Ben Franklin lived in Philadelphia before there were fire departments. A lack of responsiveness to the destructive power of fire was a problem. As Franklin once said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” To prevent fires, he stated that cities should:
- organize teams
- provide training
- have standing meetings
- create systems of support, and
- obtain buy-in and participation from the community.
His admonitions are a great model for anyone trying to address a problem within their community today.
Having ideas that drive interventions, from fire departments to schools, can support implementation. In our experience, implementation improves when your teams understand some of the big ideas behind MTSS. Having some background on these ideas helps people to connect with what they already know about prevention. In this infographic, we provide some key ideas or principles behind the MTSS approach. The focus of the graphic is on concepts that reinforce future learning around MTSS efforts.
This infographic certainly does not cover every significant idea behind MTSS. However, some of our research seems to indicate that discussing these ideas can help with buy-in for MTSS. Like Franklin, keeping the big ideas in mind can help you create supports that can last over time.
I would love to read your thoughts about this infographic. What did you like? What do you think should be added? Please leave a comment below.