RtI – Tier 3

Tier III of the RtI Framework is the most intensive of all tiers. Typically less than 5% of a school’s population will need Tier III interventions. Students placed in Tier III are closely monitored by teams of teachers and school professionals. The classroom challenge is to not only meet the requirements of the RtI process, but to provide engaging, individualized, and differentiated instruction while conducting intensive, comprehensive evaluations for Tier III students. Diagnostic assessments are essential in tracking progress and making decisions. From this tier, further academic deterioration implies that a student may require Exceptional Student Education (ESE), or Special Education. Therefore, it is truly important to communicate with the student and to identify any environmental influences that might be hindering progress.

There are different approaches to motivating each student, but in many cases, the use of technology is an ideal component. Sometimes, working independently and at his/her own pace is just what a students needs to feel comfortable learning. VocabularySpellingCity is a web-based, open-ended educational resource that can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs of your Tier III students.

Tier III includes:

• Individualized Interventions, based upon the student’s needs
• Additional 90 minutes of instruction
• Frequent progress monitoring and use of data-driven instruction
• Student feedback that provides information on strengths, as well as areas that need improvement

VocabularySpellingCity provides students with CAI (computer assisted instruction) that tracks students’ progress and provides teachers with immediate feedback regarding students’ growth (or lack thereof) with implemented interventions. Games and activities provide immediate feedback to students on successes and areas in need of improvement. VSC provides Tier III students with additional practice necessary for improvement in areas of weakness.

Use VocabularySpellingCity to encourage your Tier III student to excel:

• A premium account supplies you with a versatile grade book in which you can customize viewing options a number of ways. By tracking progress for specific topics and with each kind of test, you can easily identify a students’ strengths and weaknesses. There is also an option to copy and paste the results into excel or other spreadsheets for writing reports.
• Select word lists that are evenly balanced between a student’s strengths and weaknesses, so that the student is challenged, yet doesn’t get too discouraged. You might consider using lists from lower grade levels to get a student up to speed on a subject he/she is experiencing difficulty with.
• Empower the student to make their own choices by letting them decided which games to play or which word list to work on first.