Spotlight Ohio: Tier 3 intervention in action
Fairless Local School District in Ohio started boldly with full district training in the science of reading in 2016. Today, they have implemented structured literacy in Tier 1 and Tier 2 across K-5, and they have strong, aligned Tier 3 instruction as well as a successful pilot for Tier 3 in Middle School. Students and teachers are thriving in an ecosystem of aligned tiers and shared routines.
District snapshot
- 92% White
- ~4% Two or more races
- ~2% Hispanic/Latin
- <1% Black
- <1% Asian
- <1% American Indian/Alaska Native
- ~42% Economically disadvantaged (FRL)
- ~17% Students with disabilities (IEP)
We first featured Fairless Elementary School in our Spotlight series in November 2023. The focus in that post, Spotlight Ohio: Structured literacy is a non-negotiable, was on their implementation of structured literacy resources for Tiers 1 and 2. Elementary reading instructional specialist Adam Amato, a thirteen-year education veteran, shared the challenges and successes of the journey. In his closing remarks for that post, Amato left us with this preview of things ahead:
“Right now I’m working on getting 95 RAP™ into our building for Tier 3 Intervention. We aren’t quite there yet, but I’m confident we will get there.”
In this new Spotlight, Amato shares how 95 RAP—the tool at the heart of the 95 Tier 3 LIteracy Solution—is transforming and strengthening their Tier 3 instruction for both students and teachers.
I’m starting to get it! I’m really starting to understand how to read.
7th grader, Fairless Middle School
Product highlights
95 Tier 3 Literacy Solution featuring: 95 Reading Achievement Program™ (95 RAP™)
In addition, Fairless Schools uses:
Access the full story now: What you’ll learn
- How a deep dive into evidence-based professional learning helped the literacy team identify non-negotiables for a strong Tier 3 solution.
- Why alignment of instructional routines across tiers and grades really matters
- How the Tier 3 solution is making a significant difference for middle school students and teachers
Watch our Tier 3 webinar: available on demand now!
Take a deeper look at how effective Tier 3 instruction comes together, from daily scheduling to skill mastery tracking, and how it can support students with intensive reading challenges.
