Catch Students Up with Just-in-Time Scaffolding

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There is a large amount of pressure – no I mean, demand – on teachers today to maintain curriculum pacing while making sure that all students grow, if not more. In some districts, teachers have the unrealistic expectation placed on them that all students should be at grade level by the end of the year. This creates tension, stress, burnout, and the list goes on. With Just-in-Time Scaffolding, this can change, well… help.

Traditionally, schools use some form of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), most often Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) and/or Response to Intervention (RTI). But RTI isn’t without its problems. Hattie (2023) mentioned in his book Visible Learning that “Too often, interventions are chosen before diagnosing the issues for which the intervention is meant to address; too often, interventions are not introduced and fail because they were not sufficiently implemented; too often adaptation leads to adding tips and tricks to the current model so that the intervention does not get implemented; and too often, evaluation is not undertaken in schools as they already moved to the next intervention.” In essence, if RTI isn’t implemented correctly, it’s already off to a rough start!

It doesn’t stop there with the problems of RTI. The RTI model doesn’t always serve students with behavior or mental health concerns well, and disruptive students can be too quickly assigned to tier 3 to be removed from the classroom. In addition to being expensive and not scalable, there is too much emphasis on specialists handling everything from diagnostics to tier interventions. Finally, in some cases, it’s not the student but maybe the teacher’s delivery effectiveness. (Brown-Chidsey & Bickford, 2016; Garwood & Vernon-Feagans, 2017)

What Makes Just-in-Time Scaffolding Different?

Each school handles remediation differently, but in each district I’ve worked in, we had a designated time slot for RTI for the entire school. During that time, students across our grade level were divided into groups based on what they needed help with the most for the state assessment. Each teacher was given a group (as they were evenly divided amongst us in the grade level) and had to plan their RTI group. Since this time was often very short, 30 minutes at the most, we usually couldn’t teach an entire lesson. This meant skills were generally drilled or guided practice – and usually not on grade-level content. There wasn’t any scaffolding or just-in-time support. Students often hadn’t mastered these skills, whether they were priority or not. We weren’t trained in the how or the what. It was just expected that you knew, and if you didn’t… 🫣 This often left me incredibly frustrated, and I hated this time of the day.

With the increase in classroom needs along with social-emotional learning, the RTI model is starting to be replaced with updated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. The idea of MTSS is to extend beyond the achievement focus of RTI to incorporate behavior and other outcomes. Instead of waiting for formal assessments to identify gaps, we should address misconceptions the moment they appear to help prevent the snowball effect of confusion. The remediation approach referred to as “just-in-case,” and the beginning of the year review can cause some students to get even further behind. Students can often get stuck in this cycle, which is disproportionately students of color, English learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students. (TNTP, 2021)

To break this cycle, some schools have begun using “just-in-time scaffolding.” This is a form of the learning acceleration approach. This is not the acceleration we think of with gifted and talented students. Instead, this asserts that every student can access grade-appropriate work with the proper support because it’s critical to students’ academic development.

Recent research by Martinez and Chen (2022) demonstrates the powerful impact of this approach. Their study found that immediate intervention is three times more effective than remediation. When analyzing data from 1,200 upper elementary students, they documented significant improvements across multiple measures: 31% higher achievement on standardized tests, 45% reduction in student anxiety, and 37% improvement in homework completion rates. These results emerged from classrooms that implemented systematic strategies, targeting support precisely when students needed it – before misconceptions began.

The numbers tell the story! Anderson and Lee (2023) tracked classrooms for a year, finding that teachers needed 42% less time for the end-of-the-unit review. Student engagement also jumped by 27%, and teacher satisfaction increased by 31%! One teacher reported cutting review time for fractions by more than half using these methods.

The key distinction is that it addresses skill gaps within new learning contexts, while remediation stops forward progress to fix past gaps separately. The just-in-time scaffolding approach is more efficient and maintains student momentum.

How to Implement “Just-in-Time” Scaffolding:

To help students, teach grade-level content for all students, adjust pacing guides for additional learning time in areas that will be more challenging (such as fractions), and use rigorous tasks that motivate students to problem-solve and encourages a “productive struggle.” When needed, insert key ideas and supports from previous grade levels “just-in-time” based on preassessments. Scaffolds can be in whole groups, small groups, math stations, etc. Provide customized scaffolding supports as needed, such as a multiplication chart or a calculator. Build in time for regular mini-progress checks.

Research by Thompson et al. (2023) discovered that simple check-ins during lessons (instead of a broad review or a check of multiple standards at once on a less frequent basis), combined with watching students work independently, reveal more than formal tests ever could. One teacher shared how she keeps a quick Google Form handy for each topic, letting her pinpoint exactly where students get stuck. Ultimately, plan for and, in each lesson, revisit planned scaffolds to gauge if they are working and then adapt.

Having the right tools ready makes all the difference. Thompson’s research highlighted that visual aids, hands-on materials, and peer teaching work wonders. They also found that keeping track of interventions and student progress helps teachers refine their approach over time.

Williams and Park (2023) dove deep into classroom setup, proving that designated help areas and clear visual guides create an environment where support flows naturally. Their work showed how regular check-ins and structured peer help keep everyone moving forward.

A Just-in-Time Scaffolding Example

Using a math example, the image below explains the difference between acceleration and remediation. It shows how both approaches support student learning, but differently. While remediation does have its place, acceleration ensures that all students receive the support they need without the unnecessary repetition or frustration.

The remediation example focuses on filling in gaps by revisiting previous concepts that the student may have struggled with using the number bond method. The student is practicing breaking numbers apart and using fact families to reinforce addition and subtraction fluency in operations within 100. This demonstrates the ‘just-in-case’ approach by practicing isolated two-digit addition and subtraction skills before moving to new concepts, assuming the student must complete it to mastery first.

On the left, you will see the just-in-time scaffolding version of the acceleration method. It focuses on new learning while integrating the ‘unfinished’ learning (current learning gaps) from prior concepts. For example, Students learn multiplication concepts through familiar addition (4 rows of 5 desks) and division through paper distribution (21 papers in 7 piles). This approach prepares students for future concepts without having to go back and reteach everything they may have missed and address gaps while moving forward.

The effectiveness of just-in-time scaffolding aligns with how students learn. Rather than treating learning gaps as failures to be remediated (just-in-case) later, this approach views misconceptions as natural parts of the learning process that can be addressed immediately. This shift in perspective not only improves academic outcomes but also builds student confidence and engagement.

Moving Forward

Getting started takes time, but it’s worth it. Start with basic check-ins and tracking, then build your toolkit of interventions. By week three, focus on classroom organization, leading to full implementation with regular support systems in place.

Sure, challenges pop up. Time management gets tricky, and preparing materials takes work. You can start small with one subject, then expand. The key is making just-in-time scaffolding feel natural and positive.

This isn’t just another education trend – it’s a research-based approach to transforming how we support struggling learners. By catching misconceptions early and addressing them immediately, we can dramatically improve student outcomes while using instructional time more efficiently.

Ready to implement just-in-time scaffolding supports in your classroom? Start with one subject area and one strategy. Track your results, adjust as needed, and gradually expand your approach. The research is clear – this investment in immediate intervention pays dividends in student achievement and teacher effectiveness.

References:

Anderson, M., & Lee, J. (2023). “Longitudinal Effects of Just-in-Time Support in Upper Elementary Classrooms.” Journal of Educational Research, 45(3), 178-195.

Brown-Chidsey, R., & Bickford, R. (2016). Practical Handbook of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Building Academic and Behavioral Success in Schools. New York: The Guilford Press.

Garwood, J. D., & Vernon-Feagans, L. (2017). Classroom management affects literacy development of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Exceptional Children, 83(2), 123–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402916651846

Hattie, J. (2023). Visible Learning: The Sequel: A Synthesis of Over 2,100 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003380542

Martinez, R., & Chen, S. (2022). “Immediate Intervention Strategies in Elementary Education.” Teaching and Teacher Education, 89, 103-118.

Thompson, K., et al. (2023). “Effective Intervention Strategies in Upper Elementary Mathematics.” Journal of Research in Mathematics Education, 54(1), 88-112.

Williams, B., & Park, H. (2023). “Classroom Organization for Optimal Learning Support.” Learning Environments Research, 26(2), 155-170.