Profiles of reading performance after exiting Tier 2 intervention

Abstract

A fundamental assumption of multi‐tiered systems of support is the bidirectional movement of students between tiers. In comparison to research on when to intensify instruction, less attention has been paid to the validity of decisions to exit students from supplemental supports. We used data from 554 third‐grade students who met the criteria to be exited from a Tier 2 reading fluency intervention to answer two research questions. First, we used latent profile analysis to evaluate whether distinct profiles of student responding would emerge based upon initial skill level and intervention duration. Second, we evaluated whether the proportion of students who passed the end‐of‐year benchmark differed between profiles. Results favored a three‐profile solution with a Below Average Start/Average Response; Average Start/Average Response; and an Above Average Start/Fast Response. The pooled mean proportion of students who did not achieve proficiency on the end‐of‐year benchmark assessment equaled 0.45, 0.33, and 0.13 across the three profiles, respectively. A series of χ2 tests indicated the between‐profile differences were statistically significant (p < .05). The results of this study suggest that there may be distinct profiles amongst students who show positive response and exit Tier 2 reading fluency interventions.

An Intervention in Reading Disabilities Using a Digital Tool During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Response to Intervention (RtI) models provide a line of action regarding assessment and intervention in several areas, including reading: evidence-based interventions are delivered, the effectiveness of those interventions is monitored, and the instruction is adjusted based on how a student responds (Fuchs and Fuchs, 2006;van Norman et al, 2020). Typically, RtI includes three Tiers: Tier 1, which includes universal evidence-based instruction; Tier 2, which encompasses more support for some students in addition to general instruction; and Tier 3 which involves a more intense and personalized intervention, often delivered individually, to only a few students (Gartland and Strosnider, 2020).…”

“…Reading difficulties have serious implications on students' academic success and motivation, and there has been a growing body of research that evidences the need to develop early interventions that are tailored to the needs of each student to reduce the likelihood of more severe disabilities (Arias-Gundín and Llamazares, 2021) and decrease the differences between students (Pfost et al, 2014). Several studies support RtI effectiveness in the intervention in reading disabilities (e.g., Suggate, 2010;van Norman et al, 2020). In this study, we will focus specifically on Tier 2 reading interventions.…”

Efficacy of the RtI Model in the Treatment of Reading Learning Disabilities

“…At Tier 2, the theoretical model recommends a monthly assessment in addition to the initial and final assessments. In this tier, evaluation was maintained at the beginning and at the end of instruction [26,34,49,53], with intermediate evaluations, either every week [39,42,54] or every two weeks [28]. Other studies chose to evaluate participants every three weeks [32,35,43], monthly [45,47], bimonthly [27,29,31,44], or quarterly [36].…”

Fluency Training for Struggling Readers: Examining the Effects of a Tier-2 Intervention in Third Graders

“…High-quality Tier-1 interventions, particularly class-wide interventions, should be available to all students in the regular classroom [13]. However, standard instruction may be sufficient for some students but not for others [16]. If a Tier-1 student does not meet benchmark goals, they should receive supplemental support in small groups.…”