Assessing the Influence of Multitiered Systems of Support Training on School Counselors’ Perceptions of School Counseling Activities: Results of a National Study

Abstract

School counselors are often integral in implementing multitiered systems of support (MTSS), and training in MTSS is crucial for building school counselors’ MTSS capabilities (Sink, 2016). However, scholarship investigating school counselors’ MTSS training is limited, particularly regarding their school counseling practices. In this study, we assessed school counselors’ training in MTSS in relation to their beliefs about appropriate roles and activities. School counselors indicated whether they completed coursework, continuing education, or supervision focused on MTSS, and whether they had experiences with MTSS. Participants shared their beliefs about appropriate activities for school counselors via the International Survey of School Counselor Activities, United States version (Fan et al., 2019). We found that MTSS training was related to perceptions of career counseling, individual work, group work, leadership, and prevention, highlighting the aspects of MTSS training that corresponded with school counseling roles. We provide implications for practice and future research.