1. Billy has been struggling to keep up with the rest of his third grade classmates in reading the first six weeks of the second marking period. The rest of the class appears to be making reasonable progress in terms of reaching benchmarks in the standards-aligned curriculum, however Mrs. Smith (the third grade teacher) indicates that she fears Billy may fall further behind as more time passes and that this will not only hinder his development of reading skills in class but also adversely impact how he performs on the upcoming state assessments.

Question

What tier is the best option?
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3

Answer 1

In the context of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), the appropriate tier for Billy would likely be Tier 2.

Here’s a breakdown of the tiers:

• Tier 1: This tier includes high-quality instruction and universal supports that are provided to all students in the classroom. It is focused on meeting the needs of the majority of students.

• Tier 2: This tier involves targeted interventions for students who are identified as needing additional support beyond what is provided in Tier 1. These interventions are often small group sessions designed to help students who are at risk of academic failure, such as Billy.

• Tier 3: This tier is for students who demonstrate more significant challenges and may require intensive, individualized intervention strategies.

Since Mrs. Smith has concerns about Billy falling further behind his classmates and suggests that he may need additional support to catch up, Tier 2 would be the best option to provide targeted interventions to support his reading development.