Tiers I, II, and III Interventions, Research Paper Example

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities and Edward S. Shapiro, the foundation of all Response to Intervention (RTI) models is in the application of tiered instruction which can be described as a pyramid structure with Tier 1 at the base, Tier 2 in the center, and Tier 3 at the apex. Within the RTI framework, these tiers or levels of instruction are based on various dimensions related to the “nature and severity of a student’s learning difficulties” (Tiered Instruction/Intervention, 2015).

More specifically, Tier 1 is the foundational RTI technique in which students receive “high quality, scientifically-based instruction” that is “differentiated to meet their needs.” Students at this level are also periodically screened in order to identify those who may need additional help and support. Tier 2 is intended for students who are not “making adequate progress in the core curriculum” (being Tier 1) and thus require intervention to provide them with “intensive instruction that matches their needs of the basis of levels of performance and rates of progress.” Lastly, Tier 3 involves students that require “individualized, intensive interventions that target their skill deficits” in order to help decrease existing learning problems and to identify other problems that contribute to their learning disability (Tiered Instruction/Intervention, 2015).

These three levels are necessary because of the fact that each student is different when it comes to the ability to comprehend knowledge and learn to apply it in their everyday lives. For example, a student that does rather well in Tier 2 might exhibit some problems that require more intervention on the part of the instructor. In this case, the student would be placed in Tier 3 for more intensive and individualized instruction. As pointed out by Shapiro, in many of the schools, both public and private, in which the RTI Action Network is prominent, a high percentage of students are unable to attain the requirements found in Tier 1 which as a result requires that each school adopt the RTI model “in a way that allows for tiered instruction to be implemented” by teachers who often do not possess the training related to tier-based intervention techniques (Tiered Instruction/Intervention, 2015).

For teachers, the three tiered RTI framework allows them to “interpret data, make judgments and decisions concerning whether a student is progressing well enough to remain in their current tiered instruction,” whether a student should be relocated to another tier either up or down, and whether the “instructional process being used within the tiered instruction is well matched to the student’s current skill needs” (Tiered Instruction/Intervention, 2015). Most of the time, teachers are members of a team that meets periodically to discuss the progress of each student which helps individual teachers to monitor student progress or the lack of it (Tiered Instruction/Intervention, 2015).

Under ordinary circumstances, when an intervention is shown to be working, the student remains in a given tier until he/she masters the skills that serve as the foundation for the tier, such as reading, writing, or working with mathematics. However, when it becomes clear that the intervention is not working, the student is likely to be placed in a lower tier until he/she masters the skills needed and then is able to proceed to the next level. This is where the application of data is so important. As noted by Lewis, in order to make well-informed instructional decisions, a teacher must utilize multiple data sources. These sources vary greatly from one intervention model to another, but generally includes data from student attendance, student behavior in the classroom and at home, and overall instructional performance. Thus, when it comes to student data, quantity is far less important than quality as is how an instructor utilizes the data to arrive at decisions (2015).

References

Tiered instruction/intervention. (2015). RTI Action Network. Retrieved from http://www.rtinetwork.org/essential/tieredinstruction

Lewis, D. (2015). Using data to guide instruction and improve student learning. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedl-letter/v22n02/using-data.html