavioral expectations across settings
- Lesson plans for teaching expectations
- Acknowledgment and correction systems
- Data-based decision making
Tier 2
Tier 2 practices and systems support students who may need extra behavioral support to learn needed skills to access core programs at the school.
- Data-based decision-making problem solving, and progress monitoring
- Student identification and participation criteria
- Development of daily behavior cards
- Processes for implementing across settings throughout the school day
Tier 1
At Tier 1, students receive more intensive, individualized support to improve their behavioral and academic outcomes.
- Re-design and improvement of learning and teaching environments
- Develop and implement a function-based approach to addressing behavior and how behavior supports are used in successful PBIS implementation
School-Wide Information Systems (SWIS)
MCOE provides technical assistance and facilitated training for SWIS: a data collection and reporting system for making decisions in real time for the best student outcomes. For more information:
The Interconnected Systems Framework
The Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a structure and process for integrating Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and School Mental Health within school systems. The goal is to blend resources, training, systems, data, and practices to improve outcomes for all children and youth. There is an emphasis on prevention, early identification, and intervention of students' social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Family and community partner involvement is critical to this framework. Learn more...