Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports

What's New

 

 

NEW 2024 COMTSS Regional Implementation Guide!

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Recently Released! Visit our Online Academy to learn more about the topics below! 

• (L1) Dropout Prevention: Connecting Dropout Prevention and COMTSS
• (L2) Positive School Culture and Climate - Utilizing a Whole Child Approach
• (L4) Universal Design for Learning - Principle of Engagement
• (L5) Family, School, and Community Partnerships - Essential Element 4: Dedicate Necessary Resources
• Tools - Data-Based Decision Making Protocol

Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports 

Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports (COMTSS) is a prevention-based framework using team-driven leadership and data-based problem solving to improve the outcomes of every student through family, school, and community partnerships, comprehensive assessment, and a layered continuum of supports. Implementation science and universal design for learning are employed to create one integrated system that focuses on increasing academic and behavioral outcomes to equitably support the varying needs of all students.

COMTSS consists of five essential components. These components are the foundation and the underlying philosophy of the Practice Profiles. The COMTSS Practice Profiles were developed to specify exemplary strategies that regional, district and school implementation teams can use to support effective and sustainable use of the COMTSS framework as intended. These profiles guide and inform the development and/or refinement of the necessary supports and resources for the COMTSS implementation, such as professional learning, coaching, identification of fidelity measures, a state-level evaluation plan, and necessary changes in procedures and policy.

Acknowledgements

We are deeply indebted to Dr. Caryn Ward from the National Implementation Research Network/State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) Center for her facilitation and guidance in this endeavor. We are grateful to Dr. Steve Goodman and Dr. Tim Lewis for their support in the development of the COMTSS practice profiles. Most importantly, we want to give credit to the Michigan Department of Education for setting the bar high and allowing us to use their Multi-Tiered System of Supports Practice Profiles as an example to create the COMTSS practice profiles.

Please click each component below to read more about its Practice Profile. These components are also available for download in PDF and Word files. 

Team-Driven Shared Leadership

Data-Based Problem Solving and Decision-Making

Family, School, and Community Partnerships

At the regional or district level, leadership teams build infrastructure that supports the implementation of the five components of COMTSS. The building of this infrastructure includes:

1. Identifying and aligning key priorities;
2. Securing funding, resources, and time to implement those priorities;
3. Developing training and coaching structures to support personnel with implementation, and
4. Gathering data to evaluate the implementation and impact of the key priorities

At the school level, building teams implement their identified priorities and build a tiered system that fits their respective context. School teams identify the fidelity and student outcomes they wish to achieve and then identify the data needed to monitor progress toward those outcomes. They also outline the practices used at each tier, as well as the systems that enable staff to both implement the identified practices and to gather the required data.

Printable Practice Profiles

Regional, district & school practice profiles (PDF)

To download individual practice profiles, please visit each component's page.

To request copies in Microsoft Word, please email COMTSS@cde.state.co.us.