Tiered Supports

A tiered system of support is an organizational framework for educators to match instruction and intervention to student need. Tennessee has two distinct frameworks for student support: RTI2 and RTI2-B. RTI2 (also called RTI2-A) is Tennessee’s framework for academic support, while RTI2-B is Tennessee’s framework for behavior support. Both frameworks promote continuous improvement of instruction and intervention for all students through ongoing, data-based decision-making.

Behavioral Supports

Response to Instruction and Intervention for Behavior (RTI2-B) is a team-based approach for creating and maintaining safe learning environments.  This system's approach helps districts, schools, staff, parents, and students align social and behavioral supports into one sustainable, effective, multi-tiered, problem-solving framework.  The focus of this approach is on preventing problem behaviors and teaching appropriate social, emotional, and behavioral skills as needed.  RTI2-B includes universal prevention efforts within Tier 1 to promote a positive school- and class-wide climate.  Through a focus on strong Tier 1 behavior supports, schools can create a culture where all students and teachers are respected and included in their community.

Tier 1 of RTI2-B refers to the consistent set of behavioral expectations for all students across all school settings.  Students are taught the rules and expectations explicitly, and students who are consistently meeting those expectations are recognized and celebrated on a regular basis.  Tier 1 also includes clear and consistent procedures for rule violations.

Research shows that with effective Tier 1 practices in place, 80 to 85 percent of students will be able to meet the school's behavior expectations.  Ten to fifteen percent of students may require additional, or Tier 2, behavior supports.  These might include participation in a check-in/check-out program, small group behavior skills instruction, or learning to request breaks.  An additional three to five percent of students may require individualized behavioral supports through a plan designed to meet their needs.   RTI2-B uses data to track discipline referrals so we can answer questions:  Where are the problems happening?  When are they happening?  Who is at risk?

What is RTI²-A + RTI²-B?

RTI²-A is Tennessee’s framework for tiered academic support, and RTI²-B is Tennessee's framework for tiered behavior support. Because students' academic and behavior needs can be related, it is important for schools to implement the frameworks together, rather than in isolation. The term, RTI²-A+RTI²-B, connects the frameworks and represents how they are intended to work together to address the holistic needs of all students (click on graphic at right for more details). Schools implement RTI²-A+RTI²-B when there is intentional alignment of the essential components of RTI²-A and RTI²-B. These essential components are Leadership, Assessment, Data-Based Decision Making, and Instruction and Intervention.