Differentiated Reading Support: An Overview of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Interventions at Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School

Lauren Freeman, Reading Department Lead

Jennifer Rudan, Director of Student Supports

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Lauren Freeman, Reading Department Lead

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Jennifer Rudan, Director of Student Supports

2025 International Literacy Association’s Exemplary Reading Program Award Recipient

Outcomes

• Understand the neuroscience behind reading acquisition.
• Learn how to operationalize Homewood Flossmoor’s structured literacy-based MTSS model.
• Learn how our Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading interventions integrate explicit, systematic, and diagnostic instruction.
• Examine research-based instructional strategies designed to enhance student engagement and literacy outcomes.

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Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School

• 1 school district located 25 miles south of Chicago in Flossmoor, IL
• 2751 students
• 73.6% African American
• 9.7% Hispanic
• 12.3% White
• 4.4% Other
• 14% Low Income
• 13% IEPs
• 89% Attendance Rate
• 98% Graduation Rate

Reading Department Background

• 2003 Adoption of School Board Procedure for Reading
• 2004 Summer curriculum writing of reading courses
• 2024-2005 Establishment of Reading Department & students began taking reading classes
• 2019-2020 Established MTSS
• 2021-2022 Co-Taught SS with Reading-Pilot
• 2022-2023 Tiered Service Delivery Model for Reading- Full Implementation

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MTSS Framework

MTSS and Literacy

• Multi-tiered system of reading support rooted in the science of reading

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• Focus on students reading at/below 8th-grade level

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• College, career, and life ready

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• Equity

The Science of Reading

• Reading is not innate: neuroscience perspective
• Systematic, explicit instruction

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Active View of Reading

Progress Monitoring & Assessment

• Benchmarking (3x/year-Fall, Winter, Spring)
• Survey-level diagnostics
• Progress monitoring
• Ongoing instructional adjustments based on data

Reader Profile

Tier 2: Co-Taught Social Science with Reading

• Structure of co-taught World & U.S. History classes
• Role of content teacher & reading specialists
• Integrated literacy instruction

Tier 2 - Instructional Practices

• Text sets and vocabulary development
• Read-alouds and guided questioning
• Modeling and writing in the content area
• Data-driven instruction

Tier 3: Targeted Skill Acceleration

• Individualized and small-group support
• Designed for students with intensive reading needs
• Emphasis on structured literacy instruction: phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse

Tier 3 - Instructional Strategies

• Multisensory: Tools - tiles, sound boxes, orthographic mapping
• Decodable texts, repeated readings
• Executive functioning: stamina and organization
• Flexible grouping and diagnostic teaching

Resources and Curriculum Tools

• Tier 2: US History Curriculum, Writing Revolution, Diffit, Morpheme Magic, and more
• Tier 3: Wilson System, Rewards, Morpheme Magic, Scholastic UpFront Magazine, Diffit, and more
• Lexia LETRS, science of reading/structured literacy alignment

Power of Collaboration

Interdisciplinary teams include:

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• Reading specialists�
• Social science teachers�
• Special education staff

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• Coordinator of English Learners

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• Student Support Team

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Collaboration leads to:

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• Greater instructional consistency�
• Increased student engagement�
• Stronger alignment of literacy goals across subjects

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Operationalizing Literacy and MTSS Framework

Operationalizing Literacy and MTSS Framework

Identifying Students

• Incoming Freshmen - April the previous year
• Current Students - ongoing
• Transfer Students - ongoing

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Identifying Students

Collaboration with Special Education & ML Supports

• Reading specialists + Special education staff
• Tailored plans based on reader profiles and IEP data
• Multilingual learner accommodations

Operationalizing Literacy and MTSS Framework

Service Delivery

Scheduling

Professional Growth and Training

Operationalizing Literacy and MTSS Framework

Progress Monitoring & Assessment

Progress Flow Chart

• Benchmarking (3x/year-Fall, Winter, Spring)
• Survey-level diagnostics
• Progress monitoring
• Ongoing instructional adjustments based on data

Operationalizing Literacy and MTSS Framework

Data

• 146 students were serviced through HF reading intervention during the 2024-2025 school year.

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• Tier 2 co-taught social science with reading specialist:
• 68 students serviced
• 2025-2026 school year:
• 29 students will come out of reading intervention (41%)
• 30 students will remain in Tier 2 reading intervention (49%)
• 7 students are recommended for Tier 3 reading intervention
• 2 students have withdrawn from HF
• Supported through an individualized education plan:
• 63 students serviced

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Data

• Tier 3 Reading Intervention:
• 78 students serviced
• 63 are students with an IEP with an area of need in reading
• 2025-2026 school year:
• 39 students will move to Tier 2 reading intervention (50%)
• 6 students will come out of reading intervention (8%)
• 30 students will remain in Tier 3 reading intervention (38%)
• 1 student has withdrawn from HF
• 2 students graduated 2025

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Best Practices & Takeaways

• Science of Reading
• Establish a Multi-tiered system of support for literacy
• Embed structured literacy into content areas
• Prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration
• Use ongoing data for personalized support
• Scaffold executive functioning alongside reading

Q&A + Discussion

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