Melinda Gregory

ED 269

Week 2

July 4, 2021

Courtney is 6 years 3 months old and is in first grade at the Washington Elementary
School. She is having much difficulty with phonological awareness of language
sounds, and she does not recognize rhyming words. Washington School uses the
response-to-intervention (RTI) model for teaching students who are considered to be
at risk. Courtney’s scores were very low on a September screening test on
phonemic awareness and she was identified as a student who was at risk for school
failure. She received instruction in her first-grade general education class in a Tier 1
intervention program using scientifically based materials. Courtney’s performance
was monitored for eight weeks under Tier 1 instruction, with a curriculum-based
measurement (CBM) assessment given each week. At the end of eight weeks of
intervention in Tier 1, the curriculum-based assessment measures showed that
Courtney’s scores were below the criterion for a positive response.

Courtney was then placed into a Tier 2 intervention program. In Tier 2, and she
received more intensive instruction delivered by a reading teacher, using
scientifically based materials. She received intervention in the Tier 2 group for 30
minutes daily. The reading teacher and the first grade classroom teacher also
worked collaboratively on techniques that were effective for Courtney.

At the end of the Tier 2 instruction, progress monitoring showed that Courtney’s
scores had increased substantially and that she was making good progress in her
reading skills. Progress monitoring scores showed that Courtney was responsive to
the Tier 2 instruction. Because Courtney responded positively to the Tier 2
intervention, she was not identified as a child with a disability. Courtney’s progress
will be monitored closely by the first-grade classroom teacher and the reading
teacher for the remainder of first grade.
Questions

1. How did Courtney respond to the Tier 1 instruction?

Courtney’s progress was monitored for eight weeks under Tier 1 instruction. She
was given a curriculum based assessment each week. This showed Courtney’s
score was below the criterion for a positive response to these interventions. This
meant that Courtney was not having the progress that was the goal of these
interventions.

2. How did Courtney respond to the Tier 2 instruction?

When Courtney was given Tier 2 instruction she was monitored closely and given
intensive instruction by a reading teacher using scientifically based materials. This
instruction went for 30 minutes a day with the reading teacher and first grade
teacher working together. At the end of Tier 2 progress monitoring data concluded
that Courtney was making positive progress with her reading skills. Courtney
responded positively to Tier 2 instruction which made the conclusion that she is not
a student with a disability. The remainder for first grade will include close monitoring
to Courtney’s progress by the first grade teacher, as well as the reading teacher.