Tiers of Support

Tiers of Support (I, II, III)Maine has developed three Tiers of Support that provide various levels of facilitated assistance from the Maine DOE.

Tier III supports are designated specifically for schools experiencing the most significant challenges and have otherwise been identified to receive Title I funding.

Tiers I and II are designed to support all public schools, which includes schools receiving Title I funding and those that are not. 

The eligibility of schools for Tier III supports is based upon the performance of all eligible student groups, while the eligibility of schools for support in Tiers I and II is based upon the performance of each individual student group comprised of at least ten (10) students. Student groups with fewer than 10 students are not included as part of the accountability indicators for the school; this is consistent with federal FERPA regulations.

Below is a detailed summary that describes how a school’s eligibility is determined and the various supports that are available at each Tier:

Tier I
Additional Targeted Supports and Improvement

Tier II
Targeted Supports and Improvement

Tier III
Comprehensive Supports and Improvement

Any school with one or more student population/s experiencing challenges across all indicators

Any school with one or more of the same student population(s) consistently experiencing challenges (over 3 years) in the same indicators.

Title I schools where all student population/s are experiencing challenges across all indicators

Professional development will be available regionally and statewide at no cost.

With access to a regional school leadership coach, schools will be responsible for developing and implementing a school level plan, in partnership with stakeholders, to include at least one evidence-based intervention. 

With the support of a school leadership coach, schools will be responsible for developing and implementing a school level plan, in partnership with stakeholders, to include at least one evidence-based intervention. Schools will also have access to additional federal funds to support the implementation of a school leadership team and the school plan. Professional development will be available at no cost and driven by the needs of school staff and students.