What is the MTSS Feature?

Essential Assessment focuses on the academic part of MTSS, providing the assessment, curriculum and reporting evidence teachers need to identify where each student sits along the MTSS Enable and Extend continuum. While this academic picture is a critical input into tiered decision-making, it is only ever part of a broader view of the learner.

The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) feature provides a structured, school-wide framework that organises assessment data into three graduated levels of instructional response: Tier 1 (Universal), Tier 2 (Supplemental), and Tier 3 (Intensive). By integrating directly with your existing Essential Assessment data, this feature allows you to use evidence-based insights to bridge the gap between assessment and action. Whether you are familiar with the RTI (Response to Intervention) model or new to tiered frameworks, this tool ensures you can effectively match the right level of support or extension to every learner along the Enable and Extend continuum.

MTSS is not something we’ve just created in schools. It’s recognised within the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (a joint agreement between the Commonwealth and states and territories), and supported by AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) as a key approach to equity and excellence. And what that really means in practice is this: we’re identifying need early, and responding with curriculum-aligned, evidence-informed teaching.

The Different Types of Tiers

Tier 1 – Universal Support

All students receive high-quality, curriculum-aligned explicit instruction at the expected year level.

Tier 2 – Enable (Supplementary Support)

Targeted supplementary support is provided below the expected year level to address identified learning needs and move students toward Tier 1.

Tier 3 – Enable (Intensive Support)

Individualised, intensive support is delivered through personalised learning plans, with a focus on progress over grading.

Tier 2 – Extend (Extension Opportunities)

Targeted extension opportunities are offered to deepen understanding and challenge thinking at tier 1 content and maybe expose to content above the expected year level.

Tier 3 – Extend (Enrichment Pathways)

Advanced enrichment pathways support students working well above the expected year level, fostering sustained challenge and growth.

Accessing the MTSS View

The entry point to the MTSS feature is located within View Class Results.

• Select your class from the Class menu (this is also available in Groups)
• Locate your assessment
• Click the MTSS tab to activate the tiered view

From here, all students are displayed across Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 in a single, coherent screen. You can filter the view using:

• Tiers — All, Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3
• Tiered Interventions — All, Enable, or Extend
• Assessment Types — Pre, Mid, or Post
• Substrands — filter to a specific curriculum substrand

Understanding the Colour Legend

The MTSS screen uses the same colour coding as other EA data screens, keeping the view familiar and consistent.

Hover over any yellow ZPD Content Groups/Indicators to see the percentage of understanding for that descriptor. Click on any misconception or question (which is identified by the red or green square) to view how the student responded to the specific question — this supports you to identify whole-tier misconceptions and plan precise explicit instruction.

Tier 1 — Universal Support

Selecting the Tier 1 filter displays all students receiving core, curriculum-aligned instruction. Use this view to:

• Identify the Tier 1 point of need and align it to your scope and sequence
• Locate ZPD focus areas (highlighted in yellow) to inform where explicit instruction should begin
• Check for common misconceptions across the class before planning

Tier 2 — Enable (Supplementary Support)

The Tier 2 filter displays students who have identified support needs requiring targeted, supplementary instruction to return them to Tier 1. Tier 2 is not a destination — it is a temporary phase on the way back to core instruction.

From this view you can:

• Identify and date students within Tier 2 using the blue notepad icon
• Use the ZPD content (highlighted in yellow) to design targeted support
• Click the question square to view common misconceptions across the group
• Access available resources to support instruction and check understanding

A practical strategy is to break worksheets into smaller exit strips to reduce cognitive load and increase precision when checking for understanding.

Tier 3 — Enable (Intensive Support)

Students in Tier 3 require personalised, intensive support — often guided by an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). These resources are located within the Individual Profile page for each student.

From the Individual Profile page you can:

• Download the student's ILP, including individual learning goals and associated learning tasks
• Access EA learning videos and digital tasks to support the student's learning
• View Growth Analysis, Assessment History and Reflection History tabs for deeper insight into progress over time

While many students identified for Tier 3 intensive support (Enable) are recognised through specialised screeners and assessments designed for specific learning or disability needs, it is important to acknowledge that no single data source should determine placement.

This principle equally applies to students identified for Tier 3 extension (Extend). High performance on a single assessment or task does not automatically indicate a need for deep enrichment pathways.

Students may present differently across contexts, assessments and domains. Therefore, tier allocation — whether for support or extension — should never be automatic or fixed. Instead, it must be informed by a balanced consideration of multiple data sources — including classroom assessment, observation, student work samples, and evidence of engagement, persistence and self-regulation.

Consistent with Australian Education Research Organisation guidance, effective MTSS implementation relies on ongoing, data-informed professional judgement, where educators regularly review and adjust supports based on a comprehensive understanding of the learner.

This ensures that tiered decisions remain responsive, flexible and purposeful, reinforcing that MTSS is not about labelling students, but about providing the right level of support or extension at the right time.

Enable and Extend — the Full Continuum

MTSS in Essential Assessment is symmetrical. It supports every learner across the full spectrum — not only those who need intervention. Tier 2 Enable and Tier 2 Extend sit on opposite sides of the same continuum, but both require targeted, intentional teaching. For Tier 2 Enable, the focus is on providing supplementary support to address gaps in prerequisite knowledge—using data to identify the student’s ZPD and embedding this through explicit instruction and daily review to move them back toward Tier 1. For Tier 2 Extend, the focus shifts to targeted extension and depth of knowledge opportunities increasing complexity, and maintaining challenge. The same principle applies at Tier 3, but at a more intensive level: highly individualised intervention for Enable, and deep enrichment pathways for Extend. In all cases, Tier 1 remains the anchor, with teaching adjusted up or down based on need.

Tier 1 remains the anchor for all instruction across both sides. Use the Tiered Interventions filter to switch between Enable and Extend views.

Search School — Leadership View

The MTSS view is also accessible through the Search School function, providing a school-wide cohort view for leadership teams. Rather than working across multiple reports, Search School displays a single, coherent picture of how students are progressing across all year levels.

From here, leaders can:

• Identify school-wide trends across tiers
• Direct resources to where they will have the greatest impact
• Filter by content group and indicator (NSW) or numeracy concept (AC/VC)

Exporting MTSS Data

All MTSS data screens support export to Excel. Once exported you can:

• Analyse each data set across the Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 and Achievement Standards (AC/VC) tabs
• Upload the data to an AI tool to support planning meetings

To export, click Export Options from any MTSS data screen.

Related Articles

• What is the Data Wall?
• What is the Search Function?
• How can I use the Analyse Function?