Tier 3 Behavior Interventions that Work

As always, it was great to get together and hear how things are going for everyone! Our conversation this month focused on Tier 3 interventions. It was a chance to give an informational overview as well as share resources and answer questions.

Who is Tier 3 for?

We started out by establishing a shared understanding of who might benefit from Tier 3 support. These interventions are for students who need targeted and individualized support to meet a goal. Thinking back to the pyramid that represents the multi-tiered system of behavior supports, let’s remember that any student who needs Tier 3 interventions must continue to receive layers of Tier 1 support as well as one or more layers of Tier 2 interventions as well. Each tier of support is additive - it does not replace other interventions and supports.

The Role of Data Collection

We had a robust discussion about the essential role that data collection plays in the implementation of Tier 3 resources. Rather than relying on anecdotal reports from teachers or staff, we must use Tier 3 tools to directly observe the behaviors  a student is exhibiting. These observations are even more useful when they include details such as how often the behavior occurs. 

Tier 3 behavior tracking that incorporates data collection around a behavior’s function can be incredibly useful. This type of data can be gathered using a Functional Behavior Analysis tool. Tools like this one and others, such as this Functions of Behavior flowchart, help teachers and staff understand more about what purposes different behaviors are attempting to serve. This information can be very informative when creating a Behavior Intervention Plan, templates for which are available as both a Google Doc and a PDF. When using multiple sources of data to inform PBIS implementation at a school, another tool that can be very useful is the Assessment Schedule.This document serves to keep everyone at a school site on the same page and helps boost the fidelity with which PBIS is implemented.

Peer Tutoring

One of the Tier 3 interventions we discussed was peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is a form of relationship-based student-to-student interaction. This is different from Check-In Check-Out, a Tier 2 intervention that relies on interactions between adults and students. 

Peer tutoring is a support that can happen during, or outside of, school hours. It can be run similarly to a social club such as a Lunch Bunch that happens during mealtime, creating natural opportunities for peers to talk. Having a facilitator present with a peer tutoring group that has a social focus allows the adult to guide conversations, pose questions, and the like. 

In addition to happening in a group setting, peer tutoring can also happen in pairs. This might look like two age-alike student dyads. It can even include an older student matched with a younger student. In a mixed-age model, older students can demonstrate what meeting expectations looks like or help younger students to learn routines and procedures. Peer tutoring can even be done class-wide in pairs or trios, where students have the chance to take turns as both the tutor and the tutee. 

Peer tutoring resources are available on the KOI Resources page. You will find a Peer Tutoring Fidelity checklist that helps support the planning and implementation of this intervention. You will also see a Peer Tutoring Worksheet that helps you consider where to apply three different Peer Tutoring practices to real classrooms.

Wraparound Supports

Some other options for Tier 3 support that we discussed included wraparound interventions. A wraparound support is a student and family centered process that brings a community of support (school, social services/agencies, church/mosque, recreation clubs, etc) together for the student - in the same room, at the same time, on a regular timeline. We talked about two specific wraparound tools: a geomap and an ecomap. A geomap shows where a person can physically locate services or support in their community. An ecomap is personal and identifies the types of connections present between individuals in a students life. These are both examples of Tier 3 interventions that help students to find various forms of support they need to be successful.

Another tool that can be used as a wraparound support is the Home, School, Community Tool. This tool is used to identify what might be happening outside of school and what needs a student might have beyond the academic environment. It is a tool that can be used to collect data about a student’s need for things like food, transportation, or medical care.

Differential Reinforcement

In some ways, differential reinforcement can be thought of as “acknowledgement of partial success”. It involves identifying reasonable, realistic, student behavior and then reinforcing student success based on their individual accomplishments or progress. One example of differential reinforcement that came up which made it more clear and easier to understand had to do with an imaginary scenario in which a student continuously leaves the classroom, finding it very difficult to stay in the designated learning space for the expected length of time. In this case, differential reinforcement would look like using observation to determine how long the student can realistically stay in class without leaving, or eloping as this behavior is known. If the student can stay in class for ten minutes then differential reinforcement would involve tracking the time in class without eloping and then praising the student when they stay for that long. Use our Differential Reinforcement worksheet to get started.

One argument against differential reinforcement that some people can raise is that praising a student for doing less than what is expected of them seems unreasonable. In this case, though, the expectation has shifted for this student for the time being and they are being praised for what they CAN do. Differential reinforcement can look like reinforcing the omission of a behavior, such as praising a student for NOT putting their hands on peers if that is something they have been doing. It can also look like praising what is known as an incompatible behavior. To go back to the example of the student who elopes, this could look like positively reinforcing them when they choose to sit in their seat because sitting in the seat means they are not leaving the room.

Self-Monitoring

With self-monitoring support, students are given a tool and training on how to self-regulate their actions and behaviors. It’s a simple to learn system to track behaviors you want to change and helps with the motivation to make that change last. It can be used K-12 and for adults as well. 

You can use our Self Monitoring Worksheet to plan your own self-monitoring support. It walks you through how to teach the six steps of this intervention. Another tool you might find helpful is the Self-Monitoring Chart for older students. It is available as a Google Doc and a PDF. There’s even an image-based version of the Self-Monitoring Chart, possibly more useful with younger students or non-readers available as a Google Doc and a PDF as well.

See You in April!

Phew! It was a whirlwind of a conversation, as you can see from everything we talked about. We hope you can join us for our next Coffee Talk on Tuesday, April 9th from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. MST (not Mountain Daylight Time). We will be sharing stories of PBIS/MTSS lessons learned this school year! Register here before 11 a.m. on the day of the event to receive the Zoom link, and don’t worry–if you’ve registered to attend a previous Coffee Talk, you will automatically receive a reminder and the Zoom link to this one too. We hope to see you then!

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