Tier 3 consists of everything in Tier 2!
Howard states "Ditto to everything in Chapter 4, times two." Tier 3 usually consist of two 30-minute daily sessions with an instructional group size of 1-3 students. These two sessions occur outside of tier 1 instructional block. Some schools may offer this instructional time using science and social studies curriculum in the classroom or as in tier 2 it may occur before or after the regular school day.
Tier 3 students have the most severe reading problems so this instruction must be done by a reading expert. Many schools have designed this instruction to take place in a pullout session. Again, this instruction must be high-quality, accelerated and temporary with the guidelines remaining flexible. The goal of interventions is to help the child return to normal classroom instruction or to allow them to move to the necessary tier as needed.
Experts disagree with the relationship between tier 3 and special education. Some view tier 3 as an entry into special education while others believe it is one more safety net to prevent a child from failing. A child may need special education but it cannot be the goal for tier 3. A child who truly needs special education services could be revealed in any of the tiers.
Howard urges educators to remember that RtI should be flexible enough for each tier to work together seamlessly. RtI is not designed to eliminate special education completely but rather to prevent misidentification of learning disabilities when in reality the student just learns differently. RtI can also reveal situations where schools have a high number of struggling readers due to a "school induced struggle".
A school-induced struggle is when a classroom teacher does not effectively teach literacy, there is little to no differentiation happening and the child fails to learn the necessary skills to become a successful reader. The child then enters the following grade level falling further and further behind their peers becoming a struggling reader due to lack of effective teaching. A young learner cannot afford to have a poor teacher even if it is just one year. There is no "do over" for important foundational skills.
Howard summarizes that the importance of tier 2 and tier 3 is the modeling, coaching, support and feedback that the expert teacher provides. "We sit side by side, model the strategy and let them try it as we wait in the wings to offer a gentle nudge if they falter. We don't tell-we suggest. We ask questions that engage them in the process always. We provide undivided attention in a safe environment. We assess their confusion and offer a new direction until the cloud lifts."
I still believe RtI will make the classroom teacher more effective in teaching literacy, preventing students from "falling through the cracks". I know if I was teaching full time in the classroom I would do so many instructional activities differently. Thank goodness for teaching experts who have shared their success. It is the teacher who is the most effective element in the classroom. We must have a giant toolbox with a wide variety of strategies that allow us to differentiation at a moment's notice!
My next entry will be my final summary (WooHoo!!) of Chapter 6 & 7 focusing on the assessment portion of RtI. Howard does not state specific assessments to use but she gives sound advice to use a combination of formative and summative assessments. Thank goodness for our Formative Assessment study! At the time I had no idea how vital the study would be as we implement the Iowa Core and RtI.
Happy Reading! Mrs. Speake
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