Integrating Trauma-informedness Within a Multi-tiered System of Support: The Critical Role of Administrators.

Meeting the needs of students in schools has been challenging for many years. Consequently, some schools have responded with comprehensive, multi-tiered intervention systems (e.g., MTSS) aimed at addressing students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. However, most educators have a rudimentary understanding of these systems and the impact of trauma and traumatic experiences on students' response to interventions. Currently, there is limited research on how building level-administrators integrate trauma-informedness into these tiered systems. This conceptual article outlines the importance of administrators' perception, understanding, and implementation of using a trauma-informed lens in educational decision making, specifically regarding MTSS implementation. This article presents an overview of the literature and an approach to trauma-informed approach that administrators can utilize when making educational decisions, specifically within multi-tiered systems of intervention and student supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]