Tier 2 team tracks proportion of students experiencing success (% of participationg students being successful) and uses Tier 2 intervention outcomes data and decision rules for progress monitoring and modification.
Baseline Data
In order to determine if a student is making progress within their intervention, the Tier 2 Team must first know the student's starting place. Therefore the first step to implementing TFI 2.11 is to create a document to collect baseline data for each of the interventions identified in TFI 2.5.
Baseline data can help establish:
a. The frequency of the behavior,
b. If a student truly needs the intervention,
c. If a change in behavior has occurred, and
d. The initial point goal for the student.
Each Tier 2 Team will create a baseline data form for each of their Tier 2 interventions. Baseline data forms should be unique to each intervention so that the Team is able to determine the frequency in which the student is currently able to demonstrate the skills that will be taught and/or reinforced once the student enters the intervention.
When developing each baseline data form consider including the items highlighted on the clipboard to the left.
Sample Check-in/Check-out Baseline Data forms:
Process for Baseline Data Collection
Next, Tier 2 Teams will create a Teacher Cover Letter to attach to the Baseline Data Collection Form.
Remember once a student is being considered for an intervention teacher(s) will be asked to collect baseline data for that intervention. A formal Teacher Orientation for the selected intervention will not occur until after the Team agrees which intervention is the best placement for the student and that won’t happen until after this data has been collected. Therefore, teachers will need something to explain what the Baseline Data Form is used for, how to collect, how long to collect it etc.
Next, the Tier 2 Team will create a written process they will follow when analyzing Baseline Data - determine qualification & set goals. This is a 2 step process.
Step 1: The Team will determine the maximum percentage of points a student could earn and still qualify for the intervention. Keep in mind that the end goal for any intervention is that a student will demonstrate the behaviors of the intervention's focus 80% of the time. It is recommended that goals are not set as high as 100%. All students need some level of reminders throughout the day.
With that in mind, when looking at student’s baseline data, how close to that 80% goal can a student be in their Baseline Data and still qualify for an intervention.
Step 2: Once it has been determined a student qualifies for an intervention, the Tier 2 Team will establish the student’s initial goal. The initial goal should be set so that the student can experience immediate success. Consider setting the initial goal below, at, or above (no more than 5 percentage points) their baseline data total percentage.
Finally, the Tier 2 Team will create a written process to ensure that Baseline data is collected.
Taking time to think through this process prior to beginning the intervention will support the Tier 2 Team in gathering baseline data throughout the duration of the intervention. Questions to consider when developing this process include:
How many days will teachers be expected to complete baseline data?
What if a staff member does not complete the baseline data form?
What if the teacher or student is absent 1 day...3 days?
Who on the team will support the teacher to collect a second round of baseline data, if necessary?
Progress Monitoring Data
In order to meet the requirements of TFI 2.11, Tier 2 Teams will need to create a way to monitor how well students are doing once they begin an intervention. By now Teams will have Baseline Data which they used to assess each students starting place and determine their initial goal.
At this point student progress will be monitored daily/weekly throughout the duration of the intervention in order to assess if they are making positive, questionable, or poor progress towards their goal. This will allow the Tier 2 Team to determine the percent of students who are being successful within each Tier 2 intervention identified in TFI 2.5.
It is the responsibility of each Tier 2 Team to create a form for students/staff to collect progress data. The data collected on these progress report forms will be reviewed by the Tier 2 Team and used for making decisions to continue the intervention as planned, intensify the intervention, begin fading intervention components, and to check fidelity of intervention implementation.
Sample CI/CO Daily Progress Report - Elementary
Sample CI/CO Daily Progress Report - Secondary
Sample CI/CO Daily Progress Report - TK
When creating Progress Report forms for Tier 2 interventions, consider including the items highlighted in the notebook to the right.
Keep in mind, each Tier 2 intervention identified in TFI 2.5 must have a mechanism to monitor if students within the intervention are making progress and in the end being successful at implementing the skills reinforced and/or taught throughout the intervention.
Process for Progress Data Collection
Next, each Tier 2 Team will need to create a written process to support the completion of their progress monitoring forms.
For example:
Where will extra copies of each Tier 2's Intervention's progress report be stored?
What if students do not return their progress report each day?
Who will train facilitators/teachers to implement the Progress Data form?
What if teachers do not write positive notes on student's progress report at the end of each period/day?
What if teachers do not provide students with examples and feedback about how behaviors needed prompting/cueing?
What if students loose the progress reports throughout the day/week?
Tier 2 Teams should consider answers to questions like this so they are prepared to support students and staff with the implementation of progress monitoring.
Data Tracking Tool
Once Tier 2 Teams have a way to collect progress data, they will need to develop a system to track/analyze it monthly.
The Advanced Tiers Data Collection Spreadsheet is a Google Sheets graphing spreadsheet that is used to monitor each student’s intervention data. The spreadsheet was created to hold data for up to 20 students. If more than 20 students participate in your school’s Tier 2 interventions, additional copies of the spreadsheet can be downloaded.
The Advanced Tiers Spreadsheet includes two pages:
Page 1 - Student Information
Page 2 - Student Data (one data sheet per student)
Teams who adopt the Advanced Tiers Google Sheet will experience multiple benefits, including:
Multiple people have access to the data which allows users to share information. It is important to remember that this spreadsheet will contain confidential information, so only give access to those individuals with “need to know” rights.
Goal and Trend lines are automatically generated for each student, once data is entered.
Teams interested in adopting the Advanced Tiers Spreadsheet should watch this on-demand training:
Data Decision Rules
Each time student data is reviewed, an interpretation (positive, questionable, or poor response to intervention) and a decision about what occurs next will need to be made by the Tier 2 Team.
Generally, decisions will include continuing the intervention, intensifying the invention, modifying the intervention, fading the intervention, or returning to the problem solving phase to gather additional information. In every case, decisions about the next phase of intervention should be derived from an interpretation of student data (i.e., response to the intervention).
A Positive response to an intervention is determined when a student is making progress towards their goal, meaning they are hitting their goal 4 out of 5 days per week, and it can be anticipated that they will reach their next goal and/or long term goal within a reasonable time.
When a student's response is Positive the Team will decide to either:
a. Continue the intervention with the current goal,
b. Continue the intervention with an increased goal, or
c. Begin fading the intervention components
Note: Before beginning the fading process, the student should score 80% for 4 out of 5 consecutive days over a 4-6 week period.
Keep in mind, prior to removing the student from the intervention, the student should show a positive response to the Fading elements for 4 consecutive weeks with 4 or more daily data points per week at 80%.
When the distance between the student’s trend line and the goal line is closing, but occurs at an unacceptable rate; the response to the intervention is considered to be Questionable.
To determine if the student's response is Questionable, the Tier 2 Team must establish a process to determine how long it will take for the trend line and long-term goal line to meet. This will allow them to determine if this is acceptable (Positive Response) or unacceptable (Questionable Response). This process should include a reviewing the student's data:
1. Review the daily percentage bar graphs - Ask, is there a trend?
2. Review the pace at which the current goal line is increasing - Ask, is it taking weeks or months to increase?
3. Review the angle of the trend line and long-term goal line of 80% - Ask, how long will it take for the trend line to meet the 80% goal line?
From here the Team will create data decision rules that will determine a Questionable response to the intervention. Examples include:
1. Daily percentages are below current goal line 3 out of 5 days for several weeks.
2. Goal hasn't increased for 3 consecutive weeks.
3. The slope of the trend line indicates it will take greater than 6-8 months to cross the end goal of 80%.
If it is determined that the student's response to the intervention is Questionable the Tier 2 Team will complete Steps 1 & 2.
STEP 1: Evaluate the fidelity of the intervention’s implementation (TFI 2.12).
STEP 2: Modify or intensify the intervention. Consider the following:
a. Reconsider function - Ensure the correct function was identified by reviewing the FACTS results; Confirm the intervention aligns with the identified function; Review all features of the intervention to determine alignment to function.
b. Reconsider the student's goal - Review the initial goal to ensure it was appropriately established based on the baseline data; Review student’s current daily percentages and adjust the goal as appropriate to ensure student success.
c. Provide more frequent feedback - Implement additional feedback session with the intervention facilitator; Allow for more frequent interactions between student and their teacher (Modification - Change DPR to include more time blocks)
d. Add a Self-Monitoring Component (middle and high school) gives the student more independence
e. Individualize the reinforcer - Collaboratively develop an individualized contract that specifies the reinforcers the student will earn; Individualize the reinforcer based on the student's function of behavior.
When the distance between the trend line and the goal line widens, for example the points the student earns are below their goal line for two or more consecutive weeks, the response to the intervention is considered to be Poor.
To determine if the student's response is Poor, the Tier 2 Team must establish a process to determine how long it will take for the trend line and goal line to meet. This process should include reviewing the student's data:
1. Review the daily percentage bar graphs - Ask, is there a trend?
2. Review the pace at which the current goal line is increasing - Ask, has it increased in the last 2 months?
3. Review the angle of the trend line and immediate goal line - Ask, is it possible for the trend line to hit the goal line?
From here the Team will create data decision rules that will determine a Poor response to the intervention. Examples include:
1. Daily percentages are below current goal line 5 out of 5 days for several weeks.
2. Goal hasn't increased for 2 consecutive months.
3. The slope of the trend line indicates it is not possible for it to cross the goal line.
If it is determined that the students response to the intervention is Poor, the Tier 2 Team will complete Steps 1 and 2.
STEP 1: Evaluate the fidelity of the intervention’s implementation (TFI 2.12).
STEP 2: Answer the following questions:
a. Was the behavior impeding learning identified correctly? Review the FACTS
b. Is the intervention aligned with the function of the student’s behavior? Or are there other functions to consider? Review the FACTS
c. Would the student benefit from an additional Tier 2 support/intervention?
Once the Tier 2 Team has addressed these considerations, more intensive, individualized interventions may be the next step. At this point consider referring the student to the Tier 3 Team.
Note: The decisions made at each level to determine a Positive, Questionable, or Poor response must be documented and followed each time the Tier 2 Team reviews and analyzes data.
Review Data Monthly
In order to meet the requirements of TFI 2.11 Tier 2 Teams must review student outcome data monthly:
Total number of students responding positively
Students whose response is Positive with consideration for when and how the student will fade from the intervention.
Students whose response is Questionable/Poor with consideration for how the intervention will be modified and/or intensified.
The process documented above (Positive, Questionable, Poor response) and both the Tier 2 Pre-Meeting Organizer and the Sample Agenda will help Teams to have these discussions.
Focussing the meeting discussions around these data points will allow the Tier 2 Team to support the implementation of the intervention(s) and ensure students receiving Tier 2 to get the level of support they need to be successful.
Share Data with Stakeholders
Lastly, the Tier 2 Team will create a process to inform stakeholders of the total number of students who are receiving Tier 2 interventions along with the percent of students who are responding positively to interventions.
Additional data may include:
Fidelity to implementation
Number of Students consistently checking in and checking out
Number of Teachers accurately & consistently completing the DPRs
Frequency of parents signing and returning the DPR
Number of students meeting daily or weekly goals
Providing these occasional updates is useful for maintaining staff interest in the program, recognizing accomplishments of participating students/staff, and identifying areas of improvements.
How to Score 2 Points on TFI 2.11
To receive a 2 Point Score Teams must be able to say yes to the following set of questions.
For each intervention selected in TFI 2.5:
