MTSS Integrated Conference '26

This session explores the evolving role of special education leadership within fully integrated MTSS systems. Drawing on federal‑to‑state lessons learned, IDEA implementation trends, and current funding realities, participants will examine the shift from compliance‑driven practice to instructionally focused systems. Special education directors and leaders will leave with clarity on what to monitor now—and how special education functions as a core driver of MTSS, not an adjacent system.

The AIR MTSS Fidelity of Implementation Rubric (2025) provides a comprehensive view of a building’s MTSS framework. Washington AIMS faculty developed a semi-structured interview for facilitators to examine building-level implementation of essential components in ELA, math, and social-emotional/behavioral areas. This session provides participants with steps to facilitate interviews, reliably score, and prioritize next steps for implementation. Participants will receive access to a facilitator’s guide, interview template, example building and district reports, and a resource library.

Priya Parker is helping us take a deeper look at how anyone can create collective meaning in modern life, one gathering at a time. Krista Tippett, host of the podcast On Being has called her “the voice of what it means to gather in this world we inhabit now.” She is a facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of THE ART OF GATHERING and the forthcoming book THE ART OF FIGHTING. Parker teaches regularly on her Substack GROUP LIFE and was the host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart. Parker has spent 20 years helping leaders and communities have complicated conversations about community and identity and vision at moments of transition. She has spoken on the TED Main Stage, and her talks have been viewed over 3 million times. 

Effective MTSS depends on clear and usable data, but many Washington districts struggle with fragmented information and inconsistent implementations. In this session, a Washington district shares how they use integrated MTSS dashboards to bring academic, behavioral, and attendance data into one place. Participants will explore practical strategies that support actionable team conversations based on real-time data, align with state priorities like assessment/SLD criteria, and improving early warning systems all to make more informed decisions across schools.