Educational Leaders’ Perspectives on their Preparation, Practice, and Professional Development in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Authors

Jodi Drury, Ph.D., Michael P. Krezmien, Ph.D., Kristine A. Camacho, Ph.D., Alicia Gonzales
  • Jodi Drury, Ph.D. (Author) University of Massachusetts- Amherst image/svg+xml
    Jodi Drury, Ph.D. is currently an educational leader in Western Massachusetts. She has spent the past 16 years working in special education in public schools, as a teacher, administrator, and professional speaker. Her research has focused on building systems of supports for staff and students in public schools as well as compassion training for staff. Jodi has successfully created therapeutic schools and programs for students with emotional disabilities that were based on MTSS systems, along with the utilization of therapeutic animals and the arts.
  • Michael P. Krezmien, Ph.D. (Author) University of Massachusetts- Amherst
    Michael Krezmien, Ph.D., is a professor of special education and the director of the Center for Youth Engagement. His work is focused on supporting marginalized and minoritized learners.
  • Kristine A. Camacho, Ph.D. (Author) Worcester State University image/svg+xml
    Kristine A. Camacho, Ph.D, is an assistant professor of school psychology at Worcester State University. Her research interests include school discipline and supports for students with emotional disabilities.
  • Alicia Gonzales (Author) University of Massachusetts- Amherst
    Alicia Gonzales is a doctoral candidate in Math, Science, and Learning Technologies at the University of Massachusetts.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.464
Sixty-one educational leaders from a rural section of the Northeastern United States participated in this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study to determine the extent to which educational leaders felt knowledgeable and prepared to lead the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in their schools. Despite educators’ initial beliefs they felt knowledgeable about this topic, when probed for specific information on the components of MTSS gaps in knowledge and training were evident. This paper highlights these specific gaps in training and provides recommendations as to how educators and school district personnel can partner with higher education training programs to address this issue.

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Drury, J., Krezmien, M. P., Camacho, K. A., & Gonzales, A. (2021). Educational Leaders’ Perspectives on their Preparation, Practice, and Professional Development in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 16(3), 7-29. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.464

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted September 16, 2021
  • Published October 15, 2021
  • Issue Fall 2021
  • Section Articles
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