Australia’s national education evidence body

Tiered interventions

Nearly 1 in 5 Australian students starts secondary school at or below minimum standards for literacy or numeracy. 

This puts them at least 3 years behind their peers. Students struggling with literacy and numeracy are more likely to:  

  • disengage from school  
  • leave before the end of Year 12  
  • have worse health and employment outcomes post-school.  

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)’s Implementing Effective Tiered Interventions in Secondary Schools project aims to use research to help schools and school systems support students struggling with literacy and numeracy.

While tiered intervention frameworks can be used to support a range of student needs, including behaviour and wellbeing, AERO is currently focusing on how a multi-tiered system of supports can be implemented to support literacy and numeracy in Australian secondary schools due to the lack of existing guidance in this area.

To find out how schools can help these students catch up, check out our article by AERO researchers Dr Zid Mancenido and Dan Carr, and Monash University's Dr Kate de Bruin.

AERO Introduction to multi-tiered system of supports

Intro to multi-tiered system of supports

This guide introduces the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model of instruction and intervention and explains how it can be applied in secondary schools to support students struggling with foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
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AERO Multi-tiered system of supports: Evidence snapshot

Multi-tiered system of supports: Evidence snapshot

This guide shares instructional strategies that can be used in a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework to support students with significant gaps in their foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

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AERO Supporting secondary students lacking foundational literacy and numeracy skills: Research summary

Supporting secondary students lacking foundational literacy and numeracy skills: Research summary

This research summary presents key findings from 2 reports on supporting students who enter secondary school with gaps in their foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
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AERO Implementing Effective Tiered Interventions in Secondary Schoolss

Implementing Effective Tiered Interventions in Secondary Schools: Survey of school and support staff

This report presents findings from a survey and interviews on how schools currently support students who lack foundational the literacy and numeracy skills required by the secondary curriculum.
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AERO Supporting students significantly behind in literacy and numeracy

Supporting students significantly behind in literacy and numeracy

This report presents evidence for best practice interventions to support students who are substantially behind their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.
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One in five secondary students has not mastered basic skills - how do schools help them to catch up?

To find out how schools can help these students catch up, check out our article by AERO researchers Dr Zid Mancenido and Dan Carr, and Monash University's Dr Kate de Bruin.
Read article
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