Berkeley County outlines K–5 MTSS changes, keeps protected 20‑minute intervention blocks

District academic specialists told the board the district is aligning with updated West Virginia MTSS guidance while preserving local, protected intervention time for K–5 students.

Heather McCain, an academic specialist, explained the district’s tiered structure: Tier 1 is universal core instruction for all students; Tier 2 is targeted small‑group instruction for students below cut scores; and Tier 3 provides more intensive supports with increased frequency. “So our multi tiered system on support, we have tier 1, which is universal or core instruction,” McCain said, describing the district’s approach to screening and progress monitoring.

Staff said Berkeley County Schools implemented daily 20‑minute intervention blocks for K–5 ELA and 20 minutes for K–5 math to ensure that time is protected and consistent. They emphasized that a small group in Tier 1 is not automatically an intervention group — intervention requires a documented, data‑driven focus on an identified skill deficit. Dottie Snow, the K–2 math and science specialist, said, “A small group in core is not automatically an intervention group,” to stress the distinction.

The presentation listed programmatic tools used for interventions, including Phonics for Reading, UFly, Heggerty, Kickstart (Tier 2 math), and Bridges (Tier 3 math), with progress monitoring schedules tied to program lessons and teacher documentation. District staff said they require a collection of data points and classroom evidence before moving students between tiers, and they stressed that interventions are intended to be time‑limited and responsive to student progress.