“The goal is simple: Every student, in every classroom, receives the instruction and support they need to succeed.”
Welcome to IMA
We believe in a world where every learner succeeds through high-quality education.
The International MTSS Association (IMA) was founded to bring greater clarity, consistency, and collaboration to the field of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).
As the world's first professional association dedicated exclusively to MTSS, we unite researchers, practitioners, implementation leaders, and policymakers around a shared mission:
To empower educators and organizations worldwide with translational research, evidence-based resources, and collaborative opportunities to implement comprehensive Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
Whether you're advancing research, leading implementation, or supporting students directly, your voice belongs in this community.
Join us as we work together to strengthen school systems, improve outcomes, and ensure every learner has the opportunity to succeed.
Joan Schumann
Joan Schumann, PhD
Founding Executive Director, International MTSS Association
“We started IMA to break the silos and put world-class research within reach of every leader—so together we can strengthen our educational systems that prepare every student for the future they deserve.”
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Joan Schumann, PhD is the Founding Executive Director of the International MTSS Association (IMA) and CEO of Leading for Learning. An educator with a research background, she has served as a K–12 classroom teacher, special educator, school principal, district leader, and university faculty member—bringing evidence to implementation in classrooms, teacher preparation, and school systems. Joan earned her doctorate at the University of Utah, where her dissertation examined PBIS and discipline disproportionality, and has since led large-scale MTSS efforts, including districtwide frameworks, high-impact professional learning, and data-driven school improvement.
Her leadership spans the U.S. and international schools, including principalship in California, Director of Professional Learning & Instruction at the International School of Beijing, and Director of Student Support Services at Stamford American International School in Singapore. She has guided assessment and curriculum adoptions, mentored administrators and teachers, secured multi-million–dollar resources to expand services for students and families, and presented nationally and internationally on MTSS, RTI, PBIS, educational equity, attendance, women in leadership, and systems-level leadership. Her written work appears in the Handbook of School Psychology, the Handbook of Positive Behavior Support, and the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
Today, Joan focuses on helping leaders at every level of the educational system implement best practice—and making research (and researchers) accessible to everyday school professionals.
