Coming August 2025.
What are Tier 2 supports, and why are they being added to the Second Step® Elementary and Second Step® Middle School digital programs?
Tier 2 supports provide targeted interventions for students who need additional support beyond universal, Tier 1 instruction. By adding Tier 2 lessons, we ensure that schools can meet a wider range of student needs with Second Step programs rather than requiring external intervention tools.
What’s included in the Second Step® Tier 2 supports?
Focus Areas and Skills
The Second Step Elementary and Second Step Middle School digital programs will include research-based Tier 2 interventions covering key skill areas:
- Emotions, Thoughts & Feelings (such as managing strong emotions, stress, anxiety)
- Relationship & Prosocial Skills (such as problem-solving, social conflict resolution, empathy and kindness, perspective-taking, active listening)
- Executive Functioning (such as on-task behaviors, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility)
- Behavior Intervention (such as Tier 2 strategies for students needing targeted behavioral supports)
Lesson Structure and Grade Bands
- Each focus area will have developmentally appropriate, age-differentiated lessons for three grade bands: K–2, 3–5, 6–8.
Assessment and Data
- Second Step Tier 2 supports will include a third-party, universally evidence-based screener and assessment to help educators identify students in need of Tier 2 interventions.
Training and Support
- Similar to Second Step Elementary and Second Step Middle School digital Tier 1 programs, the Tier 2 supports will include training, implementation support, and family resources to ensure a successful rollout.
How do Second Step® Tier 2 supports relate to our existing Second Step® Elementary and Second Step® Middle School digital programs?
The Tier 1 curriculum is designed as a universal foundation, ensuring that all students receive consistent instruction in core human skills, such as collaboration, problem-solving, growth mindset, and resilience. Tier 2 supports are designed as targeted interventions to support an identified skill gap or need. These are often delivered in small groups of students who require more assistance than what’s provided to all students through the Tier 1 curriculum. Tier 2 interventions are meant to be built upon a strong Tier 1 foundation, as universal instruction provides essential skill development, common language, and a shared framework for reinforcing these key concepts in more targeted settings.
While our new Tier 2 supports are specifically designed for intervention, we recognize that some educators successfully adapt Tier 1 lessons to meet the individualized needs of students requiring additional support. Because our Tier 1 curriculum is research-based—and universal human skills programs have been shown to improve student outcomes—we support its use as part of an intervention strategy. However, for optimal effectiveness, we recommend using the Tier 1 curriculum in conjunction with Tier 2 interventions, rather than as a standalone intervention, to ensure students receive both broad exposure and targeted skill reinforcement.
This integrated approach aligns with multi-tiered intervention models and best practices in human skills development, ensuring that students not only receive the support they need but also benefit from a cohesive, schoolwide framework.
What research supports Second Step® Tier 2 supports?
Our approach is grounded in research demonstrating the effectiveness of both human skills programs and tiered support frameworks in improving student outcomes. Specifically, we follow best practices from established intervention frameworks, such as:
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
- Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Framework
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
- Response to Intervention (RTI)
These frameworks emphasize data-driven decision-making, tiered intervention strategies, and research-based instructional practices, all of which inform our design of Tier 2 supports.
We have conducted thorough literature reviews to identify evidence-based and developmentally appropriate intervention practices that focus on key skill areas needed by diverse students.
Additionally, we’re working closely with educators, school leaders, and counselors to ensure that our strategies are practical for real-world classroom implementation. Through ongoing research, educator testing, and iterative feedback cycles, we’re building Tier 2 supports that not only promote student success but also seamlessly integrate into existing schoolwide intervention efforts.
How does the new screener and assessment integrate with existing Second Step® assessment partners?
We recognize that many of our customers already use various assessment tools to guide their programming. Our new third-party screener and assessment is designed to complement existing assessment tools by providing a targeted way to identify students who need additional interventions.
When will Second Step® Tier 2 supports be available?
Tier 2 supports will be released in August 2025.
This expansion reinforces the role of Second Step programs in providing targeted interventions while keeping implementation educator-friendly, research-based, and flexible.