Crisis Recovery

Supporting Schools During and After Crisis

This page highlights resources to support the use of a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework to support students, families, and educators during the transitions back to school during and following a crisis (e.g., a pandemic, natural disaster, other emergency) in a manner that prioritizes their health and safety, social and emotional needs, and behavioral and academic growth.

To learn more about how to use this resource, please view the video Guide to the Guide. If you are an educator just getting started with PBIS or MTSS, please see Getting Started  and corresponding content on the District/State PBIS topic.

Guiding Principles

Our recommendations are grounded in the core elements of PBIS and MTSS.
  • Prioritize equity.
  • Make student outcomes central to all decisions.
  • Implement a small number of effective, culturally-relevant practices well.
  • Use data to inform all decisions (screening, progress monitoring, equitable outcomes, and fidelity.
  • Continue to invest in systems to support high-fidelity implementation across time.
three interlocking circles labeled systems, data, and practices with a larger circle around the three labeled outcomes

Paths Through Crisis Recovery

Our resources are designed to support educators, schools, districts, and states whether they are (a) just getting started (green) or (b) focused on strengthening and maintaining implementation throughout the phases of crisis recovery (immediate, initial, or intermediate crisis responses, enhanced implementation; see below). To learn more about crisis response, please view the Supporting PBIS Implementation Through Phases of Crisis Recovery.

Resources Linked from Graphic

Key Recommendations

1. Provide Support throughout the Implementation Cascade

To maximize student benefit, provide coordinated support and learn from feedback loops throughout the implementation cascade.

2. Leverage Existing Systems

To maximize both benefit and efficiency, enhance and adjust existing systems to support implementation. As educators implementing MTSS, the Implementation Blueprint may be a familiar organizational structure to consider both executive team functions (stakeholder engagement, funding and alignment, policy, and workforce capacity) and implementation functions (training, coaching, and evaluation) of leadership teams. To learn more about how to enhance and adjust systems features, see full guide.

3. Back to Basics: Do What Works, and Do It Well

Go “back to basics” by (a) focusing on a small number of evidence-based and culturally relevant practices, across social, emotional, behavioral, and academic domains, that have an equitable and big impact and (b) doing them well. To learn more about practices, see full guide.