About Advancing Equity
Advancing Equity is a training and coaching intervention to center equity in the design and implementation of Tier 1 multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) health. Advancing Equity consists of four components: (a) a Team Coaching Protocol, (b) a series of online Staff Training Modules, (c) an Observation and Feedback Form, and (d) a Procedural Fidelity Inventory. Materials were developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences' National Center for Special Education Research (Grant R324A230139), awarded to UMASS Boston with subawards to Georgia State University, Boston University, and in partnership with Boston Public Schools' Behavioral Health Department.
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Advancing Equity is based on the proposed conceptual model, Equity-Centered MTSS Implementation Model (see Figure 1 below; Fallon et al., 2026), an integration of Fixsen and Blasé’s (2008) Implementation Drivers Framework and Vincent and colleagues’ (2011) Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (CR-PBIS) model. In addition, the placement of “equity” at the center of the model is intentional to make this the focus of designing and delivering supportive and effective systems as well as align with how the National Center on PBIS currently conceptualizes PBIS (www.PBIS.org).
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Within this model, the description of data, systems, practices, and outcomes centers equity and culturally responsive practice. In addition, implementation drivers ground the model in practice. Specifically, organization and competency drivers, as well as leadership and fidelity of implementation, are critical to Advancing Equity, integrating principles of culturally responsive PBIS in its approach.
Based on this model, we developed and are piloting Advancing Equity, a training and coaching intervention to support Tier 1 implementation of MTSS inclusive of four components (see Figure 2). This comprehensive intervention focuses specifically on Tier 1 because although PBIS is a comprehensive framework with layered systems of support to address varying levels of need, the success is predicated on a universal system developed to meet the needs of the entire student body. ​
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If you are an educator or school administrator who is interested in being involved in piloting Advancing Equity, please contact Dr. Fallon.
Figure 1. Equity-Centered MTSS Implementation Model (Fallon et al., 2026)
Figure 2. Components of the Advancing Equity Intervention
