MTSS Tier 2 Behavior Interventions: A How-To Guide for Teachers and SAT Teams

Tier 2 is where most MTSS behavior systems either come alive or quietly fall apart. Tier 1 is your classroom expectations. Tier 3 is intensive individualized support. Tier 2 is the middle layer: targeted, small-group, time-limited interventions for the students whose behavior data says universal supports are not enough. This guide walks classroom teachers and SAT teams through a Tier 2 behavior intervention that actually runs, using the Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) as the workhorse.

If you want a broader refresher first, start with our overview of the three MTSS tiers, then come back here for the Tier 2 playbook.

What Tier 2 behavior support actually is (and is not)

Tier 2 is targeted support for roughly 10-15% of students whose behavior is not responding to Tier 1 alone. It is standardized enough to run the same way across a school, but flexible enough to match a student's function of behavior. The most common Tier 2 packages in schools are Check-In/Check-Out (CICO), small-group social skills instruction, and structured mentoring, all of which use a Daily Behavior Report Card as the shared data spine.

Tier 2 is not: a punishment, an individualized behavior plan, a reason to skip an FBA, or a place students land forever. It is a time-limited intervention with clear entry and exit criteria, delivered by adults who are not the classroom teacher whenever possible.

Entry criteria: who moves to Tier 2

Do not wait for a crisis. Use consistent data to identify students early. A simple, defensible entry rule for most K-8 schools:

• 2+ office discipline referrals in a grading period, OR
• Teacher-nominated with 2 weeks of Tier 1 behavior data showing < 70% of expectations met, OR
• Screener flag (SRSS, BASC-3 BESS, or equivalent) at moderate risk.

The SAT team reviews nominations weekly or biweekly, confirms Tier 1 is in place for that student (posted expectations, consistent routines, positive-to-corrective ratio), and only then assigns a Tier 2 intervention. Skipping the Tier 1 check is the single most common reason Tier 2 interventions fail.

The Daily Behavior Report Card, done right

A Daily Behavior Report Card is a short, teacher-scored card that rates a student on 2-4 target behaviors across the school day. It is the connective tissue for almost every Tier 2 behavior intervention: CICO uses it, mentoring uses it, and SAT teams use it as the primary progress-monitoring data source.

A good DBRC template has four ingredients:

1. 2-4 positively-stated target behaviors tied to your schoolwide expectations (e.g., 'Be Safe', 'Be Respectful', 'Be Ready to Learn').
2. A short, consistent rating scale. We use a 3-point scale: 2 = Great, 1 = OK, 0 = Keep Trying. Anything longer than 4 points burns teacher time and adds no signal.
3. Fixed rating windows tied to your schedule, not arbitrary times. Rate at the end of each subject or period so scoring is anchored to real instruction.
4. A daily goal expressed as a percentage of points earned (typical starting goal: 70-80%).

If you want the printable and the digital version we use with schools, grab it here.

How to run the intervention, step by step

1. SAT team confirms entry criteria and assigns a Tier 2 mentor (counselor, interventionist, or non-classroom adult).
2. Morning check-in (2-3 minutes): mentor reviews the DBRC, sets the daily goal, and gives a brief pep talk tied to one target behavior.
3. Teachers score the DBRC at the end of each subject/period. No conversation required, just the number.
4. Afternoon check-out (2-3 minutes): mentor totals the points, celebrates wins, problem-solves misses, and sends the card home.
5. Family signs and returns the card the next morning. This is the home communication loop, do not skip it.
6. Progress monitoring: SAT team reviews DBRC percentages weekly. Look at trend across 2 weeks, not single days.

Progress monitoring and decision rules

Tier 2 without decision rules is just paperwork. Before you start the intervention, write down what you will do at 4-6 weeks. A simple, research-aligned rule set:

• Responding (fade toward exit): student meets the daily goal on 80% of days for 4 consecutive weeks. Begin fading (weekly check-ins, self-monitoring, then exit).
• Partial response (continue and adjust): student meets goal on 50-79% of days. Keep the intervention, adjust one variable (goal, target behavior, reinforcer, or mentor pairing).
• Not responding (intensify to Tier 3): student meets goal on < 50% of days after 6 weeks despite fidelity. Move to Tier 3, request an FBA, and build an individualized plan.

Fidelity matters as much as the data. Before you conclude an intervention 'did not work,' confirm the DBRC was scored every period, the check-in and check-out actually happened, and the family loop was closed. Most 'failed' Tier 2 interventions are actually failures of fidelity, not of the student.

Common Tier 2 pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Adding a Tier 2 group before Tier 1 is stable. Fix Tier 1 first, or you will run Tier 2 forever.
• Using vague targets like 'be good.' Rewrite as observable behaviors tied to your expectations.
• Letting the DBRC live in a folder. Score it in real time; review percentages weekly as a team.
• No exit plan. Every student on Tier 2 should have a written path back to Tier 1.
• Making it feel like a punishment. Tier 2 is a support students opt into with pride, framing matters.

Where Cub Guide fits

You can run Tier 2 with paper DBRCs and a shared spreadsheet, and plenty of schools do. Where teams get stuck is week 4, when the SAT needs trend lines for 15 students, the mentor needs today's scores, and the family needs a summary. Cub Guide is the progress-monitoring layer on top of your DBRC: teachers score behaviors in seconds from the dashboard, families get automated summaries, and SAT teams see the exact charts they need for decision rules, no spreadsheet gymnastics required.

Start with one student and one DBRC this week. Add the decision rule. Review the data in two weeks. That is Tier 2.