Episode Details

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses why Tier 2 intervention instruction often fails to produce results, identifying five critical issues: misalignment between Tier 1 and Tier 2 efforts, asking struggling students to learn double content from separate programs, weak Tier 1 instruction that creates too many intervention needs, unqualified staff delivering intervention, and removing students from support too early. 

Jocelyn emphasises that Tier 2 should provide "extra, not different" instruction (additional practice of the same systematic phonics content rather than a separate program) and argues that if schools have large numbers of Tier 2 students, they actually have a Tier 1 problem that needs fixing first. 

Drawing on her experience achieving dramatic improvements by flexibly grouping all students across classrooms based on reading development rather than grade level, she advocates for data-driven decision-making, qualified teachers working with the most struggling students, and maintaining intervention until students truly master foundational skills regardless of their grade level. 

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