DETERMINING  INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS

IDENTIFYING INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL FOR TIER 2

Students receiving Tier 2 supports are to be considered below benchmark, but are most likely still on level with their current grade (i.e., a student who tests at a Tier 2 level in 3rd grade will have an instructional level of grade 3). However, it is important to note that secondary students receiving Tier 2 supports may have deficits below their current grade level.

IDENTIFYING INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL FOR TIER 3

Backwards Testing

Students at Tier 3, however, need to undergo a series of backwards tests to determine their instructional levels. In some assessment systems, this will require the student to take the previous grade’s universal screener to compare achievement with that level’s end-of-year benchmark score. If the student does not achieve the end-of-year benchmark score, he/she will then take the previous grade universal screener. This process will continue until the student achieves at or above the end-of-year benchmark score. Once this occurs, a student will be considered to have an instructional level at one grade above that achievement. For example, a 5th grade student backwards tests and they achieve above the end-of-year benchmark on the 2nd grade screener, their instructional level is 3rd grade.

Scaled Scoring

Other systems use an adaptive screening assessment that will provide a student a scaled score that will be consistent through all levels (K-8). Finding the student’s scaled score at the assessment’s recommended percentile at subsequent grades will allow you to find their instructional level. For example, an 8th grade student scores a 212 on the FastBridge aMath screener, the 50th percentile score for fall of 4th and 5th grades are 210 and 216 respectively.  Therefore, this student’s instructional level is 4th grade.

IDENTIFYING INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS FOR INTERVENTION (TIERS 2 & 3)

Once instructional levels are determined, a comprehensive protocol placement test within the selected intervention curriculum should be utilized to identify the specific point of beginning intervention (instructional focus). If the intervention curriculum does not contain a placement exam, it may have an instructional planning report that can be used to determine a starting point. Also consider using other diagnostic measures. Students are then placed into homogenous intervention groups based on their identified instructional focus. It is important to note that these groups are not static, but should be fluid in nature to allow students to progress and move through the continuum of critical math skills. This process is highly complex and involves student-level decision making due to the overlapping of skill deficits along the progression of the mathematics standards. It is important to note that it may be necessary to utilize more than one diagnostic tool to narrow the instructional focus for each student.