Tiered Systems of Support
Lessons from MDRC Evaluations
April 2017
By Rexha Balu, Joshua Malbin for MDRC
Students learn or progress at their own paces. Each needs different amounts of support, at different points in a school career and at different times of the school year. Some need very little help to stay on track, while others are facing serious challenges in learning, in their behavior, or at home, and need significant interventions. It would not only be a waste of resources to give students who are on track the same intensive services as students who are struggling, it can actually be a counterproductive waste of on-track students’ time. So how can schools make sure that students get the help they need — and only the help they need?