Introducing Our 5 Levels of Support: From Idea to Rollout

Introducing Our 5 Levels of Support: From Idea to Rollout

In August 2023, I had the chance to stand in front of our staff and introduce something we’d been quietly building behind the scenes: a new 5-level system of support that I co-created with our team to better serve students, families, and staff across our schools.

For me, this wasn’t just “one more framework.” It was the next step in aligning what we say we believe—whole-child, trauma-informed, equity-driven support—with how our systems actually function day to day.

Why We Needed a New 5-Level Model

Over the years, we’ve had pieces of support everywhere: SPED, 504, SEL Tier 3, clubs, crisis response, enrichment… all doing good work, but not always connected in a way that felt clear or predictable to the people using it.

We were hearing questions like:

• “Is this a Tier 2 or Tier 3 situation?”

• “Where do families fit into this?”

• “What support exists before we jump to a referral?”

So as a team, we stepped back and asked:What would it look like to have a continuum that clearly shows how support grows in intensity—for students, families, and staff—without feeling like 10 different systems living in 10 different places?

That question became the foundation for our 5 levels.

What the 5 Levels Represent

In the August 2023 presentation, I walked staff through each level using real-life examples, not jargon. At a high level, the continuum looked like this:

• Level 1 – Universal Supports

  • Schoolwide practices, classroom routines, wellness strategies, and communication that benefit all students.

• Level 2 – General Education Interventions

  • Targeted supports provided directly by the general education teacher—check-ins, scaffolds, adjusted pacing, and classroom-based strategies—to respond early to emerging needs.

• Level 3 – General Education Prescribed Interventions

  • More formal, documented GE interventions (structured small groups, progress-monitored plans, scheduled support blocks) intentionally designed and tracked to meet students where they are before moving to disability-related services.

• Level 4 – Section 504 Plans

  • Access-based accommodations for students with disabilities who need support to participate in the general education program, built on top of strong universal and GE interventions.

• Level 5 – Special Education Services

  • Specially designed instruction and related services for students who qualify for special education, coordinated with the general education setting whenever possible.

We were very intentional about making general education interventions and general education prescribed interventions their own levels in the model. That decision reflects our belief that support doesn’t start at 504 or SPED—it starts in the classroom, with clear, scalable options to meet students where they are and only intensify services when needed.

How We Rolled It Out

Because everyone’s plates were already full going into the 2023–24 school year, the rollout was intentionally phased.

Phase 1: Big Picture & Language (August 2023 PD)In that initial August PD, I focused on:

• The why behind the shift

• Definitions and examples of each level

• How the 5 levels connect to what we already do (MTSS, SPED, SEL Tier 3, 504), not create “one more thing”

We used scenarios and quick staff input so people could “place” situations into levels and see how the continuum works in practice.

Phase 2: Tools, Forms, and Workflows (Fall 2023)Once staff had the big picture, we started rolling out the tools that make it usable:

• Updated referral pathways aligned with the 5 levels

• Simple visuals staff could share with families

• Internal guides showing, “If this happens… here’s the next step and who to loop in”

The goal was simple: no one leaves thinking, “That was inspiring, but what do I actually do on Monday?”

Phase 3: Feedback, Refinement, and Real Talk (Ongoing)

After the initial rollout, we gathered feedback from teachers, SPED staff, counselors, interns, and leaders:

• What feels helpful?

• What’s confusing?

• Where are the gaps?

The 5-level model was never meant to be a static poster from August 2023—it’s a living system. We’ve been refining language, tightening workflows, and making sure each level reflects what staff actually experience.

What I Hope This Model Does

At its core, this 5-level system is designed to:

• Provide clarity so staff know what supports exist and how to access them

• Honor complexity because students and families don’t live in neat categories

• Build consistency so a student’s experience isn’t dependent on which adult they happen to reach

• Center care so students, families, and staff feel held, not bounced around

  
  

As someone who started in special education and now works across general education and student support, this model feels like a bridge. It pulls together the work we’ve been doing in MTSS, SEL, SPED, and crisis response and shows how it all connects.

Looking Back at August 2023—and Ahead

That August 2023 presentation was a turning point: the moment we moved from “we have a lot of good pieces” to “we have a shared, intentional continuum of support.”

If you were one of the nearly 300 educators in that room with me—thank you for your questions, your honesty, and your willingness to try something new.

And if you’re an educator or leader outside our system, I hope this glimpse into our 5-level model sparks ideas for how you might reimagine support in your own context. At the end of the day, these levels aren’t about boxes—they’re about building a safety net strong enough that students and families can feel it.