1. Managing Tier 2 and Tier 3 Interventions
Developing the Intervention System
Secondary Level
miblsi.org

2. 1.0 Defining a School-wide Content Area Reading Model Within an MTSS Framework

3. School-wide Content Area Reading Model
Definition: Multi-tiered structures encompassing:
Systems to address the continuum of reading needs across the student body;
Practices designed to improve reading outcomes for all students that involve active participation by all school staff; and
Data use and analysis
(St. Martin, Nantais, & Harms, 2015)
Trainer Notes:
The definition of the the School-wide Reading Model is taken from the Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory (R-TFI) Elementary Level Edition.
A school-wide reading model is defined as a multi-tiered structures encompassing: (1) data use and analysis; (2) systems to address the continuum of reading needs across the student body; and (3) evidence-based practices focused on the Big Ideas of Reading designed to improve reading outcomes for all students. 

4. Systems to Address Needs
Team structures
School-wide Content Area Reading Plan
Professional Learning Plan
Intervention Grid with entry criteria, progress monitoring, and exit criteria
Intervention System
Define process for selection of content area reading strategies, programs and intervention program and materials (at the district level)

5. Evidence-Based Practices
Common content area reading strategies using instructional routines
Focus core instruction and intervention on the big ideas of adolescent reading (advanced decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary & motivation) for all students

6. Data Use & Analysis
Collection of Early Warning Indicators (EWI) as a universal screening measure and review of historical data
Monthly SLT meetings monitoring school-level MTSS Implementation plan and reviewing EWI data three times a year
Collecting Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory – Secondary- Level Edition (R-TFI) by SLT
Department team meetings that include a focus on data related to the use of common content area reading strategies
Cross-department team meetings that focus on problem solving around a common group of students, developing g a plan and monitoring progress of that plan

7. School-wide Content Area Reading Model Review
Multi-tiered structures encompassing:
S______ to address the continuum of r_____ needs across the student body;
P_________ designed to improve reading outcomes for a___ students that involve active participation by all school staff; and
D_____ use and a_________
(St. Martin, Nantais, & Harms, 2015)
Trainer Notes:
The definition of the the School-wide Reading Model is taken from the Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory (R-TFI) Elementary Level Edition.
A school-wide reading model is defined as a multi-tiered structures encompassing: (1) data use and analysis; (2) systems to address the continuum of reading needs across the student body; and (3) evidence-based practices focused on the Big Ideas of Reading designed to improve reading outcomes for all students. 

8. 2.0 Why Students Struggle to Understand Text

9. In Module 2.0, we will… Review the Simple View of Reading
Discuss the changing emphasis of reading instruction
Provide reasons students struggle to read and understand what they read

10. Simple View of Reading
(Gough, 1986)

11. Simple View of Reading: Defining Domains
Decoding (word-level reading): ability to transform print into spoken language
Language Comprehension: ability to understand spoken language

12. Simple View of Reading: Language Skills
Focus on the Language Comprehension Domain that is made up of Academic Language Skills: Background Knowledge: possesses general and topic-specific background knowledge, Inferential Language Skills: ability to discuss topics beyond immediate context, Narrative Language Skills: ability to clearly relate a series of events, and Academic Vocabulary: ability to comprehend and use words in formal writing.

13. Simple View of Reading: Decoding Skills

14. Teaching Decoding and Language Domains
Occurs across the grade levels and increases in difficulty
The instructional emphasis for decoding skills changes based on the grade level and instructional focus:
Print Concepts: Kindergarten
Phonological Awareness (basic and advanced levels): emphasis shifts across K-4
Phonics and Word Recognition: Emphasis shifts across K-5 with the phonics skills getting progressively more difficult
Phonological Awareness and Phonics are the gateway to Word Knowledge (sight vocabulary)
Fluency: sounds, words, connected to text

15. Why Students Struggle?
Traditional reading approaches did not use instructional methods to allow all students to become proficient in the “code of printed English and to build a large sight vocabulary”
Whole-word approach: uses multiple exposures to words so the words are memorized
Three cueing system model: proposes unknown words are read by using context clues, understanding the structure of language (syntax), and by visually recognizing words (recall words based on their appearance)
(Kilpatrick, 2014)

16. Addressing the Needs of Struggling Students
Administer intervention-oriented assessments
Analyze assessment data and apply empirically- proven methods of reading acquisition to address reading deficits
Intervene to remediate the skill deficits (e.g., decoding of multi-syllabic words)
The first three ways to address the needs of struggling students will not be handled by you. The fourth bullet: the compensatory strategies, is why we are together today.

17. Addressing the Needs of Struggling Students (cont.)
Teach compensatory strategies to successfully engage with text in content area classes (e.g., strategies for reading unfamiliar words, understanding text features and types, extracting the most important pieces of information)
The first three ways to address the needs of struggling students will not be handled by you. The fourth bullet: the compensatory strategies, is why we are together today.

18. Activity 2.1 Which reading domain needs immediate attention?
Kylie cannot read multisyllabic words. Read the following passage and delete the underlined words:
“When explorers from Portugal arrived in Brazil in 1500, as many as 5 million Native Americans lived there. During the 1500s, the Portuguese established large sugar cane plantations in northeastern Brazil. At first they enslaved Native Americans to work on the plantations. Soon, however, many Native Americans died of disease. The plantation owners then turned to Africa for labor. Eventually, Brazil brought over more enslaved Africans than any other North or South American country.”
(From World Cultures and Geography (2005), published by McDougal-Littell)
Which reading domain needs immediate attention?

19. Activity 2.2
Shaun can accurately read the passage on the previous slide
When asked to discuss the events leading up to why the Portuguese needed to enslave Africans, his answer was, “because they needed people to work on the plantations.”
Which reading domain and skill(s) likely need attention?

20. 3.0 Compensatory Strategies: Strategies to Use Before, During, and After Students Read

21. In Module 3.0 we will…
Briefly review comprehension strategies that should be done before, during, and after students read text
Discuss the challenges with understanding informational text
Review compensatory strategies that can be used across core subject area classes to improve students’ understanding of what they read in their classes

22. Framing Comprehension
To ensure students understand what they are expected to read in their core subject area classes there are things that need to be done:
Before reading
During reading
After reading
Some strategies differ depending on text genre (informational vs. narrative)

23. Before Reading Informational Text Narrative Text
Teach the pronunciation and meaning of critical, unknown vocabulary words
Teach or activate necessary background knowledge
Guide students in previewing the text (e.g., text features, key terms)
Establish a clear purpose for reading
Narrative Text
Teach or activate necessary background knowledge
Teach the pronunciation of critical, unknown vocabulary words; including text structure (rising and falling action, theme)
Preview the narrative book
(Archer, 2016)

24. During Reading Narrative Text Informational Text
Passage reading procedures
Text dependent questions
Teacher-generated and student- generated questions
Reading material is divided into appropriate segments
Focus is on the most important content and text structure
Scaffolding is provided by starting with foundational (literal) questions before higher-level questions (Archer, 2016)
Informational Text
Passage reading procedures
Text dependent questions:
Read-stop-respond: students focus on the information (evidence) provided in the text
Teacher and student generated questions
Scaffolding is provided by starting with foundational (literal) questions before higher-level questions

25. After Reading Narrative Informational
Engage students in a discussion about the book that was read
Provide engaging vocabulary practice including retrieval practice
Guide students in planning, writing, revising summaries, extended responses, and essays
Informational
Culminating activities (next slide)
Related research
Quick research (e.g., extend learning related to the topic through individual research; have students locate information from credible resources)
Extended research (select a topic and prepare an essay / report)
(Archer, 2016)

26. Informational Text: Culminating Activities
Study content (Read, Cover, Recite, Check)
Complete and study a graphic organizer
Respond to short answer questions
Complete and discuss multiple choice items
Discuss content in response to well-designed questions or task activities
Complete a writing frame
Write a short essay in response to a prompt (text analysis)
Take a quiz on the information
(Archer, 2016)

27. Challenges with Informational Text
Informational (expository) text are inconsistent, unpredictable, unfamiliar to students, and often times, poorly organized
Narrative text have more familiarity to students; follow a typical storyline by having a beginning, middle, and end; and overall, tend to be easier for students to understand
Students need to be taught informational text structure and how to apply text-structure based comprehension strategies
(Bakken & Whedon, 2002)

28. Addressing Needs: Compensatory Strategies
Before, during, after comprehension strategies will compensate for weak Academic Language Skills that are preventing students from fully understanding the concepts
Overt / covert strategies for reading long words will compensate for weak Decoding Skills
Any student at certain points in time is at-risk of comprehension issues (e.g., lack of background knowledge, motivation, “deep cognitive floating”) and will benefit from compensatory strategies

29. Decoding Strategies for Reading Long Words (REWARDS ® Strategy)
Overt Strategy
Covert Strategy
Circle the prefixes.
Circle the suffixes.
Underline the vowels.
Say the parts of the word.
Say the whole word.
Make it a real word.
Look at the prefixes, suffixes, and vowels.
Say the parts of the word.
Say the whole word.
Make it a real word.
Be prepared to provide an example on a document camera

30. Decoding Strategies for Reading Long Words (Read to Achieve Strategy)
Underline all the vowel sounds.
Make a slash between the word parts so each part has one vowel sound.
Go back to the beginning of the word, and read the parts in order.
Read the whole word.
Be prepared to provide an example on the document camera.
(Marchand-Martella,& Martella, 2010)

31. Adolescent Reading Content Strategy Series
Three strategies that will be systematically used within secondary schools in conjunction with an intervention component to remediate skill deficits
SQ3R (also includes passage reading procedures)
Text summarization using writing frames and graphic organizers
Vocabulary instruction (also includes ways to build background knowledge)

32. MIBLSI Content Reading Strategy Focus
Before Reading:
SQ3R: “S”
Vocabulary instruction (includes ways to activate background knowledge)
During Reading:
SQ3R: “Q” and the first “R” (includes passage reading procedures)
After Reading:
SQ3R: 2nd and 3rd ”R”
Text summarization and use of writing frames as a temporary scaffold for writing high- quality summarizations

33. Use of the Content Reading Strategies
You will seek input from the rest of the school staff in order to draft an implementation plan for the installation and use of the three content area reading strategies
The implementation plan components are going to be shared with your District Implementation Team
They are focused on making your use of district-supported strategies or programs as easy as possible (barrier-free)

34. Activity 3.1
Partner 1: Study slides (framing comprehension; before, during, and after reading comprehension strategies)
Partner 2: Study slides (challenges with informational text, compensatory strategies, MIBLSI content reading strategy focus)
Pretend your partner just arrived to the session and it is your responsibility to teach them the information on the slides you studied

35. 4.0 Intervention System

36. Defining Intervention System
Efficient and effective process for ensuring students have access to academic and behavioral intervention supports and are making adequate progress within those supports

37. Why an Intervention System
Sense of urgency is needed to accelerate the performance of low-performing students so they can be successful students
Closing the performance gap becomes increasingly difficult as students progress through school

38. Intervention System Components
Process for identifying students needing interventions
Intervention essentials: (you started to develop an Intervention Grid that included this information during your Tier 2 Behavior Systems session)
Description
Skills designed to address
Entrance criteria
Progress monitoring guidelines
Exit criteria

39. Intervention System Components (cont.)
Placement and grouping procedures
Interventionist training and implementation supports
Fidelity
Intensifying interventions
Data use and analysis
Communication protocols

40. Format for the Two Days
Structured time for your team to fully develop six of the intervention system components:
Identifying Students
Continuing to develop your Intervention Grid to include essential information
Intervention placement (determining who)
Interventionist Training and Implementation Supports
Intervention Data Use and Analysis
Communication Protocols

41. Format for the Two Days (cont.)
We will discuss why each component is critical for a well-developed intervention system
The documents for each of the components are accessible electronically for your team to contextualize today
Time will be allocated for your teams to work on one component at a time

42. 5.0 Process for Identifying Students
Intervention System: Component 1

43. Identifying Students
Emphasis is on data to identify students in need of intervention and data to appropriately place them into intervention
Example: multi-gated approach
EWI data and incoming risk indicator data indicates students that are in need of intervention
Additional data are gathered if it is unknown what grade level the student is reading
Intervention placement assessments are administered to appropriately place students into programs

44. Identifying Students (cont.)
The process for identifying students is for current and new students (new to the district and new from feeder schools)
Gathering data from feeder schools can (and should) begin in the winter / early spring so you can begin to determine intervention needs / classes

45. Activity 5.1 You have been shared an Intervention System Google Folder
Access Part 1: Identifying Students
The Google document titled, “Part 1: Identifying Students outlines what you are expected to do
The “Reading Assessment System” document is where you will:
Outline the data the various data sources that will be used to flag students in need of intervention
Document logistics for things like administration, scoring, data entry

46. 6.0 Intervention Essentials
Intervention System: Component 2

47. Intervention Essentials
Documented in an Intervention Grid
Provides an “at-a-glance” view of the interventions accessible to students within the school
Outlines critical decision rules for each intervention:
Entrance criteria
Progress monitoring guidelines
Exit criteria
You started your Intervention Grid during Tier 2 Behavior Systems and framed it around CICO

48. Activity 6.1
There are pre-populated categories of skill deficits any intervention system should address
Access the Intervention Grid in your Google Folder (Part 2: Intervention Essentials)
You have an example of the reading portions of an Intervention Grid
Consider what interventions you currently have for students to access
Start to develop the reading components of your Intervention Grid

49. 7.0 Intervention Placement
Intervention System: Component 3

50. Intervention Placement Testing
Intervention programs should have a mechanisms to appropriately place students
Some may only include a pre / post test; however, it is critical to ensure they meet the minimum pre-requisite skills for the program
People will need to be designated to administer the placement tests and then use the data to group students accordingly

51. Intervention Grouping
Predicated on student’s performance in the placement tests
Contingent on how many intervention grouping options available

52. Activity 7.1
Access Part 3: Intervention Placement in your Google Folder
Identify people that will be responsible for administering intervention placement tests and document in your action plan training of those individuals
Access the example flow chart for developing intervention groups
Outline your process for determining intervention groupings

53. 8.0 Interventionists Training and Implementation Supports
Intervention System: Component 4

54. Successful Use of Interventions
Interventionists need to access high-quality professional learning that includes:
Overview of the program components
Modeling of components
Practice opportunities
Error correction procedures and strategies to “firm-up” student’s automaticity of the skills
Interventionists need support in their initial use of the interventions

55. Implementation Supports
Materials needed to use the program (teacher displays, mastery assessment copies, etc.)
Fluency building opportunities:
Modeling lesson components in front of students (as needed)
Co-teaching lesson segments
Feedback
Goal is to support interventionists until they can successfully deliver the program independentl

56. Activity 8.1 Access Part 4 of your Google Folder
Identify your interventionists
Note if they need to access training in intervention programs
Identify who from your staff will be responsible for providing on-going supports (e.g., organizing materials for interventionists, fluency building opportunities)

57. 9.0 Intervention Fidelity
Intervention System: Component 5

58. Importance of “Fidelity”
“Many educators spend a great deal of time focusing on selecting the right intervention. Intervention selection is important, no doubt. However, most interventions fail because they are not implemented well.” (VanDerHeyden & Tilly, 2010, p. 20.)
Reasons for why interventions are not implemented well are typically related to the quality of the initial training and a lack of implementation supports

59. Fidelity: Easiest Variable to Eliminate
If students are not making adequate progress, the easiest, least intrusive variable to rule-out is fidelity to the use of the intervention
Other variables to consider after fidelity include:
Appropriate placement
Use of error correction procedures
Strategies to intensify the instruction within the program
Analysis and use of intervention program assessment data
Group size (Is the size of the group preventing the teacher from being able to monitor, provided the needed feedback, and adjust instruction in the intervention program accordingly?)

60. Activity 9.1 Access Part 5 of your Google Folder
You have a generic fidelity tool that can be used with a variety of intervention programs
If your current intervention programs provide a fidelity tool then use it
Identify who from your staff will be responsible for conducting fidelity checks for interventions and note their training needs on your action plan

61. 10.0 Intensifying Interventions
Intervention System: Component 6

62. Variables to Intensify
Enablers
Core Features
Time
Grouping
Instructor / Interventionist
Precision
Engagement
Feedback
Practice
Enablers
Variables that are not sufficient on their own to improve student outcomes, but are the “conditions under which” we can intensify intervention. Enablers set the stage for intensification to happen. The enablers we consider are:
Time
Grouping
Instructor/Interventionist
We can increase time spent on instruction but if we do not do something different with the increase time more time will not be enough to make a difference.
We can put the student in smaller and smaller groups, but if we do not do something different within the groups it will not be enough to make a difference.
We can provide a more skilled instructor or interventionist but if they do not do something different with instruction it will not be enough to make a difference.
Core Features
Core features are necessary to intensifying interventions, critical to improving outcomes for students, and are enhanced by enablers. The core features we consider are:
Precision
Engagement
Feedback
Practice

63. Reconciling Fidelity with Intensification Strategies
“Fidelity Plus” (Archer, 2017)
Student accuracy trumps lesson completion
Non-example: rushing through a lesson to get one done a day regardless of the accuracy of student responses
Fidelity to the instructional routines, skills, error correction procedures, use of mastery assessments are critical
Adjusting things like teacher modeling and practice opportunities are based on student responses

64. Activity 10.1 Access Part 6 of your Google Folder
Locate the Intensifying Supports document
Review the Core Features rows
Discuss as a team the following:
“What do you notice about the movement of increased intensity?”
“What about this information should be communicated with individuals providing interventions within your school?”

65. 11.0 Intervention Data Analysis and Use
Intervention System: Component 7

66. Necessity of Data Analysis and Use
The key is to accelerate student progress
Analyzing data at multiple levels will make acceleration more of a possibility

67. Levels of Data Analysis
School-wide intervention access: percentages of students who need intervention are able to access interventions
Intervention in-program assessment data analysis: student mastery assessment data are entered for interventionists to analyze
Intervention effectiveness across groupings

68. Data Tool “Intervention Access and Effectiveness Monitoring Tool”
Access: reviewed quarterly
Effectiveness reviewed every 2-4 weeks
We have provided you with data analysis questions for each of these levels

69. Activity 11.1 Access Part 7 of your Google Folder
You will need to do three things:
Note the quarterly meetings your School Leadership Team will be reviewing school-wide intervention access data
List dates for when interventionists can come together to learn how to review their intervention mastery assessment data to develop strategies to intensify the intervention
Review the Intervention Access and Effectiveness Tool

70. 12.0 Communication Protocols
Intervention System: Component 8

71. Intervention System Communication Protocols
Groups / Teams, Staff to communicate:
School leadership team (if you have a separate Intervention System Team)
Grade / cross-department teams
All staff
Central office
Parents
Other?

72. Communication Protocols
Include the following:
Protocol (process) for what information needs to be gathered and disseminated to each group / team, in what format, and in a pre-determined timeframe
Designees from each group / team that are assigned the task of gathering and disseminating information

73. Activity 12.1 Access Part 8 of your Google Folder
Identify / confirm the groups / teams, staff that need intentional communication in the intervention system
Based on everything you have outlined over the two sessions, start to developing your communication
Anything that is not finished should be added to your action plan