Developing Tier 2 Interventions for Students Who Need More Behavior Support

Kayla is not the student anyone worries about most. She isn't unsafe, and she doesn't have a behavior plan. But by the middle of the fall she has had several minor incidents, her teachers keep mentioning that she's "off" in the afternoons, and she has started to fall behind in work completion. Classroom supports that work for most of her fifth-grade class aren't quite enough for her.

Students like Kayla are who Tier 2 is designed for. In a multi-tiered system of behavior support, Tier 2 offers additional, structured help to students whose needs aren't fully met by universal supports, ideally early, before small problems grow into bigger ones. Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered to small groups or with a standard format, so they can start quickly without a long individualized planning process.

This article explains how schools commonly identify students for Tier 2, what makes a Tier 2 intervention work, how several widely used interventions operate in practice, and what a classroom teacher's role is in making them succeed.

Understanding Tier 2

Where Tier 2 fits

Tier 2 sits between universal (Tier 1) and intensive, individualized (Tier 3) support. Students at Tier 2 continue to receive everything Tier 1 provides. Tier 2 adds more structure, more practice, more feedback and more adult contact.

Features of an effective Tier 2 system

Guidance from the Center on PBIS describes Tier 2 interventions as sharing several features:

• Quick access: students can begin soon after they are identified.
• Consistency: the intervention runs in a similar way for every student in it, which makes it efficient for staff.
• Connection to Tier 1: it uses and reinforces the schoolwide expectations.
• Increased feedback and adult attention: students get more frequent, structured contact with adults.
• Progress monitoring: student response is tracked regularly and reviewed by a team.
• Clear entry and exit decisions: the team decides who begins, who continues, who needs more and who is ready to fade.

How students are identified

Schools use different methods, and your school's procedures are the ones to follow. Common sources include:

• Existing data, such as office discipline referrals, minor incident records, attendance and grades, reviewed against decision rules the school team has set.
• Universal behavior screening, where teachers complete a brief screener for all students at set points in the year.
• Teacher or family requests, through a referral form or student support process.

Screening and requests matter because some students, often those whose difficulties are quieter, such as withdrawal or anxiety, never show up in discipline data.

Why Tier 2 matters

• Early support can prevent escalation. Reaching students when problems are emerging is generally easier than reaching them after patterns are entrenched.
• It is efficient. Standard formats allow a school to support many students without writing an individualized plan for each.
• It builds relationships. Many Tier 2 interventions add a positive, predictable adult connection to the student's day.
• It produces useful data. If a student doesn't respond to a well-delivered Tier 2 intervention, that information helps the team decide on next steps, including whether more intensive support is needed.

Widely used Tier 2 interventions

1. Check-In/Check-Out (CICO)

What it is: One of the most widely used Tier 2 behavior interventions. The student checks in with a designated adult in the morning, carries a daily progress report through the day, receives brief ratings and feedback from teachers at set times, and checks out with the adult at the end of the day. Many versions include a copy that goes home to families.

Why it may help: It adds structured adult attention, frequent feedback tied to schoolwide expectations and a predictable routine. It tends to suit students for whom adult attention is motivating.

The teacher's part: At each rating period, give a quick, specific, encouraging rating. "You started your work right away; that's a 2 for Be Responsible. Let's aim for the same on Be Respectful after lunch." Keep the rating conversation brief, private and positive, and rate honestly.

2. Small-group social skills instruction

What it is: A small group of students meets regularly with a counselor, psychologist or trained staff member to learn and practice specific skills, such as joining a conversation, handling frustration or solving a disagreement.

Why it may help: Some students behave in problematic ways because they haven't yet learned a skill, not because they choose not to use it. Explicit teaching with role-play and feedback builds the skill.

The teacher's part: Ask the group leader what skill is being taught this week, and prompt and acknowledge it in class. Skills learned in a small room often don't transfer to the classroom without that bridge.

3. Self-monitoring

What it is: The student learns to observe and record their own behavior, for example by marking at intervals whether they were on task, or by rating themselves on an expectation at the end of each activity.

Why it may help: Self-monitoring builds awareness and independence, and it can be adapted for many ages. It is often used for students who can perform the behavior but need help noticing when they're off track.

The teacher's part: Teach the procedure with examples, check the student's ratings against yours at first and acknowledge accurate self-ratings, not just high ones.

4. Mentoring and adult connection

What it is: A structured relationship with a caring adult in the school, with regular, scheduled contact. Some schools use established mentoring models; others design their own.

Why it may help: For some students, a sense of belonging and a trusted adult are central to engagement.

5. Academic support linked to behavior

When behavior problems cluster around particular academic tasks, the most effective support may be academic: extra instruction, practice or modified assignments arranged through your school's intervention system. Behavior and academic teams should talk to each other.

Matching the intervention to the student

Teams increasingly consider the likely function of a student's behavior when choosing a Tier 2 intervention. For example, a student who seems to be avoiding hard work may benefit more from academic support or a modified version of CICO that includes break options than from standard CICO alone. These decisions are made by the team using the student's data. See Understanding the Function of Student Behavior for background.

Tool: sample daily progress report

Ratings often use a simple scale such as 0 = Not yet, 1 = Some of the time, 2 = Most of the time. Your school's form may differ.

Expectation	Morning work	Reading	Math	Science	Specials
Be Safe	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2
Be Respectful	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2
Be Responsible	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2	0 1 2
Teacher initials and one positive note

The check-out adult totals the points, compares them with the student's daily goal, gives encouraging feedback and records the percentage so the team can graph progress.

Step-by-step implementation

1. Introduce: Learn your school's Tier 2 options, who coordinates them and how to request support for a student.
2. Bring data: When you're concerned, share specific information with the team: what the behavior looks like, when it happens and what you've tried at Tier 1.
3. Prepare the student: Once the team places a student, make sure the intervention is introduced positively and that the student understands how it works.
4. Teach and practice: The coordinator teaches the routine; you teach and prompt the target skills in class.
5. Deliver consistently: Give ratings, feedback or prompts every time they're scheduled. Missing rating periods is one of the most common reasons Tier 2 interventions fall short.
6. Monitor: The team reviews progress data regularly, often every few weeks.
7. Adjust, fade or intensify: Depending on the data, the team may continue, modify, gradually fade (for example, moving to self-monitoring) or consider more intensive support.

Illustrative scenarios

These are invented examples, not real case studies.

Kayla, fifth grade

The team places Kayla in CICO. She checks in with the school counselor each morning, and her teachers rate her five times a day. Her teachers notice her afternoon ratings are consistently lower. The team adds a short midday check-in. Over the following weeks her daily percentages rise and her teachers report fewer incidents. After a sustained period of meeting her goal, the team begins fading CICO by having Kayla rate herself alongside her teachers.

Andre, ninth grade

Andre has several referrals for arguing with peers that escalate into shouting. The counselor's small group teaches steps for handling disagreements. His English teacher learns the steps and, before group work, quietly reminds Andre of them. When he uses them, she acknowledges it privately. Andre's referrals decline over the semester.

Sofia, third grade

Sofia isn't disruptive, but a universal screener flags her as withdrawn: she rarely speaks and avoids group work. The team pairs her with a mentor, a staff member she connects with, for brief scheduled check-ins, and her teacher builds structured partner roles into lessons. Without screening, Sofia might not have been noticed.

Differentiation and adaptations

Early elementary

Use pictures or smiley-face scales on progress reports, keep goals simple and make check-ins warm and short. Young children need immediate feedback, so rating periods may be more frequent.

Upper elementary

Involve students in setting goals and reviewing their own graphs. Many enjoy seeing progress over time.

Secondary

Privacy matters. Use discreet progress report formats, such as a small card or a digital version, and choose a check-in adult the student respects. Some secondary programs let students choose their mentor or adapt CICO to class periods.

Students with disabilities

Students with IEPs or 504 plans can receive Tier 2 supports, but the support must be consistent with their plans, and the IEP or 504 team remains responsible for decisions about disability-related services. Tier 2 participation must never delay or replace an evaluation when a disability is suspected; your school's procedures govern evaluation requests.

English learners

Translate progress reports for families where possible and make sure rating language is understood. Social skills instruction should respect cultural differences in communication and avoid treating unfamiliar norms as deficits.

Common challenges

Ratings become inconsistent

Put rating times in your plan book or set a quiet reminder. Ask the coordinator for a short refresher if adults rate differently.

The student loses the progress report

Plan for it: a backup copy with the check-in adult, a digital version or a fresh start without penalty.

The intervention becomes punitive

A progress report that becomes a record of failures can discourage students. Keep feedback specific and encouraging, and make sure goals are reachable.

Students stay in Tier 2 indefinitely

Ask the team about exit criteria and fading plans. Tier 2 is meant to be a bridge, not a permanent placement.

The student isn't responding

Check whether the intervention was delivered as planned first. If it was and progress is still limited, the team may modify it or consider more intensive support.

Key takeaways

• Tier 2 adds structured, efficient support for students whose needs aren't fully met by Tier 1.
• Effective Tier 2 interventions offer quick access, consistent formats, more feedback and regular progress monitoring.
• Common options include Check-In/Check-Out, small-group social skills instruction, self-monitoring and mentoring.
• The classroom teacher's consistent, positive participation is often what makes the intervention work.
• Teams use data to decide whether to continue, adjust, fade or intensify support.

Next step: Find out who coordinates Tier 2 at your school and what the request process is. To understand how teams judge progress, read Using Behavior Data to Make Intervention Decisions, or browse more in Positive Behavior Support.

This article offers general classroom guidance. It does not replace your school's policies, a student's IEP or 504 plan, or advice from your school's specialists.

Sources & Further Reading

• Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Center on PBIS (Tier 2 resources). https://www.pbis.org/. Accessed November 2026.
• Crone, D. A., Hawken, L. S., & Horner, R. H., Responding to Problem Behavior in Schools: The Check-In, Check-Out Intervention (Guilford Press). Accessed November 2026.
• National Center on Intensive Intervention, Intensive intervention and behavior resources. https://intensiveintervention.org/. Accessed November 2026.
• IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University, behavior and RTI modules. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/. Accessed November 2026.