CI3T

How do we meet the various needs of all students here at Lawrence Public Schools?

What is CI3T?

Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (CI3T)
Model of Prevention

The Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Model of Prevention (CI3T) is a school-wide, small group, and individual plan that assesses students throughout their school years to identify and support academic, behavior, and social skills components. Unlike other methods of prevention, the CI3T model helps schools develop a school-wide primary prevention plan that all students receive just by attending that school, in addition to secondary and tertiary supports.

The CI3T model is organized into three tiers, or levels, with the intensity of support being provided increasing from the lowest at Tier 1 to highest at Tier 3.

Tier 1

Primary Support

The lowest intensity of support. Tier 1 is designed as preventative and is school-wide in scope. It consists of academic, behavioral, and social components for all students.

Examples of Tier 1 in action include morning warm-ups, class circles, Character Strong activities, etc. These apply to all students within a school, help create a sense of community, give students a recurring opportunity to collaborate with their peers, and reinforce the common standards/expectations shared by everyone at school.

Tier 2

Secondary Support

The second-highest intensity of support. Tier 2 is aimed at reversing harm and is offered to small groups of students experiencing similar needs.

Tier 2 in action might look like a staff member leading a small conference between two students after a conflict. These kinds of implementations are designed to repair the relationship between multiple students after harm is caused or a conflict arises. The goal is to find an avenue for students to resolve, deescalate, and/or remedy conflicts with each other through respectful conversation/collaboration under the supervision of an adult (if they desire to do so), to allow the voice and perspective of each student to be heard, and to ensure everyone involved, including those who have been harmed, have their needs adequately addressed.

Tier 3

Tertiary Support

The highest intensity of support. Tier 3 is intended for reducing harm at an individual level.

Tier 3 in action might look like a staff member going over a re-entry plan of support with a student who is returning from an in-school suspension. These one-on-one conversations are designed to help the student understand what the academic, behavioral, and social expectations are for them moving forward, to confirm that the student and their parents/guardians feel that they are provided the necessary resources and support to successfully re-enter the classroom, to mitigate harm where possible, to ensure the harmful behavior is not repeated, and to remind each student that they are welcome and important to our school community.

Why CI3T?

Students come to school with a wide range of academic, behavioral, and social strengths and needs. To serve these students well, schools need a carefully crafted plan aligning supports and services in ways that address these individual strengths and needs.

A comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered model of prevention is a proactive approach to meet the academic, behavioral, and social needs of students. CI3T aims to prevent and respond effectively to the development of learning and behavioral challenges through tiers of support. A school-based team, which is representative of the entire school’s staff and includes at least one administrator with the authority to make changes, creates and leads implementation of the CI3T model based on the unique needs and culture of their school.