While the Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) frameworks have been the standards for identifying and supporting students for 15+ years, many schools still struggle to achieve strong outcomes.
Our white paper, “Aligning a System of Support to Reach All Readers,” by Lenora Forsythe, EdD, and Marisa Ramirez Stukey, PhD, explains that the issue isn’t these frameworks themselves, but a lack of instructional coherence and coordination. Specifically, instructional alignment across tiers is a critical but often missing ingredient in many RTI/MTSS implementations. To fix this, schools must make instructional alignment a key criterion when selecting curricula.
Here are five key points from the white paper about how instructional alignment across all tiers strengthens the frameworks and helps us reach struggling readers.
1. The Power of the RTI/MTSS Frameworks: Intensity Grows from Tier I to Tier III
The Basics
The models are multitiered approaches designed to provide increasingly intensive levels of support based on student needs. A common misconception among educators is that each tier corresponds to a different curriculum. In fact, the difference is in the intensity level of the instruction.
Tier I
This is core instruction that meets the needs of a vast majority of students, where approximately 80 percent of students should attain the minimal grade-level target with only Tier I instruction.
Tier II
This is targeted intervention for roughly 15 percent of students. Tier 2 is typically taught in smaller groups to provide a more intimate setting and closer teacher contact.
Tier III
This is the most intensive support for the remaining 5 percent of students, who often have severe skill deficits requiring a highly individualized approach.
2. High-Quality Tier I Instruction Is the Foundation
The most effective way to prevent reading difficulties is robust core instruction. This prevents students from becoming “instructional casualties” who struggle simply because they haven’t had strong enough initial teaching.
- Every student gets Tier I, but all students don’t necessarily need the exact same instruction for Tier I: While Tier I instruction is for everyone, it is not intended to be “one size fits all” or delivered solely in a whole-class setting. To ensure that this important instructional time is used most effectively, Tier I instruction may need to include differentiation to meet individual student needs.
- Observation-based reteaching: Teachers should utilize reteaching opportunities as needed based on direct observation. For example, if a teacher notices that students are unable to read controlled-vocabulary text, she may conclude they need more practice with the newly taught material and provide targeted reteaching accordingly.
- Tailored instruction through assessment: High-quality formative and summative assessments are essential, as they allow teachers to tailor core instruction specifically to the needs of their students and class.
- Ample opportunities for practice: High-quality core instruction includes frequent opportunities for students to practice new skills. This includes reading and rereading controlled-vocabulary text featuring recently learned phonics elements, as well as practicing words in isolation.
3. Alignment Across Tiers Is the Missing Piece
A common pitfall is a lack of instructional coherence across tiers. When Tier II instruction is unrelated to Tier I instruction, students struggle to transfer skills back to the general classroom.
Efficiency
When the sequence is aligned, it allows for a seamless shift between tiers, saving time on placement and ensuring a skill is not being introduced for the very first time in an intervention setting.
Aligned scope and sequence
Ideally, Tier II instruction should increase the intensity of the specific skills learned in Tier I.
4. Consistency in Language and Routines
For “fragile learners,” consistency is the key to making associations between different levels of support.
- Shared routines: For example, if continuous blending is used in Tier I to help students decode words, the same routine should be utilized in Tier II. Similarly, if students are struggling with high-frequency words, an aligned Tier II program should provide repeated, intense instruction on the exact same words introduced in the core curriculum.
- Matching language: The white paper highlights the importance of using the same teacher language and feedback loops across tiers.
5. Implementation and Intensity Matter
How implementation occurs matters just as much as what is being implemented. A successful system requires specific logistical commitments and instructional adjustments:
Coordination
Performing a side-by-side examination of core and intervention/supplemental programs by leaders ensures alignment to the respective scope and sequences, and that teacher language and routines are truly complementary.
Tier II specifics
Effective Tier II intervention should occur three to five times each week for roughly 20 to 40 minutes per session, featuring high student–teacher interaction.
Tier III personalization
When moving to Tier III, schools can increase intensity by adding multisensory elements (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic cues), decreasing group sizes, or slowing the pacing of instruction.
Ready to learn more?
For a comprehensive look at the research behind aligning instruction across tiers, download the full white paper: https://info.collaborativeclassroom.org/aligning-a-system-of-support
Complimentary White Paper
How Aligned Instruction Increases the Effectiveness of RTI/MTSS
Related:
Your Screener Is Talking—Is Tier 1 the Issue?
Dr. Stephanie Stollar on Tier 1 Misconceptions