At Tier 2, students identified as being at-risk academically or behaviorally through universal screeners are provided scientific, research-based interventions in addition to the core. Approximately 5-15% of students will need supplemental instruction at Tier 2 to become proficient. Tier 2 interventions are implemented with groups of students demonstrating common skill deficits or social/emotional/behavioral risk characteristics. These students can be observed on the Branching Minds platform, where a collaborative intervention plan is developed, monitored, and documented.
What Does Tier 2 Support Involve?
Tier 2 or targeted group interventions typically involve an additional 60-90 minutes of instruction (outside of core instruction) provided each week (e.g., two to three 30-minute intervention periods). Targeted group interventions must be:
- More explicit
- More intensive than core instruction
- More supportive in the form of encouragement, feedback, and positive reinforcement
- Carefully scaffolded
Ideally, they would occur in groups of approximately 3 to 5 students, for elementary, and 6 to 8 students, or Tier 2 support classes broken into a few groups of 6 to 8 students, for middle and high schools.
Branching Minds helps schools strengthen their Tier 2 practice
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Branching Minds
Branching Minds is a comprehensive data and student support platform. By bringing together academic, behavior, attendance, and intervention data in one place, the platform provides educational leaders with a complete view of student needs and system performance. It then turns that data into clear, actionable insights and makes it simple for teams to plan and document intervention plans. Branching Minds helps districts achieve consistent practices across schools and make timely, informed decisions that actually improve outcomes.
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