Elementary Tier 2 Manual

Canyons School District

Instructional Supports Department

Determine Target Skill

DRAFT Students’ skills should be monitored and recorded frequently and consistently in order for skill-based instruction to remain dynamic and matched to student needs. Teachers use data to continually design and adjust effective skills-based instruction using the resources in this manual. For most students receiving a fdelitous Tier 2 intervention, skills-based instruction will suffciently meet individual student needs. Additional intervention may be necessary for students who are not adequately responding to the intervention. Resources for intervention outlined in the CSD instructional materials database are pre-approved for use. (For more information, please refer to the article “Tiered Instruction and Intervention in a Response-to-Intervention Model”) Skills-based instruction is an effcient Tier 2 small-group structure for providing instruction that is targeted to student skill level. Essential components include: ● teaching essential skills for behavior and academics ● differentiating instruction ● providing explicit and systematic instruction with ample opportunities for student practice and teacher feedback, including error correction ● applying taught skills and strategies ● responding to student progress data ● creating a learning atmosphere that is motivating, engaging, supportive, and positive (Denton, 2008; Torgesen, 2006) It may be diffcult to distinguish between whether the challenges that a student may be experiencing are primarily academic or behavioral in nature as there is an interactive relationship between the two. A student’s academic diffculties may lead to problem behaviors, and similarly, a student’s behavior challenges may impact academic learning. Many times it may be necessary to integrate behavioral supports along with an academic skills-based intervention. However, determining the primary target skill to intervene with (whether academic or behavior) can help in identifying the most appropriate evidence-based intervention needed. In Tier 2, the goal is to identify those students with similar needs in order to implement ongoing interventions that can be applied to groups of students in the same way with little or no individualization (e.g., standard protocol approach). Identifcation of the best option from a menu of available District-approved, research-based interventions is the most effcient delivery model for Tier 2. Instructional Grouping

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