Tier 1 Instructional Alignment

Recommended Initiative 2.5

Align tier 2 and tier 3 instruction to tier 1.

Deliverables & Design Considerations

Click each deliverable below to expand its key design considerations.

TIMING: SPRING 2021

Renew or select an adaptive online learning platform for supplemental instruction that provides opportunities for individualized student practice

To what extent does the existing adaptive online learning provide supplemental instruction and opportunities for individual practice?
To what extent does the platform free up teachers to provide differentiated supports to other students?
To what extent has the adaptive online learning platform shown evidence of impact through Evidence for ESSA or What Works Clearinghouse?

timing: SCHOOL YEAR 2021-22

Implement and monitor use of supplemental adaptive online platform

To what extent is the adaptive online learning providing supplemental instruction, rather than supplanting tier 1 instruction?
To what extent is the adaptive online platform being used as intended? If not, why?

Audit the use of tier 2 and tier 3 instructional time and materials to ensure they target student needs identified through valid and reliable data and offer coherence with tier 1 programming

Determine interventions to stop, start and/or continue

Do our supports for diverse learners reflect research-based approaches (e.g., as summarized in What Works Clearinghouse’s Evidence Reviews: Children and Youth with Disabilities and Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School)?
Are we leveraging resources for differentiation within our core curriculum (e.g., as described in EdReports indicators 1s, 1t, and 3o-3r for K-2 ELA)?
Are our approaches to whole-class and small-group/personalized instruction coherent, while targeting unique learning needs? Examples include:
- The foundational skills block in EL Education’s ELA curriculum includes both a whole group component aligned to grade level reading foundational standards, and a small group component based on student microphase in foundational skills mastery.
- Bookworms includes foundational skills instruction both for the whole class as part of the grade level shared reading block, and for small groups at different levels of foundational skills mastery in the differentiated instruction block.
- Zearn is aligned to Eureka Math and allows students to learn at their own pace. It also supports teachers in assigning pre-grade-level intervention lessons to support prerequisite learning.
Do tier 2 and 3 interventions currently compromise student access to core instruction or a well-rounded educational program?
Do providers of core and supplemental instruction have time to collaborate with one another in order to ensure coherence and alignment across the student learning experience?

Adjust systems and staffing as needed to ensure interventions can be delivered as intended and identify appropriate dosage to start/continue

Do we have access to a sufficient number of staff to provide appropriate dosage of interventions?
Do we have sufficient instructional time within the school day to meet targeted student needs?

Create a SY22-23 training plan for any new interventions, sourcing a training partner as needed

What, if any, interventions will require new and/or additional training for teachers and leaders?
When and how will the training be provided?
Do we have sufficient internal capacity to develop and provide the necessary training, or will we need to source an external training partner?

Create a monitoring plan to collect and review data on the implementation and efficacy of interventions that will be implemented in SY22-23