Measuring High School Counselor Beliefs on the Importance of MTMDSS Universal Supports Since COVID-19

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) onset of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic brought immediate and unprecedented disruption to kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education. California high school counselors, faced with the dilemma of how to support student needs effectively and equitably during COVID-19, have looked to the state government and professional organizations for guidance on best support practices. While multi-tiered support frameworks, such as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Multi-Tiered, Multi-Domain System of Supports (MTMDSS) have been increasingly recommended as part of the pandemic response, the effective use of MTSS/MTMDSS by school counselors presupposes a degree of belief in these frameworks. This study explored and measured California high school counselor beliefs about the importance of MTMDSS (Tier 1) universal supports since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from 101 California high school counselors through the Universal Supports Importance Scale (USIS) survey instrument and from six follow-up semi-structured interviews suggested that counselors have high levels of belief in the importance of MTMDSS universal supports. Preliminary results of this USIS validation study displayed strong evidence for overall quality of valid and reliable scale score interpretation for measuring school counselor beliefs, offering promise for future diagnostic and formative uses of the USIS instrument in professional development settings.