While Restorative Practices (RP) may be used informally by individuals, best practice suggests that a school-wide approach to Restorative Practices should be implemented intentionally and systematically to create culture change and ensure success of all students. Restorative Practices can easily be embedded into a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. Districts and schools that are already implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), can integrate RP. MTSS provides the backbone for data, systems and practices across a hierarchy of supports for all students.

• Tier 1: Focuses on prevention of problem behavior by emphasizing universal supports.

• Tier 2: Designed to prevent the development and escalation of problem behaviors for students who are identified as being at risk for developing chronic behavior problems.

• Tier 3: Designed to reduce the intensity, frequency, and/or complexity of problem behaviors by providing individualized behavior supports using evidenced-based interventions. 

MTSS in Nevada

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) and the Nevada Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Technical Assistance Center work collaboratively to build capacity to establish, scale-up, and sustain a Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in Nevada Local Educational Agencies (LEAs). During this implementation period, school sites implementing with high fidelity have seen increased capacity to identify student needs, improved capacity to respond early and effectively, reductions in discipline, improvement in academic outcomes, and improvement in overall school climate.

Starting in 2014, with the help of the School Climate Transformation Grant-SEA, the Technical Assistance Center has been able to provide the necessary resources to allow for ongoing on-site training, intensive coaching, and data evaluation. The Technical Assistance Center works with schools and districts across the state of Nevada from small rural districts such as Pershing County to large urban districts such as Clark County.

As of 2024, Nevada MTSS is funded through multiple sources of state and federal funding, including competitive funds from the US Department of Education (USDOE), Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA). Local dollars from the Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services are also leveraged for MTSS implementation in the state.

The goal of Nevada MTSS is to holistically support students, teachers and school staff with tiered systems of support, a focus on mental health, drug misuse curriculum, and the use of targeted and universal screeners to encourage health and wellbeing of everyone in the school systems.

The overall project objective is to build infrastructure both at the school and district/LEA levels to integrate all of Nevada's school climate practices and initiatives including PBIS, Social Emotional Academic Development (SEAD), Restorative Practices, Trauma Informed Care, and School Mental Health within a single comprehensive framework for delivery. Project objectives include: (1) integrate initiatives and resources into a comprehensive MTSS, (2) build SEA capacity to support LEAs in implementing MTSS, (3) scale and enhance LEA capacity in implementing MTSS, and (4) address the opioid crisis within a MTSS. Some specific project activities include: (1) aligning leadership teams at the local, district, and state levels, (2) improving the SEA capacity for MTSS integration and data collection, (3) integrating initiatives and enhancing fidelity of implementation, especially at the advanced tiers, and (4) incorporating opioid prevention and treatment into the MTSS framework, including evidence-based practice selection and data-based decision making.

This integrated MTSS framework aims to serve as the necessary infrastructure to address the many rising needs of the student populations in both our urban and rural districts as well as evaluate the student outcomes of Nevada's school climate initiatives.

Ashley Greenwald, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Director, Nevada PBIS

Dr. Ashley Greenwald is a Licensed Behavior Analyst and an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Greenwald is the Project Director/Principal Investigator at the Nevada Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Technical Assistance Center, located within the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Dr. Greenwald has extensive experience utilizing organizational behavior management strategies to improve systems and staff performance, conducting functional analyses, consulting with families of individuals with developmental disabilities and neurocognitive disorders, and installing multi-tiered behavior frameworks in schools and other organizations. Dr. Greenwald has been an invited speaker at national, international and regional conferences and has received over $18 million in state and federal grants funds to conduct her work. Dr. Greenwald has authored numerous peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and gave a TED Talk on her research in January of 2017. Dr. Greenwald's current research interests include systems development in schools and organizations, service delivery models for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health disorders, applications of technology within behavioral medicine, and maternal healthcare.

Kaci Fleetwood, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

State MTSS Coordinator

Kaci Fleetwood is faculty at the College of Education within the University of Nevada, Reno. She works for the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED), the Nevada PBIS Technical Assistance Center, and in conjunction with the Nevada Department of Education's Office of Safe & Respectful Learning Environments. Kaci Fleetwood is an elected board member on the International Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS), a licensed clinician by the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners (LBA), and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In her current role as the State Coordinator for MTSS in Nevada she facilitates LEAs to install, scale, and sustain Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). She has trained nationally and internationally on MTSS as well as for SAMHSA's (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers as a subject matter expert in installing School Mental Health systems. Prior to focusing on clinical work and implementation science in large-scale systems, Kaci began her career as an educator; teaching special and general education at the elementary and high school levels. She has worked at the classroom, school, district, regional, and state levels in education. She holds Nevada Educator Licenses in Elementary Education, Special Education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Instructional Coaching, and as a Literacy/Reading Specialist.

Brooke Wagner, MSC-SC, M.Ed

Regional MTSS Coordinator

Brooke Wagner is a Senior Clinical Project Coordinator for the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities; housed with the University of Nevada (Reno) & the College of Education and Human Development. Brooke serves as the MTSS Project Coaching Coordinator, working to assist districts with systematic implementation of programs within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). She supports District Leadership Teams with Coaching support, and coordination of the district level MTSS coaching implementation support. Her historical work has included work with the Bureau of Justice Assistance grant project (BJA) with school safety and MH workforce training (STOP I & II), systems training across Tiers of support in most districts within the state, and coaching support. Serving as principal investigator for federal grants, she has grant management experience.
Brooke is a board-certified behavior analyst and received her master's degree in special education with an emphasis in behavior analysis in 2018. She also holds a master's degree in school counseling, which she received in 2012, and a bachelor's degree conferred in 2003 in elementary education. Brooke previously worked in a non-profit with the Community Coalition serving 3 districts, and has knowledge of community partnership models. She previously worked as a regional MTSS coach for many years, elementary & special education teacher, and various other positions within education for over 25 years. She holds Nevada instructional licenses in elementary education, school counseling, special education, early childhood special education and computer literacy specialist. Additional training and certifications include Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, SWIS/ISWIS Data Systems Facilitator and Certified Restorative Practices Trainer. Brooke is certified as a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA).

Megan Szeto, Psy-M., BCBA, LBA

State Training Coordinator

Megan Szeto is the State Training Coordinator for the Nevada Multi-Tiered System of Supports and also supports the Nevada Pyramid Model Partnership. Both of these projects are housed within the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities at UNR. In these roles, she facilitates training and technical assistance to district teams and their community partners to provide evidence based, trauma-responsive practices to Nevada’s highest risk students. Megan works with local districts to install and implement high fidelity tiered practices in their schoolwide and early childhood classrooms district wide. She appreciates every opportunity to increase access to high quality behavioral and mental healthcare for Nevada’s students. Megan has 25 years of experience working with neurodiverse learners across home, clinic, and community settings. Her strongest passion surrounds the successful inclusion of all students across their environments, as well as ensuring that intervention practices for our learners are assent focused, engaging, and fun. Megan earned her master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in behavior analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno and is a board certified and licensed behavior analyst.