MTSS RTI Articles & Resources

What Is Tier 2 in Response to Intervention (RTI) / Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)?

Written by Branching Minds | Oct 28, 2019 4:00:00 AM

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.