Elementary Tier 2 Manual

Canyons School District

Instructional Supports Department

Other Assessment Data

CSD uses an integrated assessment system to support educators with gathering evidence of student skills in order to plan instructional responses before, during, and after instruction has taken place. Assessing student learning allows educators to identify gaps in student learning, set goals for improvement, and measure the effectiveness of instructional programs.

DRAFT An important step in using data-based decision making for planning Tier 2 interventions is to validate the need for support. The PLC team and/or SST need to determine the level of confdence that an identifed student may need additional instructional support. All available assessment data (universal screening and other assessment data) should be considered or additional data collected when the decision is not clear. The PLC and/or the SST uses a problem solving process to help identify barriers, plan for intervention, monitor implementation, and determine an intervention’s effectiveness. The teaming structures within CSD include the Building Leadership Team (BLT), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and Student Support Teams (SST). Team decisions regarding whether a student is in need of intensifed instruction or intervention in addition to universal core instruction, typically lies with the school’s PLCs, which are grade-based teams within an elementary school. The PLC uses a problem solving protocol (such as the 4-step problem solving model) to facilitate decision making. Universal screening and other student data, along with implementation data, are used to make informed decisions about student needs and allocation of available resources. CSD’s System of Assessment includes screening assessments designed to effciently identify students who are at risk. Empirically-derived benchmarks have been established for these screening tools, which represent adequate skill for a particular grade and time of year. Each benchmark goal represents the level of skill necessary for students to likely achieve the next benchmark goal, if they receive effective core instruction. Cut points for risk serve to proactively identify those students who are not likely to achieve the next benchmark goal without additional instructional support. Other routinely collected assessment data may facilitate decision making regarding a student’s need for intensifed instructional support. District, team, and school-wide assessments, classroom assessing, and observations all yield important data that may or may not validate screening assessment results. Multiple data sources should be used for decision making regarding a student’s need for intensifed instruction or intervention. Team Problem Solving

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