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Tier 3 Behavior Supports

What Are Tier 3 Behavior Supports?

Pyramid graphic depicting the number of students who require universal behaviro supports (the base, all students, tapering up to the tip of the tops of the pyramid a tier three, few students need this intensive behavior support. Most students' behavioral needs can be addressed at the Tier 1 level. These are typical behavior strategies used in classrooms. Some students need some more specialized or targeted supports. About 5% of students may need more intensive supports. We call this Tier 3 supports and generally this requires a functional behavior assessment and a team approach.
Graphic depicting the process for addressing challenging behaviors. When considering a student for Tier 3 supports, the first question to ask is "Is this behavior serious?" If it is, the team then completes a functional behavior assessment. This includes identifying the behavior, collecting data, and then identifying the msessage (or function) of the behavior. Based on that message, the team then creates a behavior support plan. This includes environmental supports, what new behaviors need to be taught, and how the team will react when the behavior occurs. Finally, the team meets regulartly to review the data and revise the plan as needed.

Tier 3 supports are specialized and intensive for individual students with significant behavioral challenges that have not responded to less intensive interventions. Tier 3 supports are based on the findings of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and are individualized in a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) plan. These supports are planned, developed, and implemented by a team. The resources on this page are intended to help teams understand, create, and implement FBAs and PBIS plans.

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