Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory (R-TFI)

School Leadership Teams need to know how well their MTSS for reading is implemented in their school. The Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory (R-TFI) lists the core features of MTSS for Tier 1 and the Advanced Tiers. Each can be assessed separately.

The School Leadership Team and other invited respondents review and score the features.

There is an Elementary-level Edition and a Secondary-Level Edition of the Reading Tiered Fidelity Inventory (R-TFI). The Universal Tier 1 items vary slightly across each edition to match the unique data, systems, and practices of schools supporting students at different grade levels. The Advanced Tiers items are the same across both editions.

The R-TFI is used in schools that are engaged in an intensive professional learning scope and sequence to implement an integrated reading and behavior MTSS model. If you are interested in using the R-TFI and are not participating with MiMTSS Technical Assistance Center, please contact Dr. Kimberly St. Martin ([email protected]) for resources and potential participation in research.

Administering the Assessment

A trained R-TFI facilitator administers the assessment. It is recommended that all School Leadership Team members actively participate in completing the Tier 1 items in the R-TFI 2.0. It is also recommended the core members of the Multidisciplinary Team actively participate in completing the Advanced Tier items.

Involvement of the entire team will result in:

A more accurate assessment,
A greater understanding of the school’s strengths and challenges regarding the implementation of effective reading instruction, and
Greater ownership of the improvement process.

Team members can abstain from voting on the score for an item if they do not feel knowledgeable enough about work that has happened. Do not administer the R-TFI unless the majority of the team is present, including the school principal.

Assessment Schedule

Teams can choose to complete either the Tier 1 or Advanced Tiers sections, or they may choose to complete all items.

When schools have secured professional learning aligned to the R-TFI, they might consider administering Tier 1 to align with the timing of their Tier 1 professional learning and administering Advanced Tiers items to align with the timing of their Advanced Tiers professional learning.
A school could also choose to complete the entire R-TFI to establish baseline levels of implementation for Tier 1 and Advanced Tiers. The resulting data could be used to target and prioritize areas for future professional learning.

Estimated Time

Time is needed prior to each R-TFI administration to gather data sources and make them available to team members to support their item scores.

A typical administration takes about 1-2 hours per Tier. The first administration typically takes longer than subsequent administrations.

Teams may choose to meet for a longer period of time to prioritize areas for improvement and plan related activities based on their R-TFI results. Alternatively, teams may choose to schedule a follow-up meeting focused primarily on action planning.

Data Entry

Details about how to enter data online, access reports, and analyze results are provided in the R-TFI Facilitator certification training materials.

Teams should interpret their R-TFI data starting with the total score, then look for more specific areas of strength and need based on Tier (i.e., Tier 1, Advanced Tiers). Finally, teams use individual item scores within a Tier to identify specific actions that will lead to improved implementation of the reading components of an MTSS Framework.

Michigan Schools

Michigan schools enter scores for each R-TFI item into the MiMTSS Data System. Results can then be viewed in an R-TFI item report, School Dashboard, District Dashboard, Intermediate School District (ISD) Dashboard, and score exports.

Other States

Districts in other states can use the R-TFI Reporting System. Interested districts can have their Superintendent sign the Acceptable Use and Data Sharing Agreement and follow directions in the form to establish their district account. Schools can then enter scores and notes for each R-TFI item, and subsequently view results in an R-TFI item report, School Dashboard, District Dashboard, and score exports. For more information, please email Dr. Kimberly St. Martin ([email protected]).