Leveraging CA MTSS to Support English Learner-Classified Students: Insights from Three CA Districts

This brief highlights findings from a study focused on how California’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (CA MTSS) framework serves English- Learner (EL) classified students.

Our findings are based on analyses of interview data with district- and school site-based educators from three districts in California that are relatively successful in serving their EL-classified student populations and are diverse in their geographical locations, size, and linguistic demographics.

Key findings include:

• Existing EL-related services were difficult to incorporate into the framework of tiered supports;
• Advocacy for EL-classified students was important within MTSS planning processes to encourage shared responsibility for these students;
• Engaging parents, families, and caregivers of EL-classified students in meaningful relationships was easier at the Tier 2 level; and
• EL-classified student density within a district or school affected how MTSS structures were organized.

This brief is part of The Landscape of Language Learners in California’s MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) series.