Effective interventions accelerate learning by addressing unfinished learning while keeping students engaged in grade-level instruction. This requires dedicated time, actionable data, and alignment between Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction to ensure interventions support, rather than replace, core learning.
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Dedicated, scheduled intervention time—whether through an extended core math block, supplemental periods, or structured after-school sessions—is essential for Tier 2 instruction. Schools must ensure Tier 1 and Tier 2 teachers collaborate so interventions reinforce rather than disconnect from core instruction.
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Accurate, real-time assessment data helps identify prerequisite skills students need to access grade-level content. Diagnostic assessments, pre-unit checks, and ongoing skill-based assessments ensure Tier 2 lessons directly support Tier 1 instruction rather than covering unrelated topics.
High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) should be approached with integrity rather than fidelity—meaning materials should be used to both meet learning goals and consider the needs of students in the classroom. Just-in-time scaffolding, rather than reteaching entire prior-year units, ensures intervention strengthens students' understanding of essential concepts. When Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction are aligned, interventions reinforce rather than replace core learning.
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The Coherence Map (Achieve the Core) helps educators identify foundational skills that connect directly to grade-level learning, ensuring intervention time is used effectively to prepare students for upcoming content rather than reviewing disconnected content.
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Accelerate, Don’t Remediate! (TNTP) reinforces that access to grade-level content is the strongest predictor of student success. Schools must move away from the "fill in all the gaps first" mindset and toward one that integrates targeted support into grade-level instruction.