Hi Maria,
To orient readers, this question refers to the tiered system of support within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Big picture, MTSS is a framework for schools to organize academic and behavioral support and ensure positive outcomes for all students. It is made up of many essential components, not just the tiered prevention system. However, I’d argue that the role MTSS has played in shaping the way schools provide interventions and identify students with learning disabilities has been one of the most talked-about and adopted features of the framework.
In schools, levels of support are described by tiers of instruction. In a well-functioning system, there are typically three levels, or tiers, of support that increase in intensity. Educators use data about student performance and response to instruction to determine the level and type of support a student needs. Students with greater or more persistent needs receive additional, targeted support. Before I answer your question, I’ll quickly define these tiers:
- Tier 1 (Universal Instruction): At Tier 1, educators provide all students with high-quality core instruction and support. They align instruction with grade-level expectations, use effective high-leverage instructional practices, and differentiate so all students can access and benefit from the instruction.
- Tier 2 (Supplemental Intervention): At Tier 2, educators provide additional, targeted instruction to students who need more support than Tier 1 alone provides. Interventions address identified areas of need and typically occur in small groups, with increased opportunities for practice, feedback, and support. Educators monitor students’ progress to determine whether the intervention is effective and whether the level of support should be adjusted.
- Tier 3 (Intensive Intervention): At Tier 3, educators provide intensive, individualized intervention to students with persistent needs who require more support than they have received through less intensive instruction and intervention. Importantly, it is not a prerequisite that students first receive Tier 2 intervention before an intensive Tier 3 intervention. There are situations, such as a student with significant skill deficits who has missed a lot of school and has many additional risk factors, that could lead a team to decide immediate intensification is indicated.
Students with and without disabilities can and should receive intensive intervention at Tier 3 when data indicates a need for that high level of support. So, to answer your question, no, Tier 3 is not the same thing as special education.
When a student is determined eligible for special education and related services, the team develops an individualized education program (IEP). The requirement is that the specially designed instruction is individualized so students make appropriate progress. I think where things start to get confusing is that sometimes educators talk about tiers of instruction and consider students with disabilities as a separate category or additional tier when it’s not. It’s often conceptualized as Tier 1, plus Tier 2, then Tier 3, then special education. That’s not how the system was designed to work, and in fact, when this happens, special education services risk becoming delayed or disconnected from core instruction and intervention. Instead, a student with an IEP receives services in the same Multi-Tiered Systems of Support as all students. The difference is that educators have additional legal responsibilities to ensure the programming for students with disabilities is tailored to the student's individual needs.
When the conversation shifts to how special education programming is delivered, there is also typically confusion. In most cases, a student with an IEP receives at least part of their instruction through general education, or Tier 1 universal instruction. This instruction and any accommodations must be delivered in a way that ensures the student has access to the general curriculum. Students with disabilities frequently benefit from intensive intervention in one or more areas of need, and Tier 3 intensive intervention may ben an appropriate mechanism for delivering this instruction. Depending on the student's needs, the IEP, and who is qualified to provide the support, intensive intervention could be provided by an appropriately trained special education teacher, general education teacher, or even both. There are endless permutations for how this could look. For example, a student may receive Tier 3 intensive intervention provided by a special education teacher for reading and begin to show a need for additional math support. In this case, the student might also receive Tier 2 math intervention from a regular education teacher, if the team determines that the setting and level of support are appropriate.
While Tier 3 isn't synonymous with special education, it also isn’t separate from it. Students receiving special education are still part of the school’s MTSS. Remembering that Tier 3 and special education overlap but aren't interchangeable offers a clearer way to think about how they relate.
I hope this helps make sense of how the two fit together!
