Sustaining a Multitiered System of Supports for English Learners in Rural Community Elementary Schools

A Multitiered System of Supports (MTSS) focusing on improving literacy instruction and special education referrals for English learners (ELs) in grades K-3 was developed and implemented through a university-school district collaboration in three rural elementary schools. The sustainability of this 5-year model demonstration project is the focus of this study. The researchers found that many of the key components of the MTSS for ELs were sustained after one year. The authors attributed the sustainability to: (1) embedding sustainability into the project, (2) periodically revisiting sustainability during project implementation, and (3) having each school develop its own sustainability plan.