Anyone with experience in a middle or high school that uses the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework knows the pain of effective Tier 2 Interventions. Tier 1 is logistically easy; it's what good teachers do in their classrooms. Schools have district level support, guidance, and funding to implement Tier 3 strategies since most are codified in IDEA 2004. Tier 2 (providing targeted interventions to individual students), however, is the messy middle.
Schools that are serious about Tier 2 include time in their day for the interventions. This time is known variously as Resource Time, Flex Time, Extended Learning Time, or [insert School Mascot here] Time. A rose by any other name, right? What these periods have in common is that direct classroom instruction is suspended for a few critical minutes each day so teachers can help students in their studies. These periods provide the time for Tier 2 interventions.
But here's the rub: it is exceedingly difficult to get a student into the same room as the right teacher for the intervention the kid needs today. To be sure, most schools carefully craft these flex period rosters, attempting to put students struggling in math in with a math teacher, struggling readers in with language teachers, etc. But what of the kids who need multiple supports? What of those that are excelling and want to dig a little deeper? What of those whose needs are met weeks ahead of the next roster shuffle? Student needs and goals shift faster than administrators, counselors, and teams of teachers can restructure the seating charts.
A romantic but naive solution to this problem would be to let the students walk into any classroom they desired during flex time. Unfortunately, the need for accountability, the maturity level of the average student, and the need for somewhat balanced class sizes make this approach nothing more than a pipe dream.
But Edficiency gives life to that dream. The Edficiency RtI Scheduling System was designed by a teacher who knew there had to be a better way to get kids into the rooms of the teachers they needed to see, each and every day. Utilizing a web based platform accessible 24/7, the system takes requests from students and staff to see each other. It creates unique flex period rosters each day based not only on these requests, but also with regard for students have been identified for longer term needs and each student's own preferences. After the system sends emails or text messages to the students so they know where to go each day, the system allows teachers to log in to view their rosters, take attendance, and make additional requests to see students tomorrow when they see them struggle today. And in the absence of requests, the system is smart enough to balance class sizes and keep students in rooms with teachers that will recognize them.
The combination of flexible time and unique daily rosters based on request make effective Tier 2 interventions possible. The ability for either party to request each other gives agency to the student and immediacy to the teacher when extra support is needed. When targeted daily interventions are possible, amazing things happen.
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