The D in SEAD: Meeting Every Learner Where They Are

A Familiar Challenge

It's Wednesday morning, and Mrs. Chen reviews her third-grade class roster. Twenty-three learners, each at different points in their learning journey. Some struggle with basic number sense. Others need help organizing their thoughts for writing. A few missed foundational skills somewhere along the way. She knows they need support, but the formal MTSS referral process feels overwhelming, and she's not sure all of them would even qualify.

Sound familiar?

Understanding MTSS: The Foundation

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) has become the standard framework for learner support in schools across the country. Born from the earlier Response to Intervention (RTI) model, MTSS was designed to be proactive rather than reactive, catching learners before they fall too far behind (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 2004).

Here's how it works:

Tier 1 (80-85% of learners): High-quality core instruction with differentiation for all learners.

Tier 2 (10-15% of learners): Targeted, small-group interventions for learners who need additional support beyond core instruction.

Tier 3 (5-10% of learners): Intensive, individualized support for learners with the most significant learning challenges.

The beauty of this three-tiered approach? It gives teachers a clear structure to provide targeted support to help learners build skills and return to succeeding with core/Tier 1 instruction.

The Reality Check

While MTSS was intended to support all learners, it has primarily become a system for identifying and helping struggling learners. In many schools, it's evolved into a pathway toward 504 plans or IEPs rather than a fluid support system.

Enter the SEAD Developing Triangle

The Developing (D) triangle takes everything that works about MTSS and expands it to reflect reality: every learner has areas where they need developing support, not just those with severe academic deficits.

What this looks like in action: Marcella is above grade level in reading comprehension but struggles with decoding. Charlie excels in analytical thinking but needs support in organizing multi-step tasks. Traditional MTSS often misses these learners because they don't fit the overall profile.

Why This Matters

Every learner has a jagged learning profile, as described by Todd Rose in The End of Average (2016). Rose's research demonstrates that we all have strengths and areas that need development. That's not a problem to fix; it's human nature to be understood, expected, and embraced.

When we only use MTSS support for learners with significant deficits, we leave countless others without the targeted help they need to grow. Learners fall through the cracks, not because teachers don't care, but because current systems aren't designed to catch them.

The Developing triangle changes this by:

• Removing the stigma: Tier 2 & 3 support is provided for ALL learners when needed.

• Enabling early intervention: Teachers can provide support the moment they notice a need, not after months of documentation.

• Creating fluid movement: Learners move in and out of support levels based on current needs, not permanent labels.

• Focusing on growth: The goal is always progress, not proving a learner qualifies for services.

How It Works

Here's where the Developing triangle gets practical:

• Individual, Not Overall: A learner isn't labeled as "D2 overall." Instead, they might be D2 in written expression but D1 in reading comprehension. Support becomes specific to current needs in real-time.

• Pre-assess and Reassess: Before teaching a new concept or unit, assess where learners are, and after instruction, reassess. This constant feedback loop shows growth and helps determine next steps.

• Fluid and Responsive: Two learners struggling with fractions might need Tier 2 support. One shows quick growth and returns to Tier 1 halfway through the unit. The other utilizes supports throughout the unit and, after being pre-assessed for the next unit, moves back to Tier 1. Movement happens based on learning, not predetermined schedules.

• Works With the Advanced Triangle: This is crucial. Learners can simultaneously need Tier 2 developing support in one area while accessing advanced learning opportunities in their strength areas. They're not mutually exclusive.

• Not "One More Thing" for Teachers: It works with your current curriculum, assessments, and structures. It simply adds intentionality and responsiveness to how you support learners.

The Partnership: D Triangle Meets A Triangle

Here's where it gets exciting: The Developing triangle works alongside the Advanced triangle to support the whole learner.

Remember Marcella? She excels at reading/listening comprehension (A2: advanced learning ready) and struggles with decoding (D2: targeted support needed). If Marcella continues needing both A2 and D2 support in reading, an official diagnosis like dyslexia may follow, something that could have been missed without recognizing and addressing her unique strengths and challenges. If not, she will still receive the support she needs to grow.

This dual support creates classrooms where:

• Strengths are celebrated and developed.

• Challenges receive appropriate intervention.

• Learners see themselves as complex individuals, not simple labels.

• Growth happens across all areas.

  
  

The Vision: Every Learner Growing

The Developing triangle isn't about fixing broken learners. It's about recognizing that learning is developmental, that we all need support in different areas at different times, and that growth should be the focus.

When we embrace this framework:

• Teachers feel empowered to help learners immediately, without red tape.

• Learners receive support before small gaps become major problems.

• Classrooms become welcoming communities of diverse learners, all working toward growth.

• The question shifts from "Does this learner qualify?" to "What does this learner need to grow?"

  
  

Because at the end of the day, every learner deserves support that matches their individual needs, without barriers, without delay, and without judgment to grow beyond the ceiling.

________________________________________________________________________________________Want to dive deeper into the SEAD framework? Contact us to explore professional learning opportunities, implementation resources, and ongoing support for transforming how you meet every learner's needs to help them grow beyond the ceiling.

References

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).

Rose, T. (2016). The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness. HarperOne.