Benchmark—a specified level of student performance that is expected of students at a particular grade level. A student’s performance is measured against an established benchmark to determine how they are performing relative to same age or grade level peers.
Core Reading Program - any reading program(s), commercial or school-developed, used in the general education classroom for all students, for the purpose of providing foundational and developmental reading instruction.
Curriculum Based Measurement—an assessment approach used for the purposes of screening students and monitoring their progress across core subject areas: reading, mathematics, writing, spelling. CBM makes use of short, standardized probes that help school personnel determine a student’s risk status and their response to intervention.
Data-based Decision Making—the process of using student data to determine the efficacy of instruction and/or intervention.
Differentiated Instruction—involves adjusting the curriculum, teaching/learning environment, and/or instruction to provide appropriate learning opportunities for all students to meet their needs. When teachers differentiate instruction they typically make adjustments to content, process, product and/or the learning environment.
Fidelity of Implementation—refers to how accurately and consistently a prescribed intervention or instruction or assessment is delivered/administered in the way it was intended.
Progress Monitoring- an assessment process that entails the collection and analysis of student data to evaluate their academic performance on specific skills or general outcomes. Typically curriculum-based measures are used to quantify level of performance relative to peers and rate of progress.
Rate of Progress—student performance across time determined by analyzing multiple points (minimum of three) of data that are graphed.
Research-based instruction—involves educational practices, instructional strategies, and interventions that have been validated as effective through well-designed and independent empirical research studies.
Response to Intervention— school-wide system of organizing instruction and support resources to deliver high quality instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners and recognized as one of the research-based Contracts for Excellence allowable programs.
Tiered Instruction - an instructional delivery model which outlines intensity of instruction within a multi-tiered prevention/intervention system.
Tier 1: Effective, standards-based reading instruction that occurs in the general education classroom and is delivered by general education teacher. Commonly referred to as “core instruction,” it is designed to meet the needs of a minimum of 80% of all students. At this level, the classroom teacher makes use of scientifically- based instruction or strategies and differentiates instruction to meet the needs of all students and ensure positive outcomes for all.
Tier 2: Supplemental, small group instruction designed for specifically for those stu- dents who are not making adequate progress in Tier 1. Tier 2 interventions do not supplant Tier 1 instruction, but are provided in addition to what the student is receiv- ing at Tier 1. Interventions are designed to match the needs of students identified as at-risk through screening and progress monitoring measures and provide a minimum of 20 –30 minutes per session a minimum of 3-4 times per week by trained, knowl- edgeable and skilled school personnel.
Tier 3: Supplemental, individualized and customized intervention provided to students in a smaller group format (1:1 or 1:2) and delivered with greater frequency and duration (5 times per week, minimum of 60 minutes daily). Students in Tier 3 continue to receive core instruction at Tier 1. Interventions at Tier 3 are tailored to the student‘s needs and provided by a highly trained, knowledgeable, and skilled educator.
Core Reading Program - any reading program(s), commercial or school-developed, used in the general education classroom for all students, for the purpose of providing foundational and developmental reading instruction.
Curriculum Based Measurement—an assessment approach used for the purposes of screening students and monitoring their progress across core subject areas: reading, mathematics, writing, spelling. CBM makes use of short, standardized probes that help school personnel determine a student’s risk status and their response to intervention.
Data-based Decision Making—the process of using student data to determine the efficacy of instruction and/or intervention.
Differentiated Instruction—involves adjusting the curriculum, teaching/learning environment, and/or instruction to provide appropriate learning opportunities for all students to meet their needs. When teachers differentiate instruction they typically make adjustments to content, process, product and/or the learning environment.
Fidelity of Implementation—refers to how accurately and consistently a prescribed intervention or instruction or assessment is delivered/administered in the way it was intended.
Progress Monitoring- an assessment process that entails the collection and analysis of student data to evaluate their academic performance on specific skills or general outcomes. Typically curriculum-based measures are used to quantify level of performance relative to peers and rate of progress.
Rate of Progress—student performance across time determined by analyzing multiple points (minimum of three) of data that are graphed.
Research-based instruction—involves educational practices, instructional strategies, and interventions that have been validated as effective through well-designed and independent empirical research studies.
Response to Intervention— school-wide system of organizing instruction and support resources to deliver high quality instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners and recognized as one of the research-based Contracts for Excellence allowable programs.
Tiered Instruction - an instructional delivery model which outlines intensity of instruction within a multi-tiered prevention/intervention system.
Tier 1: Effective, standards-based reading instruction that occurs in the general education classroom and is delivered by general education teacher. Commonly referred to as “core instruction,” it is designed to meet the needs of a minimum of 80% of all students. At this level, the classroom teacher makes use of scientifically- based instruction or strategies and differentiates instruction to meet the needs of all students and ensure positive outcomes for all.
Tier 2: Supplemental, small group instruction designed for specifically for those stu- dents who are not making adequate progress in Tier 1. Tier 2 interventions do not supplant Tier 1 instruction, but are provided in addition to what the student is receiv- ing at Tier 1. Interventions are designed to match the needs of students identified as at-risk through screening and progress monitoring measures and provide a minimum of 20 –30 minutes per session a minimum of 3-4 times per week by trained, knowl- edgeable and skilled school personnel.
Tier 3: Supplemental, individualized and customized intervention provided to students in a smaller group format (1:1 or 1:2) and delivered with greater frequency and duration (5 times per week, minimum of 60 minutes daily). Students in Tier 3 continue to receive core instruction at Tier 1. Interventions at Tier 3 are tailored to the student‘s needs and provided by a highly trained, knowledgeable, and skilled educator.