Output & service groups
How domain scores become a tier (1–8)
You've rated all five domains, each with a single 0–3 score. This is where those five numbers become one tier, 1 through 8 — the ladder, the two pattern gates, and the three overrides.
You've rated all five domains, each with a single 0–3 score (the highest of its four factors). This is where those five numbers become one tier, 1 through 8.
There are three ways a tier gets set. Most students go through the first; a few are set by the second or third. Check which applies to you:
- The ladder — add up the domain scores.
- The top two tiers — set by pattern, not just sum.
- The overrides — set regardless of scores.
1. The ladder (Tiers 1–5)
Add the five domain scores (each 0–3, so the total runs 0–15) and read off the tier:
| Total of the five domain scores | Tier |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | Tier 1 |
| 2–4 | Tier 2 |
| 5–7 | Tier 3 |
| 8–10 | Tier 4 |
| 11–15 | Tier 5 |
In practice the ladder tops out at 13 — see below for why.
2. The top two tiers (6 and 7)
TEA sets Tiers 6 and 7 by pattern, not by sum:
- Tier 7 = all five domains rated Significant (3).
- Tier 6 = four domains Significant (3) plus one Moderate (2).
This is what a director sees in the tool and the letters, so it's the language to use.
Why these are really the top of the same ladder. Each domain maxes at 3, and there are five domains. So:
- A total of 15 can only be five 3's → that's Tier 7.
- A total of 14 can only be four 3's and one 2 → that's Tier 6.
Every other total can be reached lots of ways, but 14 and 15 each have exactly one possible pattern. So Tiers 6 and 7 are just the top two rungs of the ladder — the rungs with only one way to reach them. The ladder is wide at the bottom and narrows to a single solution at the top.
A high-but-not-maxed student — say three Significant and two Moderate (total 13) — is Tier 5, not 6. Reaching 6 or 7 takes the full four- or five-Significant pattern. A big total isn't enough; the pattern has to be right.
3. The overrides
Three situations set the tier no matter what the factor scores say:
| Situation | Forced tier |
|---|---|
| Speech therapy is the only instructional service | Tier 1 |
| ARD committee places the student in a day program | Tier 7 |
| ARD committee places the student in a residential program | Tier 8 |
Tier 8 is reachable only by override — there's no way to score your way to it.
Even when an override applies, you still rate every factor. The override sets the tier; it doesn't skip the work. Those scores feed master scheduling, staffing, and reintegration. If you leave them blank, the export shows zeros. How to rate a student
Quick gut-check
- Sum the five domain scores → ladder gives you Tiers 1–5.
- All five at 3 → Tier 7. Four at 3 + one at 2 → Tier 6.
- Speech-only → Tier 1. Day placement → Tier 7. Residential → Tier 8.
- Always rate the factors, even under an override.