Bringing Coherence to Life Across the Commonwealth
MTSS, RTI, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3—these are familiar terms across the education landscape. Yet too often, these systems operate in parallel rather than in alignment. What’s frequently missing is a clear throughline connecting them: instructional coherence.
Instructional coherence means that every learning experience a student has—from core instruction to intervention to tutoring—works together toward the same grade-level goals. Rather than existing as separate initiatives, these supports are intentionally designed to reinforce one another and accelerate student learning.
In their most recent publication, Coherence by Design, TNTP highlights the work of Knox County Schools in Tennessee, where leaders built more coherent systems by aligning interventions and supports directly to grade-level instruction. This shift ensured that students were not just receiving more help, but the right help—grounded in the grade-level content they were expected to learn.
Why is instructional coherence so important?
Over the past decade, students who are already behind have often continued to lose ground, widening longstanding achievement gaps. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted learning for all students, but recovery has been uneven. While some students have regained lost ground, many of our most vulnerable learners continue to struggle to reach grade-level expectations.
There is, however, a bright spot. A small subset of schools—sometimes referred to as “trajectory-changing” schools—have demonstrated that it is possible to accelerate learning for students who are behind. What sets these schools apart is not simply the presence of additional supports, but how those supports are designed. They ensure that every layer of instruction builds from and reinforces grade-level Tier 1 content, creating a coherent pathway toward success.
PRISM I: Building Coherent Early Literacy Systems in Massachusetts
Across Massachusetts, 15 PRISM I districts are engaged in the important work of building coherent early literacy systems for students in grades PreK–3. Through partnership with DESE and TNTP leadership coaches, districts are strengthening Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) so that Tier 1 instruction, intervention, professional learning, preschool partnerships, and continuous improvement efforts work together toward shared goals for student learning.
This work closely reflects the ideas highlighted in TNTP’s recent publication, Coherence by Design, which emphasizes that students accelerate most when every layer of instruction—from core instruction to intervention and additional supports—reinforces grade-level learning. Rather than operating as separate initiatives, coherent systems intentionally connect instructional experiences so students receive the right support at the right time.
What is becoming increasingly clear across PRISM I districts is that instructional coherence is ultimately experienced by students. When instructional materials, intervention supports, leadership practices, and professional learning are aligned, students encounter more consistent expectations, routines, and learning experiences throughout their day. For young learners especially, this coherence helps create stronger foundations for literacy development and ensures that support systems accelerate—rather than fragment—learning.
Through PRISM I, districts are refining MTSS action plans, engaging in PDSA cycles, conducting leadership and classroom walkthroughs, and strengthening alignment across schools and community-based preschool partners. Together, these efforts are helping districts move beyond isolated literacy initiatives to create connected, coherent instructional systems that support strong, meaningful literacy experiences for all students—especially those needing additional support to become confident readers.
— Authors: Lindsay Frigo, Director, and Janet Strauss, Senior Manager