Identifying Students for Multi-tiered Intervention

Students are typically identified as needing academic or behavioral intervention through a two-step process within RtI. The National Center for Response to Intervention (NCRTI) shares that this process starts with universal screening in the first stage, which happens for all students. At some schools, students might have this universal screening opportunity several times throughout the year, at the beginning, mid-term, and end of the year. Troester et al. (2022) states that universal screening can have three goals within a tiered framework such as RtI/MTSS. These three goals are: identifying students who need more intensive support, monitoring all students in the general education setting for the efficacy of the Tier 1 instruction, and providing data and progress monitoring for students who might be at risk for developing reading and/or math difficulties. The last goal is especially important to consider for students in early elementary grades, as the earlier reading and math difficulties are identified, the more effective the intervention can be for student success and outcome (Catts et al., 2015).

The data that comes from universal screening assessments are critical pieces of information for educators to understand how to use within the tiered system of supports like Response to Intervention (RtI). This data from the beginning of the year can be compared at mid-term and at the end of the year with same-aged, same grade-level peers to determine a student’s need for tiered intervention support. RtI intervention can begin at any point in the year, but the earlier the identification occurs, the better opportunity the student has for growth and success.

Next Steps: After Universal Screening

There are several different universal screeners that may be used to determine a student’s proficiency in reading and math.  In the assessment used for the universal screener, scores are classified by grade, measure, and time of year. Data points within universal screeners, like the proficiency cut score, are helpful to know when determining a student’s risk status for needing tiered support. This is one reason that educators would do a gap analysis. At this point, educators determine IF there is a gap in expected skills that exists.  They can do this using the proficiency cut score, which is  is the baseline or minimum score on an assessment area to determine that the student’s need. It is important to understand what that proficiency cut score is for the assessment you are using to assess your students.

The gap analysis is the discrepancy between current and expected achievement levels in a content area.

Here are the steps for a gap analysis: ​

• Step 1: Determine current level (CL) of proficiency through universal screening and monitoring scores
• Step 2: Identify the expected level (EL) of proficiency according to national or local-grade level scores​ on the assessment
• Step 3: Skills Gaps are identified – Ratio between current and expected proficiency levels is determined (EL / CL = gap)​

When a student scores below the proficiency cut score, a diagnostic assessment should be done in the area of concern. A diagnostic assessment  is the assessment in the area of concern, reading or math, that the student will take to determine where they are currently performing in that area. They are often longer than universal screeners and assess skills across a variety of areas in either reading or math in the student’s grade level. It is important the the diagnostic assessment be a reliable and valid assessment. It is also crucial that the diagnostic assessment is not the only source of data used to determine a student’s need for tiered intervention. Work-samples, teacher observational data, and other types data should be used to determine a student’s need for tiered intervention. It is important to note that not all students will take diagnostic assessments. The only students who will need these types of assessments are the ones who score below the proficiency cut score, as determined by the universal screener used.

DIBELS is a common universal screening assessment done with students in grades K-8. It is from the University of Oregon and the materials include assessments, scoring information, and progress monitoring materials.  MAP testing and FastBridge testing are also other commonly used options for universal screeners. Beyond universal screeners, diagnostic assessments help educators know where students are struggling within reading or math content areas.

Diagnostic assessments help educators identify what students know in a content area, find the student’s gap analysis , also called skill gaps, in the specific content area, group students with like needs into similar intervention groups, and inform educators when they plan intervention and instructional design for tiered intervention groups. Learning gaps in math could be in core concepts like arithmetic, fractions, or number sense. Learning gaps in reading could be revealed in areas like reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Using data from diagnostic assessments, educators can create intervention groups and begin tiered instruction in Tier 2 intervention.

When students are in Tier 2 intervention, the educator will take data and monitor progress over the sessions that the students engage in the interventions. Often, tiered interventions can be 6 weeks long with daily or even 3 times weekly intervention time. Some schools may plan for their Tier 2 interventions to be up to 8, 10, 12 or 15 weeks long. Intervention time, duration, and intensity should be proportional to the student’s needs. This is why progress monitoring is crucial in any RtI or MTSS tiered intervention system of supports. Progress monitoring, also called rate of progress, measures student growth over time during the intervention and helps educators who provide the interventions determine if the current intervention is working.

Interventions, Process, and Continuum of Supports

There is a continuum of supports that students will benefit from as they move throughout the tiered intervention system of supports. As mentioned earlier, nothing should happen with out data-based decision making. Data drives all decisions when it comes to moving students through the tiered intervention stages.

As discussed in previous chapters, all students receive strong Tier 1 instruction with research-based curriculum in the general education classroom. Then, when data supports it, students who need to move to Tier 2, will received research-based curriculum in the general education classroom with targeted differentiated instruction (TDI). TDI is a strategy where educators can use data and student progress notes to adjust the complexity, depth, or support of the tasks based on individual student progress. Then, if data supports a move to Tier 3, students will move to a smaller or individual instructional intervention where specialists will use evidence-based interventions (EBI). Tier 3 interventions should not have more than 1-3 students in the group. Progress monitoring should be frequent in all tiers.