What Is Tier 3?
Tier 3 interventions provide intensive, individualized supports for students demonstrating significant or complex needs in one or more learning domains: academic, behavioral, and/or social and emotional well-being.
Tier 3 does not replace Tier 1 or Tier 2. Instead, it builds on and intensifies supports already in place. Notably, the path to Tier 3 is not always linear. It is possible to move directly from Tier 1 to Tier 3, yet in many cases Tier 2 efforts precede Tier 3 interventions.
In Ci3T schools, Tier 3 supports are documented in the school’s Ci3T Implementation Manual through a Tier 3 Intervention Grid, which:
- Lists available Tier 3 interventions
- Describes the focus and purpose of each intervention
- Identifies data sources and criteria for intervention matching
- Specifies information to be monitored: student progress, treatment integrity, and social validity
- Defines exit criteria for fading, intensifying, or changing supports
Looking for examples of Tier 3 Intervention Grids?
Key Components
Tier 3 interventions often include many of the same foundational elements found in Tier 2, such as:
- Additional instruction or time to support skill acquisition
- Increased structure and predictability
- More frequent opportunities for feedback
- Increased communication with families
- Built-in flexibility to adjust interventions based on student response, community and family priorities, and social validity feedback
What distinguishes Tier 3 is the degree of intensity and individualization.
Intensity
Intensity does not always mean one-to-one support. Instead, it reflects features such as:
- Strength: how effective the intervention is for students with similar needs
- Dosage: frequency and duration of support
- Alignment: how well the intervention matches the student’s needs
- Comprehensiveness: the extent to which the intervention addresses the full scope of need
- Attention to transfer: how well skills generalize (to new settings, to new skills)
- Behavioral support: use of strategies to promote self-regulation and reduce counterproductive behavior
Individualization
Individualization is driven by additional data-based decision-making. For example, Tier 3 behavioral supports often involve collecting information about the function of a behavior to inform intervention design and adjustment.
Examples of Tier 3 Interventions in Ci3T
Tier 3 interventions vary based on student needs. These interventions can cover any learning domain or subject, including academic subjects (e.g., reading, math, writing), behavior, or social and emotional well-being.
Tier 3 interventions often include functional assessment-based interventions (FABI) to support the acquisition and performance of behaviors conducive to learning.
FABI is a systematic, five-step process for designing intensive behavioral interventions based on identifying the function of a student’s behavior.
FABIs are highly individualized and may involve:
- Teaching new replacement behaviors
- Adjusting environmental features to increase success
- Modifying contingencies such as reinforcement
More than two decades of research indicates FABI is a promising approach for supporting students with intensive behavioral needs.
Important Things to Know About Tier 3
- Teaming is essential. Tier 3 planning often involves expertise from multiple disciplines (e.g., general education, special education, behavior analysis, psychology, social work, reading or math specialists), depending on student needs.
- Collaboration matters. Teams prioritize strong home-school collaboration to ensure interventions are socially valid and coordinated across settings.
- Tier 2 is not always a prerequisite. If data indicate a student’s needs warrant intensive support—such as being multiple grade levels behind or demonstrating unsafe behavior—it is appropriate to move directly to Tier 3 in the relevant domain.
Ci3T Modules on Tier 3 Interventions
Ci3T Modules offer in-depth professional learning. Explore these featured modules, or browse the full collection.
Data Tools & Templates
Effective Tier 3 implementation relies on three key data sources:
- Social validity: How do teachers, students, and families feel about the goals, procedures, and outcomes?
- Treatment integrity: Are we implementing the intervention as intended?
- Student outcomes: Is the student making meaningful progress?
Ci3T provides training and materials for many Tier 3 interventions, including:
- Implementation steps checklists
- Social validity forms
- Treatment integrity checklists
Want to see templates of these data collection forms?
Dive Deeper
Ready to take the next step with Tier 3? Explore the resources below based on your goals.