Case Study

Strengthening Tier 2 MTSS at Harwood Unified Union School District (VT)

Mad River Valley, VT | Pre-K–12 | 1800 Students

The challenge: Executive function needs were identified too late, leaving a gap in Tier 2 support

Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD), a public school district in Mad River Valley, Vermont, serves approximately 1600 students from pre-K through twelfth grade.  Their educators were seeing a growing number of students struggle with organization, emotional regulation, self-control, and independence, skills essential for learning across all content areas.

While Tier 1 classroom instruction and Tier 3 special education supports were well established, executive function challenges were often not formally addressed until students reached a crisis point. In many cases, these needs surfaced only when students required IEP goals, leaving limited options for early or preventative intervention. “We were identifying executive function needs when students were already at Tier 3,” explains Mandy Couturier, Director of MTSS. “There wasn’t a strong middle layer.”

Educators also faced uncertainty about how to respond. While teachers could easily assess and target reading or math gaps, executive function felt harder to define and teach. Without clear tools, instruction often relied on general strategies rather than targeted skill-building.  At the same time, staff were managing multiple initiatives, making it essential that any new tool felt integrated, not like one more thing to add to their plates.

Harwood needed more than another intervention program. They needed a structured system that could:
  • Identify executive function skill gaps early, before students reached Tier 3
  • Strengthen Tier 2 supports with clear, targeted instruction
  • Provide educators with a shared framework and common language
  • Offer practical, manageable strategies that fit within MTSS structures
  • Integrate seamlessly with existing initiatives
  • Measure student growth over time

The solution: A flexible executive function platform that fits naturally into MTSS

To address the gap, HUUSD piloted Cerebrate, an executive function assessment and instructional platform designed to help educators identify specific skill needs and match them with targeted instruction.

The district intentionally launched a small pilot with six licenses, focusing on quality implementation and educator buy-in rather than immediate scale. Cerebrate was introduced through professional learning and in-service sessions, allowing interest to grow organically.

Rather than assigning the tool to a single role, HUUSD distributed licenses across the MTSS ecosystem:

    • Principals used Cerebrate to think systemically about student needs and resources
    • Special education coordinators aligned tools with IEP and 504 goals
    • Academic interventionists integrated Cerebrate into Tier 2 groups
    • School counselors explored group-based executive function support
    • Special educators shared strategies for neurodivergent students
Designed for use across tiers, Cerebrate was also implemented at Tier 1, where an entire second grade classroom used the platform to address collective executive function skill gaps. “The strength of the tool is that it meets people where they are,” Mandy says. “It doesn’t force one model; it adapts to real roles and real students.”

The impact: Earlier identification, clearer instruction, and stronger MTSS alignment

1. Teaching and learning impact
  • Earlier intervention: Educators now have tools to address executive function challenges before students reach Tier 3, strengthening Tier 2 support.
  • Instructional clarity: Teachers report increased confidence in identifying which executive function skills to target and how to teach them, similar to how they approach reading or math interventions.
  • Flexible use across tiers: Cerebrate supports individual students with IEP goals, small intervention groups, and even whole-class instruction, reinforcing skill development across settings.
  • Explicit skill instruction: Students receive direct instruction and practice in foundational skills like organization, self-regulation, and independence, rather than relying on assumptions or implicit expectations.
2. Systems and operational impact
  • Stronger MTSS “middle layer”: Cerebrate provides a concrete, defensible Tier 2 option that aligns with Vermont’s evolving expectations for demonstrating meaningful intervention prior to specialized services.
  • Reduced guesswork: A structured skill framework replaces broad, undefined concerns with actionable instructional targets.
  • Integrated, not additive: District leaders are exploring ways to align Cerebrate with existing initiatives to ensure executive function instruction complements current programs rather than competing with them. “What we don’t want is another thing,” Mandy notes. “We want something that fits into what’s already happening.”

Building skills that support the whole child

Harwood now sees executive function instruction not as a Tier 3 response, but as an essential part of a strong, balanced MTSS system.
By identifying and teaching executive function skills earlier, HUUSD has created:
  • A stronger, clearly defined Tier 2 “middle layer”
  •  More confident educators with shared language and tools
  •  Earlier, proactive intervention for struggling students
  •  Clearer alignment between academic, behavioral, and function skill supports
  •  A sustainable framework that integrates into existing systems
And they continue to expand the work, ensuring that students receive the skills they need before frustration turns into crisis, and building a foundation for independence, resilience, and long-term success.