From Project to Practice: District-Level Leadership for Equity-Driven MTSS
District-level leadership is the difference between MTSS living as a “project” in a few schools and MTSS becoming the way a whole system does business.
The multi-year Theory of Action example co-developed with a Washington school district centers three MTSS goal categories—Equitable Access to Tiered Supports, Data-Informed Decision Making, and Collaborative Leadership & Continuous Improvement—to guide a systemwide shift to fully implementing MTSS over time.
This Theory of Action example lays out clear gateways from exploring to emerging, sustaining, and ultimately systems transformation, with aligned implementation and outcome metrics at every stage.
When leaders can see the path and name the proof points along the way, MTSS stops feeling abstract and starts becoming a concrete, shared roadmap for equity.
Engage, Equip, and Empower (3 E’s Framework)
Using the 3 E’s Framework—Engage, Equip, Empower—grounded in Dr. Hannah Gbenro’s 2016 research, district leaders and our consultant began by engaging stakeholders closest to the work and to the harm. That meant co-designing, co-collecting, and co-analyzing data with students, families, educators, and community partners; hosting empathy interviews and data walks; and using culturally responsive inquiry tools that surfaced both bright spots and barriers.
In the Theory of Action, this showed up in early “exploring” moves such as gathering stakeholder input on access and barriers to supports and building readiness through inclusive leadership teams. When engagement is authentic and power is shared, a district’s MTSS priorities are not handed down—they are co-defined.
Equipping for Implementation
From there, district leaders and our consultant equipped the system: designing and implementing Tier 1, 2, and 3 structures aligned with identified needs; establishing common data protocols and teaming practices; and providing leaders and school teams with coaching, tools, and aligned professional learning.
This is where joint sensemaking, jigsaw protocols, and co-development of the Theory of Action itself helped adults learn together and build collective efficacy. Implementation metrics—such as the percentage of schools using a Tier I expectations framework, the frequency of MTSS data teaming, and the completion of the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) District Capacity Assessment (DCA)—allowed leaders to monitor progress without slipping into a compliance mindset. Data became a driver for improvement, not a hammer.
Empowerment for Success
Finally, empowerment is where district-level MTSS leadership became transformational in partnership with our consultant. In this phase, stakeholders shaped and shared the narrative of change through video storytelling, community showcases, and visual documentation of impact, while distributed leadership teams embedded MTSS into school improvement plans and budgets.
The Theory of Action describes a future in which MTSS reduces disproportionality in Tier 2/3 access, increases engagement and achievement, strengthens adult culture, and sustains equity-focused continuous improvement across the district. When equity is the foundation—supported by power sharing, anti-bias reflection, policy and systems analysis, and attention to emotional safety—MTSS
is no longer “something extra.” It becomes the way a district ensures every student receives what they need, when they need it, in learning environments that honor their strengths and dignity.
Resource Links
Example District-Level Theory of Action
Bio for our Chief Operations Officer (COO), Dr. Hannah Gbenro, is on the DECS About Us webpage