Tiers of Intervention

While often spoken of together, the tiers/waves of intervention model and PBIS are slightly different systems. However, as they often correlate and are talked about with great frequency together, it would be remiss not to expand on this model here.

The defining difference between the tiered model of intervention and PBIS is that the tiered model is a response to the implementation of PBIS and not a part of it.

PBIS is the application of behaviour design – how we teach a behaviour. Whereas the tired model of intervention is what we do if PBIS is not working – it is a systematic review and remediation process.

For example, if we wish to apply PBIS to the aspiration of ‘be a learner’ at a school, we would first determine the goals and behaviour outcomes of this aspiration through the behaviour design process or schoolwide CPS. Then, we would apply PBIS to this aspiration to teach explicit behaviours.

Not all people respond to PBIS in the same manner. As we discovered in the behaviour design module, some people require more or less motivation and access/ability? to enable them to fall within the action line and prompt the desired behaviour. The tiers of intervention model show how to make the process of determining who needs more significant focus on motivation and access systematic. It works by teaching everyone the explicit behaviour first, then identifying those struggling and narrowing our focus to help them.

This narrowing of the behaviour to support those who are struggling looks at increasing the motivation and access to the behaviour through small group support first, and then through intensive, personalised support if the group support is also ineffective.

At a school site, this might look like the following:

Aspiration – ‘be a learner’

Goal/desired behaviour – Have books and homework ready before the lesson starts

Tier 1 – Explicitly teach strategies to increase access to the behaviour, develop a plan of action, and practice and reinforce the behaviour with all students.

Tier 2 – Reduce the demand for students who struggle to do the desired behaviour at Tier 1. Support these students to have a set of strategies to increase their access, provide an incentive, and develop action and context tools/prompts? to explicitly support the modified demand. This is typically done via group instruction. Examples include literacy groups in school or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for adults.

Tier 3 – Intensively modify the desired behaviour and establish explicit support from a peer, leader or coach for those still struggling with the desired behaviour at Tier 2. The modified behaviour may be a fraction of the desired behaviour, supported by a litany of personalised tools and strategies to assist the person doing the modified desired behaviour. Often, the desired behaviour becomes so tailored to the person struggling that it may only meet a fraction of the desired behaviour at the start of the intervention. For example, if the desired behaviour is ‘be ready for learning’, for a tier 3 person, that may look like ‘get out a pen after you sit at your desk’.

Note: all people who access Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions should also continue to engage with the previous tiers of intervention.

As we discovered in our first unit, people change best when their aspirational identity aligns with the desired behaviour. By keeping people engaged in Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions while also accessing Tier 3 interventions, they are not cut off from opportunities to practice and cast votes towards their desired identity. They are far more likely to change their behaviour.

Tier 1 - Instruction and design for all

Tier 1 is where the behaviour design process is applied at a universal level (reaching all participants similarly).

This begins with -

1. The desired behaviour is made explicit – often in relation to a goal or aspiration

2. The desired behaviour is then explicitly taught and practiced

3. There is a reward made apparent for maintaining the behaviour

This is now where PBIS diverges from traditional behaviour design.

4. A continuum of behaviour responses in developed

5. Data is collected and informs progression up and down the waves of intervention.

Instead of narrowing and reviewing the desired behaviour for all in terms of motivation and access/ability. Those who are not effective at tier 1 begin to include tier 2 interventions to increase exposure to the desired behaviour and give additional opportunities for practice and remediation.

Tier 2 - Focused group and peer Instruction

At a school tier 2 means an intensification of instruction and a narrowing of desired behaviour outcomes for a smaller cohort of students.

This may look like small group instruction intervention or peer mentoring. Ultimately, however, this tier of intervention is about assessing data from the tier 1 interventions and using the behaviour design method to increase students’ motivation, access and create clearer prompts for the desired behaviour.

A typical entry into tier 2 may look like –

1) A universal screen identifies students who are struggling to be successful with tier 1 practice.

2) Identified students are instructed together with a more targeted and explicit desired behaviour that is modified for their group.

3) Students are given additional opportunities to practice and connect the desired behaviour to a reward.

4) Data is collected on the students with a similar/identical screener to determine if progress is being made. This determines if the student maintains enrolment in a tier 2 intervention, returns to tier 1 universal instruction or requires additional support at a tier 3 intervention.

Tier 3 - Highly specialized Instruction

Finally, tier 3 is the most asked about tier of intervention. This tier is highly personalised, and interventions are tailored to the student's needs.

Typically, a student who has reached a tier 3 intervention will not respond positively to tier 1 and 2 interventions and needs additional narrowing of the desired behaviour. In addition, a student in tier 3 intervention will require support for their motivation and access/ability to do the desired behaviour.

Entry into a tier 3 intervention will most often be accompanied by an assessment or screener informing the difficulties or barriers to the student developing the desired behaviour.

The previously learned CPS model is an adequate model for such assessment; however, depending on your site, a student in tier 3 may also have access to a BOXALL assessment or a Functional Behaviour Assessment.

From here, the behaviour design process is applied rigorously to modify the desired behaviour specifically for the student there may be extensive changes in; behaviour, motivation, access and ability, prompt or all of the above.

After the application of behaviour design, the students, behaviour is monitored, and data is collected to determine if the modifications are effective – if they are, the student will remain in or descend the tiers of support. If the interventions are ineffective, the student will stay in tier 3, and the behaviour design process will begin again at the review step.

Once again, it must be noted that a student accessing a tier 3 intervention should always have access and participate in tier 1 and 2 interventions. This allows them additional opportunities for modelling, demonstration, practice and reward.

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