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This article presents findings on students' views and experiences of tiering in Northern Ireland and Wales from a children's rights perspective. It considers the extent to which tiering fulfils the rights to education, best interests, non‐discrimination, and participation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It emphasises that while the majority of students were supportive of tiering, their responses highlighted a range of negative effects of tiering on students taking foundation tier. Students described the impact of being placed in the foundation tier on their self‐esteem and relationship with their peers, indicating that being allocated to foundation tier can have a labelling effect. Students who were taking foundation papers, or a mixture of foundation and higher‐tier papers, were more likely than those taking higher‐tier papers to report that they wanted to change tier and to raise issues overall regarding tiering. Furthermore, students who were faced with these difficult choices often had a poor understanding of several aspects of tiers. The article argues that alternative forms of differentiation should be considered, and presents students' perspectives on some of these. It argues that we must ensure that young people have a good understanding of tiering and that their views and experiences of tiering are taken into account when considering further reforms to GCSEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decade after the darkest moments of the financial crisis, both the US financial system and the legal framework for its regulation are still in flux. The post-crisis regulatory framework has made systemically important banks much more resilient. They are substantially better capitalized and less dependent on runnable short-term funding. But the current regulatory framework does not deal effectively with threats to financial stability outside the perimeter of regulated banking organizations, notably from forms of shadow banking. Moreover, with the political tide having for the moment turned decisively toward deregulation, there is some question whether the resiliency improvements of the largest banks will be preserved. This article assesses the accomplishments, unfinished business, and outstanding issues in the post-crisis approach to prudential regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents data that consider ways in which young people experience the curriculum through the lens of subject examination syllabuses (for GCSEs), their associated assessment techniques and structures, and educational policies at national and school level concerning subject choice. Drawing upon an original qualitative dataset from a mixed-methods study of students’ views and experiences of GCSE from Northern Ireland (NI) and Wales, the paper explores students’ perceptions of choice and fairness in relation to studying various subjects at GCSE. Factors of importance are the subjects available to them through subject option selections at the school level and the ways in which GCSE courses are then administered. In relation to notions of choice and fairness, the paper considers how students see access to the curriculum moderated by national- and school-level decisions regarding the assessment of GCSEs; the extent to which assessment techniques such as tiering, controlled assessment, and modularity, as well as school-level policy decisions about timing of entry to GCSEs (known as early entry) all combine to restrict students’ access to the full range of subjects and influence the ways in which they experience these subjects as curricula within their particular school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In England, students obtain General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualifications, typically at age 16. Certain GCSEs are tiered; students take either higher‐level (higher tier) or lower‐level (foundation tier) exams, which may have different educational, career and psychological consequences. In particular, foundation tier entry, if inappropriate, risks capping students' achievement because of the restricted range of attainable grades and reduced learning that may occur. Tiering decisions may be affected by other aspects of the education system in which they take place, such as by the timing of assessment. The move to linear assessment in 2012 provided a unique opportunity to compare tiering decisions for the same GCSE specifications when taken in a linear system, where students are exclusively assessed at the end of the course, with tiering decisions in a modular system, where students are assessed at different time points. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine students' likelihood of being entered for the foundation tiers of GCSEs in science, language and mathematics in two exam sessions: June 2013, which allowed modular assessment, and June 2014, which required linear assessment. The analyses also investigated whether these effects depended on student characteristics. Results showed that foundation tier entry was less likely in the linear than modular system for GCSEs in science and languages, but more likely for one mathematics GCSE. This pattern contrasts with concerns that linear assessment may encourage general risk‐aversion, and instead indicates that effects on tiering decisions are more complicated, varying by subject and student factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared models of assessment structure for achieving differentiation across the range of examinee attainment in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination taken by 16-year-olds in England. The focus was on the “adjacent levels” model, where papers are targeted at three specific non-overlapping ranges of grades. Examinees enter for a pair of papers at adjacent levels and receive the highest grade achieved. There is no aggregation of marks across papers. This study used simulation, based on data from a GCSE Mathematics exam, to compare the adjacent levels model with two other tiering models in terms of: (1) suitability of grade boundary locations; (2) score distributions; and (3) reliability. The adjacent levels model led to lower reliability but arguably improved two aspects of validity: the strength of the inference about what examinees with a given grade would know and be able to do; and the removal of the ambiguity about overlapping grades inherent in the current system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In England, pupils aged 16 take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations for a range of subjects. The current assessment models for GCSE include a two-tier structure for some subjects and a non-tier model for the others. The tiered subjects have a higher tier designed for high achieving pupils and a lower tier for low achieving pupils. The higher tier paper is targeted at grades A*–D (with A* the highest grade available), while the lower tier paper at grades C–G (with G the lowest grade). The UK government has proposed a comprehensive reform of GCSEs. It suggested that, with tiered papers, pupils are forced to choose between higher and lower tier papers, which will place a cap on the ambition of those entering for the lower tier. The government therefore suggests avoiding tiering in the reformed GCSEs when possible. This paper discusses the technical and equity issues with the use of tiered examinations in current GCSEs and reviews potential alternative assessment approaches for effective differentiation between pupils for the reformed GCSEs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is undertaken in more than 60 countries worldwide. Support to the SEA process can range from formal legal requirements to voluntary ‘ad hoc’ approaches. In the cases where SEA is legally required, such as in Europe where the SEA Directive sets a framework for SEA legislation in 28 countries, practitioners may engage with SEA but in a reluctant way. This paper reports on a unique survey of 203 key people responsible for implementing the SEA legislative requirement in Scotland. The majority (53%) of the 187 practitioners who answered the hypothetical question ‘If SEA was not compulsory, would you do it?’ said ‘Yes’. However, results suggest that the responses were much nuanced. Practitioners were asked to explicate their reasoning and, irrespective of whether the answer was ‘yes’ or ‘no’, common themes were evident in accompanying remarks. This paper enables reflection on reasons for acceptance or rejection of the SEA process by discussing: the perception that a similar process to SEA is already being done, the problem with lack of resources, the call for a ‘leaner process’ and the difficulties of undertaking SEA when conditions are already determined at a higher ‘tier’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of data-based individualization (DBI) in the teaching of U.S. special education students who have a reading disability. Topics discussed include the use of response to intervention (RTI) models and their associated tiers in U.S. special education, the choosing of an instructional platform to implement DBI, and the use of diagnostic assessments when intensified interventions are not successful.

The article discusses the use of the data-based individualization (DBI) model as an educational intervention for U.S. special education students with significant behavioral difficulties, including emotional disturbance (ED). Topics discussed include the work of the U.S. National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII), the multitiered intervention approaches used by many U.S. schools to deal with students behavioral difficulties, and the use of the mentoring program Check In/Check Out (CICO).

School and district personnel have identified common challenges in implementing individualized, intensive interventions for students with severe, persistent learning and behavioral needs. The National Center on Intensive Intervention has worked with scores of local educators--including district administrators, building principals, special and general education teachers, school psychologists, and paraeducators--in individualizing intensive interventions on a student-by-student basis. This work has led to the identification of specific strategies practitioners can use to develop a manageable, sustainable process for intensive intervention--with the goal of improving student learning and enhancing student behavior to promote stronger achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isaac, the fictional student described in this article, had a history of behavior problems that became more intensive and frequent after he began middle school. This article describes how his teachers began instruction at Tier 1 of a response-to-intervention model of school-wide behavior interventions, which proved insufficient for addressing his behavior problems. His teachers proceeded through several interventions in Tier 2, which provided insufficient support. Isaac was then moved to a Tier 3 intervention, which proved successful. The article shows how school staff--and Isaac's mother--developed an intensive and individualized intervention plan based on the results of a functional behavioral assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents and problematizes a peered and tiered model of creative and educational knowledge transfer piloted in Culture Shack, a community-based arts education program in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on Eisner and Sefton-Green and Soep, I argue the value of this approach as a potential new pedagogical strategy in both secondary learning and teacher education courses, refocused on collaborative and process learning rather than outcome-focused pedagogy and assessment. Because education is a key factor for successful integration of those from refugee-background and emerging communities, self-reliance and creative problem-solving can be enhanced through arts programs such as Culture Shack that increase participation in continuing, collaborative educational pathways. In this paper I argue that this peered and tiered collaborative learning model offers possibilities for working cross-sectorally, interdisciplinarily, and interculturally for effective pedagogical outcomes and for the value of arts-based action research-as-pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we focus on school-wide systems to promote positive behaviors and enhance instruction. Part of the appeal of multi-tiered systems of support is that they facilitate collaboration between teachers by clarifying school-wide goals and the means for achieving them. We begin with an overview of multi-tiered systems of support including: (a) a description of each level of prevention: primary (Tier 1, for all), secondary (Tier 2, for some), and tertiary (Tier 3, for a few); (b) information on academic and behavior screening tools, with an emphasis on analyzing these data in tandem to inform instruction; and (c) the importance of looking at the role of the teacher as a starting point to determine how relatively low-intensity, teacher-directed shifts in instruction and management can influence student performance. Next, we provide an overview of research-based strategies teachers can employ beginning with whole-class strategies and conclude with individualized supports for students requiring more intensive assistance. Finally, we offer recommendations for teachers as they support students with behavior challenges in PreK-12 grades to promote academic and social success for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As multi-tiered systems of support for social behavior problems are increasingly utilized in schools settings, school personnel are often in need of effective and efficient Tier 2 interventions. Although Check-in/Check-out (CICO) is a promising intervention, more robust experimental demonstrations are needed to provide evidence confirming its effectiveness when implemented by school practitioners. Using an ABAB single subject design, this study examined the effects of CICO on disruptive behavior and academic engagement of three typically developing elementary school boys who were considered at-risk for escalating problem behavior. CICO was used as part of an ongoing School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program. It was implemented by two classroom teachers and the school counselor, who served as the CICO coordinator. Results indicated that for all three participants, disruptive behavior decreased from baseline levels during intervention phases. Academic engagement increased during CICO phases for two of the three participants. Findings, limitations, and implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics such as multi-tiered systems of support in education and behavioral changes for students.

The response-to-intervention model is predicated upon increasingly intensive tiers of instruction. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of a Tier-2 small-group literacy intervention (‘MiniLit’) designed for young readers who are still struggling after experiencing whole-class initial instruction. A total of 22 students in Kindergarten and Year 2 at a New South Wales public school were randomly allocated to form two comparable groups. The experimental group received the Tier-2 small-group literacy intervention for one hour per day for four days per week for three school terms (27 weeks of instruction) while the control group continued to receive regular whole-class literacy instruction during this time. All students were assessed on four measures of reading and related skills before the intervention commenced, again after two terms of instruction and once more after three terms of instruction. Large and statistically significant mean differences between the two groups were evident at post-test on two of the four tests employed measuring phonological recoding and single word reading. Large effect sizes provided evidence for the efficacy of the small-group intervention for young struggling readers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although inclusion has provided access to the general education classroom for students with disabilities, there are significant questions about whether these students have gained full access to the curriculum. To design curricula for diverse learners, designers must have a clear picture of the obstacles and barriers that some students encounter. This article describes a design process that was used to create a web-based tool that allows teachers to created tiered web-based curricula for their classroom without any programming knowledge. The goal is to allow educators to quickly and easily develop digital instructional materials that are simultaneously accessible, flexible, and engaging for diverse learners such that supports are embedded into the curriculum for all students to use as needed. This article describes the steps, and missteps, along an instructional design journey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Substantial evidence indicates that our social networks are divided into tiers in which people have a few very close social support group, a larger set of friends, and a much larger number of relatively distant acquaintances. Because homophily-the principle that like seeks like-has been suggested as a mechanism by which people interact, it may also provide a mechanism that generates such frequencies and distributions. However, our multi-agent simulation tool, Construct, suggests that a slight supplement to a knowledge homophily model-the inclusion of several highly salient personal facts that are infrequently shared-can more successfully lead to the tiering behavior often observed in human networks than a simplistic homophily model. Our findings imply that homophily on both general and personal facts is necessary in order to achieve realistic frequencies of interaction and distributions of interaction partners. Implications of the model are discussed, and recommendations are provided for simulation designers seeking to use homophily models to explain human interaction patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that focuses on the tiering of academic hospitality and tourism journals. It notes that ninety-three hospitality program administrators responded to the tiering survey wherein promotion and salary purposes are said to be the major reasons for tiering purposes. Among the top four journals that have influenced administrative decisions include the "Annals of Tourism Research," "Cornell Hospitality Quarterly" and "International Journal of Hospitality Management."

With the advent of 'Response to Intervention' there has been emphasis on preventing reading disabilities. This study examined the effectiveness of a classroom teacher Tier II intervention for struggling readers in kindergarten and first grade called the Targeted Reading Intervention. Three rural schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, with 8 experimental and 12 control classrooms. Five struggling and five non-struggling readers were randomly selected from each classroom. With the support of biweekly coaching, experimental teachers instructed struggling readers in one-on-one sessions in the classroom. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed significant kindergarten gains for initial word identification but no significant gains in first grade. Discussion focuses on the use of classroom teachers to prevent reading disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response-to-intervention (RTI) frameworks have become increasingly prevalent in schools as an academic and behavioral prevention and intervention organizational approach that emphasizes students' responsiveness and nonresponsiveness as indicators of appropriate curricular and instructional decisions. Theoretical as well as practical descriptions of RTI always include the concept of increasingly intense interventions to ensure that students receive sufficient learning opportunities to optimize their successful learning and achievement. This article describes 10 dimensions by which intervention intensity might be increased and reports data from a study of 41 schools related to some of these dimensions. Implications for federal, state, and local policy and local school and classroom implementation are identified for consideration in planning, implementing, and sustaining RTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tiering is a multi-stage test design whereby teachers allocate students to a particular difficulty level (tier) of a test. This approach to the challenge of delivering assessments to students with a heterogeneous ability distribution is normal practice in UK public examinations at the age of 16. This study uses Item Response Theory number-correct score equating to examine the relative standards that are set between tiers on certain GCSE assessments. It finds evidence to suggest that candidates on the foundation tier are being over-rewarded, while those on the higher tier are being under-rewarded. It concludes that the use of IRT test equating could help improve standard setting on tiered tests and that the issue of restricted grade ranges on these tests may need to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a précis of the landscape of Australian higher education at the turn of the 21st Century. The reform and commercialisation of higher education in Australia introduced market forces and competition to an existing hierarchy of institutions. At the turn of the 21st Century, in the newly marketised, highly politicised sector of higher education, a reshuffling of universities status meant that many strived to differentiate and reposition themselves in the marketplace. The character of Australian higher education at that point in time is described, followed by a brief history of reforms which paved the way for the introduction of market forces to the industry. Marketisation and its implications are then summarised and the resultant new tiering of universities observed by Marginson and Considine (2000) is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the function of Response to Intervention (RtI) method as a service delivery system to detect problems and reduce its negative consequences in the U.S. It examines a secondary purpose to link Tier 1 and Tier 2 of support to RtI for specific learning disabilities (SLD) and offers a framework for examining the effectiveness of Tiers 1 and 2 using major data sources. It defines ways to achieve better integration of instructional support of different tiers and highlights the necessity of examining the instruction and tiers of instruction delivery in the classroom.

The article discusses the evidence-based practices and the standards in education. It presents proposals that may apply to any practice that aim to be evidence-based and to be used in the assessment of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS). It cites the six criteria which will help to define a practice prior to assessing whether the practice is evidence-based. It explores the three tiers of interventions of SWPBS along with their specific practices and system features used to guide implementation.

The article discusses the idea of differentiated instruction which requires teachers to focus on many differences among students. It offers insights for teachers to know the challenge levels of learning tasks in relation to behavior of students in mathematics. Strategies to streamline planning for differentiation and integrating it into instructional practice, which include tiering, are cited.

This article introduces an emerging form of participatory culture, one that is not a modification or elaboration of a primary producer's content. Instead, this article details how the artifacts created to 'play' a primary producer's content have become the primary work for massive global audiences. This phenomenon is observed in the genre of alternate reality games (ARGs) and is illustrated through a theory of tiering'. Tiers provide separate content to different audiences. ARG designers tier their projects, targeting different players with different content. ARG player- production then creates another tier for non-playing audiences. To explicate this point, the features that provoke player-production - producer-tiering, ARG aesthetics and transmedia fragmentation - are interrogated, alongside the character of the subsequent player-production. Finally, I explore the aspects of the player-created tiers that attract massive audiences, and then posit what these observations may indicate about contemporary art forms and society in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a joint declaration under the title "A Tiered Training System – Task and Opportunity." The recommendations were put forward by the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Federal Association of German Employers), the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (Federal Association of German Industry), and the Deutsche Industrie- und Handelstag (German Industry and Commerce Organization).