Schools today face a difficult equation: raise student achievement, close widening learning gaps, and do it all while navigating teacher shortages and tight budgets.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Districts across the country are being asked to do more with less.
But the answer isn’t always doing more—it’s investing smarter.
That’s where MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) comes in, particularly the often-undervalued power of Tier 1 instruction.
While many districts direct most of their resources toward intervention, they’re overlooking the most cost-effective lever for change: strengthening the core instruction every student receives, every day.
Here’s why investing in Tier 1 pays off—in both improved student outcomes and better use of school budgets.
Why Tier 1 Is Foundational
If Tier 1 is unstable, everything built on top of it becomes exponentially more expensive.
MTSS organizes student support into three tiers, creating a cohesive, whole-child approach:
Tier 1: High-quality, evidence-based core instruction for all students
Tier 2: Targeted interventions for students who need additional support
Tier 3: Intensive, individualized interventions for students with significant needs
When functioning effectively, Tier 1 instruction should meet the needs of approximately 80% of students.
When core instruction falters, the system feels it immediately: intervention teams become overwhelmed, specialists are pulled in too many directions, and budgets absorb the cost of escalating support.
The foundation matters. Without strong Tier 1 instruction, your MTSS framework becomes top-heavy, inefficient, and ultimately unsustainable.
When Tier 1 Instruction Falters, Everything Gets More Expensive
When Tier 1 isn’t meeting student needs, the entire MTSS system becomes more costly, more reactive, and harder to sustain.
Districts typically experience a predictable cascade of challenges:
Escalating staffing needs: More students are pushed into Tier 2 and Tier 3, requiring additional specialists, aides, and service providers—at a time when qualified staff are both scarce and expensive.
Rising program and licensing costs: Each intervention layer brings its own materials, training requirements, professional learning, and ongoing licensing fees. Tier 3 supports cost significantly more per student yet serve far fewer learners.
Lost instructional time: When remediation dominates classroom time, students ready for enrichment or acceleration disengage. Instruction slows for all learners as teachers work to backfill gaps.
Gaps that widen over time: Without strong early instruction, small misunderstandings grow into long-term learning challenges—requiring progressively intensive (and increasingly costly) intervention services.
Human and cultural costs: Teachers burn out when they spend most of their day reacting to gaps instead of teaching proactively. These “unbudgeted” costs impact morale, retention, and overall school culture.
The ROI of Strong Tier 1 – Early Investment = Long-Term Savings
When districts strengthen Tier 1 instruction, the impact is immediate and far-reaching.
Rather than operating in constant remediation mode, the system shifts from reactive to proactive—improving outcomes while reducing long-term costs.
Strong Tier 1 creates equity through excellence. Every student receives high-quality instruction, not just those identified for special programs.
As fewer students require Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, specialists can focus deeply on the learners who truly need intensive intervention. Caseloads become manageable, interventions become more effective, and support aligns more closely to actual need.
The economics are equally compelling. High-quality core instruction enables one teacher to effectively reach an entire class through whole-group instruction, productive discourse, and embedded differentiation.
This efficiency—serving 25 students well instead of remediating 10 individually—fundamentally shifts the cost-per-outcome equation.
Strong Tier 1 also prevents the early accumulation of learning gaps, that become increasingly expensive to address over time.
When foundational skills are secured early, students approach new material with confidence, reducing the need for repeated reteaching and costly interventions later on.
The benefits reverberate across the district:
- Teachers experience renewed efficacy and reduced burnout
- Students build confidence and achieve more independently
- Families gain trust in the system
- Leaders move from crisis response to strategic planning.
The ROI extends well beyond budgets—it’s instructional, cultural, and long-term.
Investing in Tier 1 isn’t just efficient; it’s transformational for every layer of the MTSS framework.
What Effective Tier 1 Instruction Looks Like
Not all Tier 1 instruction delivers the same results. High-impact, research-based core teaching follows consistent principles across subjects—and these principles determine whether a district sees real ROI.
Instruction that prevents misconceptions is far less costly than interventions that must correct them later.
Literacy that is explicit and evidence-based: Effective literacy instruction follows the Science of Reading, moving students through clear, systematic progressions in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This structured approach creates a dependable roadmap for skill development, while built-in formative checks help teachers identify needs early—without adding layers of testing. The balance of structure and flexibility ensures all learners receive the right support at the right time.
Mathematics that builds deep understanding: Strong Tier 1 math instruction goes beyond memorizing facts. It helps students understand why mathematical ideas work, not just how to compute. High-quality programs integrate conceptual understanding with procedural fluency and use multiple representations so all students can access grade-level content. Frequent checks for understanding allow teachers to address misconceptions quickly, preventing the downstream cost of intensive reteaching and intervention.
Technology that amplifies teachers’ impact: Technology should enhance Tier 1 instruction, not compete with it. Tools like Reading Eggs and Mathseeds support teachers by providing real-time data, automatic differentiation, and seamless progress monitoring. When digital tools manage routine tasks, teachers gain more time for modelling, feedback, and the high-impact interactions that drive the greatest learning gains.
Together, these elements create the Tier 1 foundation every district needs: rigorous, supportive, and adaptable—meeting students where they are while moving them toward grade-level mastery.
Strengthen Tier 1 Without Blowing the Budget
Districts don’t need more programs—they need better coherence. Strengthening Tier 1 is achievable without a system overhaul or major new spending. Strategic decisions can make existing resources work harder.
Evaluate before investing: Many districts lack a clear picture of how many students Tier 1 is currently serving—or how much they are spending on interventions that could be prevented. Use your data to determine whether roughly 80% of students are being supported through Tier 1 and to calculate the true cost of current interventions. This establishes a baseline and reveals potential ROI. Clear metrics help leaders diagnose gaps, measure improvement, and justify strategic investment in core instruction.
Think systems, not silos: Adding “one more intervention program” is tempting, but it often fragments instruction and complicates implementation. Prioritize tools that work across multiple tiers, integrate with existing curricula, and require minimal additional training. Coherent systems reduce workload, improve fidelity, and ensure every investment strengthens the foundation instead of patching isolated gaps.
Bundle strategically: Teachers lose valuable time when juggling multiple platforms with different logins, dashboards, and pedagogical approaches. Adopt comprehensive solutions that address both literacy and numeracy with aligned pedagogy, shared data, and unified interfaces. When teachers learn one system deeply, implementation becomes more consistent and more effective. Reading Eggs and Mathseeds exemplify this through their consistent design, integrated reporting, and flexibility for whole-class and small-group instruction.
Align with funding opportunities: Districts often overlook funding streams that prioritize high-quality core instruction. Explore ESSER funds, Title grants, state literacy initiatives, district bond measures, and other sources that support evidence-based foundational learning. Many states now prioritize funding for Science of Reading-aligned instruction. Positioning Tier 1 investment as prevention—rather than “more intervention”—opens the door to sustainable funding and stronger outcomes.
When Tier 1 improves, every subsequent tier becomes more effective—and far less expensive—to operate.
Your Next Step Toward Sustainable Success
Tier 1 instruction is the engine of MTSS effectiveness and long-term stability.
When you strengthen core instruction, you build a system that supports all students more consistently and with far less strain on people, time, and resources.
Start where all students begin: the core. It’s the most effective—and cost-effective—place to invest.
Strong Tier 1 delivers the greatest return: fewer gaps to remediate, fewer students requiring intervention, and more students progressing with confidence.
Prevention costs far less than perpetual remediation—but more importantly, it ensures every learner begins with a solid foundation for future success.
Ready to Calculate Your District’s Potential ROI?
Download Get It Right from the Start: Laying the Foundation for K–2 Success to explore evidence-based strategies for building a stronger, more sustainable Tier 1.
Or explore how Reading Eggs and Mathseeds can help strengthen your Tier 1 foundation today.
