MTSS for Reading Improvement: A Leader’s Tool Kit for Schoolwide Success

by Sarah Brown, Stephanie Stollar

A complete leader's toolkit for MTSS-driven reading improvement. Written by literacy and MTSS experts Sarah Brown and Stephanie Stollar, this guide gives school and district leaders more than 50 practical, ready-to-use tools for building a multitiered system of support that drives real, schoolwide reading improvement. Grounded in the science of reading, built for every tier. Walks leaders through applying the science of reading at Tier 1 core instruction, Tier 2 supplemental intervention, and Tier 3 intensive support, so every student gets the right level of help at the right time in their reading development. Turns reading data into an action plan, not just a data dump. Includes hands-on protocols like the Collaborative Improvement Cycle and Gap Analysis to help leadership teams and grade-level teams move from raw assessment data to concrete next steps for instruction and intervention. A practical guide for every role on a schoolwide reading team. Covers the foundations of reading science, explicit and systematic reading instruction, and reading assessment, along with team structures for building leadership teams and grade-level teams that sustain reading improvement. From Solution Tree, built to work alongside the systems you already use. A dedicated, reading-specific companion to Solution Tree's broader MTSS, PLC, and RTI resources, for leaders who want a focused playbook for turning multitiered systems of support into measurable schoolwide reading gains.

Making Reading Improvement Stick
Part 1: Understanding Reading Science
Chapter 1: Foundations of Learning to Read
Chapter 2: Delivering Effective Reading Instruction
Chapter 3: Navigating Reading Assessment
Part 2: Engineering a Robust System of Support
Chapter 4: Foundations of MTSS
Chapter 5: Teaming and Collaboration to Support Reading Improvement
Part 3: Enabling Educators to Improve Reading Outcomes
Chapter 6: Using Data to Drive Tier 1 Reading Instruction for All Students
Chapter 7: Using Data to Drive Tier 2 and Tier 3 Reading Instruction for Some Students
Chapter 8: Improving and Intensifying the Three-Tiered Model for Reading Results
Epilogue
Appendix
References
Index

Genres: Education, Professional Development, Teaching

184 pages

Published May 9, 2025

About the author

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Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a great resource that does a really great job of outlining what the MTSS process should look like for schoolwide success and providing the resources necessary.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal read that I recommend to anyone in the education field! Love that they give you all the resources that they reference throughout! No need to create your own- you can just copy from what is in the back. So helpful!

I read this book as part of a summer book study with The Reading League. The book was great by itself but the accompanying webinars with the authors were insightful as well! My favorite quote from Stephanie Stollar is, “we know too much to be failing so many”. Very powerful to reflect on as summer comes to a close and we head into another school year!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The downloadable tools to support data analysis and collaboration are excellent. What I wanted more of were actual examples of how these tools were used in action. They had short vignettes, but they felt more like an aside than actual case studies where I could see teams in action. I was also disappointed by the limited scope of the reading research, for example, its exclusive focus on the Big 5 for reading improvement. As a systems/MTSS coach working directly in schools, I can attest that skills and strategies are not the only factors contributing to why kids struggle to read.

[Alison Rini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource. I started it last summer but didn’t have enough background knowledge to totally grasp the significance of its recommendations. This year I got intensive leadership and coaching training from an amazing organization (AIM Institute) and as I finished this book at the end of the school year I saw how truly useful it is as a guide. I highly recommend it, especially for moderately advanced practitioners who are looking to improve past their current plateau.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an invaluable resource for anyone engaged in literacy improvement and MTSS. It presents information in a very clear, straightforward way. The templates and resources included are so helpful; hey take the concepts of the book and put them into clear, actionable steps and formats to facilitate collaboration.

[Jean Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE Handbook for MTSS. I heard the author speak a few days ago, and she signed my book. Honestly, I had always thought that MTSS and RTI were pretty much the same, but Dr. Stollar explained that if you get your SYSTEMS (MTSS—Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) in place, you will have to do less INDIVIDUAL BY INDIVIDUAL (RTI-Response to Intervention) meetings.

[Linda Rhyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book needs to be on EVERY leader’s shelf. It’s a book written with clarity and compassion for the complexity of school systems. The reproducible section is invaluable for taking action and implementing this learning!

Want to improve reading outcomes? Start with this text.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Collaborative Improvement Cycle really does work when all 3 tiers of instruction are aligned with the science of learning.

Very interesting book study this summer, especially with the authors presenting and answering questions

[Amber Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I very much appreciate the meeting structures that were laid out and all of the useful forms provided in the appendices, I am always looking for professional books that provide more actionable steps and ideas to implement.

[Michelle Nero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an essential guide to get all teams on board with understanding the framework of MTSS so that all students learn how to read!

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a required book for all school administrators and educational leaders. A valuable resource.

[Kelsey Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read to add to your arsenal if you are a school district literacy leader.

[Gaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good outline and forms providing an approach to putting systems in place that work on teaching all students to read

[Holly (bibliophiles_bookstagram) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every educator that teaches literacy should start this one. So good!