Tier II

Targeted Intervention

Overview

In schools where Tier I supports are successfully implemented, approximately 80% of students will demonstrate behavioral success while at school. However, the remaining 15%-20% of students may need more targeted behavioral instruction and support. These supports are characterized by the following qualities:

Function-based: The interventions are designed to address common misbehavior (i.e. tardiness, classroom disruption, difficult peer relationships) and the common causes of those behaviors.
Ongoing and continuously available: Since interventions are function-based, the supports exist before a student needs them. Teams can select interventions by reviewing the most common reasons for referral in their school.
Rapid response: Because interventions are ongoing, they can begin almost immediately upon referral by the SIT - students should receive Tier II intervention within 72 hours of the need being determined.
Minimal effort by teachers. While some tier II interventions will take place in the classroom, the strategies should be streamlined and structured such that they become part of the daily routine of teaching.
Aligned with school-wide expectations: Any tier II intervention should be designed to encourage and reward behavior that exhibits one of the school-wide expectations. If the needed behavior is not described by one of the school-wide expectations, then those expectations may need to be revisited.
Implemented by all staff/faculty in a school: One of the most effective interventions for students who struggle is an increase the frequency of tier I supports, such as an increase in praise to correction from 4:1 to 8:1 or higher. Since all staff in the school have an impact on the praise:correction ratio for a student, all staff are responsible for increasing this ratio.
Coordinated by the Student Intervention Team (SIT): As the team charged with monitoring student data, the SIT is the natural team to determine and coordinate tier II interventions for students. This means determining the appropriate intervention, the data-rule determining how long the intervention will last, and what will happen if the student does not respond to the intervention.
Adequate resource allocation: The most precious resource in any building are the people working there. In order for tier II intervention to function, dedicated coordinators must be assigned to monitor and collect data on the effectiveness of interventions. Coordinators must have an adequate amount of time to fulfill this responsibility. In Davenport Schools, good candidates for Tier II coordinators include TLCS Innovators, counselors, SAMs, Associate Principals, Student-Support Teachers and Liaisons, or paraeducators. Full-time classroom teachers typically do not have the time to monitor such programs.
Student choice is considered: Interventions are more effective if student voice and choice are taken into account. Students must feel that they have a role in the decisions effecting them. For example, a student may give feedback about how they prefer to receive praise and acknowledgment, choose a preferred staff person to receive feedback during the Check-In, Check-Out intervention, or may help to select the data rule that governs the duration of their time in intervention.
Continuously monitored: The success of students receiving Tier II intervention should be routinely reviewed by the SIT to ensure the efficacy of the intervention.

Read below to explore some of the common Tier II Interventions available to students in Davenport Community Schools. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a starting point for buildings seeking effective intervention strategies.

Enhanced Tier I Support

For some students, a simple commitment to ensure that Tier I support has been effectively given is all that is needed. For example, the student's teachers may keep a tally of praise:correction for a specific student, to ensure the student receives the minimum praise ratio (or higher.) In other cases, teachers may learn from observation that the student is successful so long as an effective pre-correction is given before every transition - such a student may simply need every teacher to commit to providing such a precorrection.

Check In-Check Out

Many teachers and schools have attempted using "behavior cards" for students, but rarely are these interventions run efficiently and effectively. Check In-Check Out is a strategy that utilizes behavior cards in a uniform and specific way to ensure teachers have the time to deliver the intervention effectively, while reducing the ability of the student to sabotage their efforts.

The goal of CICO is to generate immediate and consistent behavioral feedback to students at scheduled intervals throughout the day.

Typically, students begin their day by checking in with a trusted staff member (this can also be one of the Tier II coordinators - see above) who makes sure to provide the student with a positive interaction, assesses whether or not a student is ready to begin classes, and who provides the student with their point card. If a student comes into the building in a heightened state (i.e. fight-or-flight response, is hungry, overtired, etc. ) the staff person asks the student to stay with them and provides support until the student is ready to begin learning for the day. This may prevent the student from engaging in unnecessary conflicts and increase time in the classroom.)

The point card should briefly list two or three of the school-wide expectations, as well as the times of day when the student will receive feedback (this can display the actual time, or the activity during which the feedback will occur.) At the appropriate time, the teacher conducts a short, 15-30 second conference with the student. The conference is to give the student feedback about whether or not the student demonstrated the target skills during the previous interval of time. Either way, the student should be given praise and encouragement for the next time period.

At the day’s end, the student returns to the staff person they met with at the beginning of the day, who calculates their points with them, verbally praises their successes, and talks through any issues the student would like to discuss. (The student should NOT be lectured about behavior incidents that have already been addressed previously in the day.) The student’s goal is to earn 80% or more of the possible points on the card. A data-rule set by the SIT states how long the intervention will occur, for example, the student may have a goal to maintain an average of 80% of their points over the course of an entire week. If the goal is met, the number of check-ins may be reduced for a period of time to help the student gain independence in exhibiting the skill without reinforcement.

Check In/Check Out with Modifications

For most students, CICO should work exactly the same way to ensure fidelity and ease of implementation for staff. In some circumstances, however, adaptations must be made to accommodate the student, for example:

If the student often arrives late due to circumstances beyond their control, the morning check in may occur at a different time.
If the student does not feel comfortable with their assigned check-in person, they may request someone else.
If the student discards or misplaces the point card, it can be held by the teacher, or kept virtually.
The student may need more frequent or less-frequent check-ins throughout the day.

Other modifications, as needed.

Social-Academic Instructional Groups

A SAIG (typically pronounced as "sage") is a weekly small group meeting designed around a specific problem behavior. The purpose of the group is to provide explicit instruction and encouragement in replacement behaviors to support the students in being more successful. For example, a SAIG based on violence reduction may explore problem solving strategies, teach students how the brain reacts to stress, learn about self-regulation techniques, or other topics. Any adult in the building can lead a SAIG, and they may occur whenever time is available during the school day. The SIT works with the SAIG leader to monitor the students’ progress in attaining improved social and/or academic behavior in their area of focus.

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