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Byram Hills administrators outline MTSS screening, diagnostics and role of special education
Summary
District administrators described a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework, the screening and diagnostic assessments the district is piloting, and how special education fits into MTSS during the Oct. 14 Board of Education meeting.
Byram Hills Central School District administrators told the Board of Education on Oct. 14 that the district has been working for several years to formalize its multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify and intervene for students with academic and social‑emotional needs.
Administrators said MTSS is the district’s foundational approach for high‑quality instruction, data‑driven supplemental interventions and progress monitoring. “It’s not a single program,” Megan McCauley said. “It’s literally the foundation that sets every system and structure we do inside schools to support kids.”
The district described a three‑tiered model. Tier 1 is universal, high‑quality classroom instruction. Tier 2 provides supplemental, small‑group supports for students who do not respond to Tier 1. Tier 3 offers more intensive, often individual interventions for students who need sustained support.
How students move through the tiers—administrators said—relies on data. The district uses short universal screeners administered three times a year to identify students for further diagnostic testing. Administrators said the district piloted Renaissance STAR as a shorter universal screener after i‑Ready was judged too long; STAR remains in pilot and the district is adjusting cut points to fit local performance levels. “The STAR assessment has nationally normed benchmarks but our local students tend to perform higher, so we’re calibrating cut points to identify the students who truly need additional support,” Kevin Guidotti said.
When a screener flags a student, the district said it follows with a diagnostic assessment administered by a specialist to pinpoint specific skill deficits—such as phonics or computation—so the intervention can be precisely targeted. Specialists then monitor progress, usually weekly, and teams use pre‑specified exit criteria to determine whether to return a student to standard classroom instruction.
Administrators emphasized that special education is part of the MTSS continuum, not separate from it. Colleen O’Connor explained that MTSS response to intervention data can be part of eligibility determinations for an individualized education program (IEP). “MTSS helps us identify who actually should be classified from a legal standpoint,” she said. The district also noted that some students may be declassified after reevaluation and receive transitional services while supports are tapered.
Presenters described layered training and communication practices intended to make MTSS work equitable across classrooms: teacher professional learning on the assessment tools and the science of reading, regular grade‑level or course meetings to align curriculum and intervention, and work toward a single data platform that brings screeners, diagnostics and progress monitoring into one view for teachers and specialists.
Administrators said the district has also begun outreach to preschool providers and parent groups to strengthen early‑childhood transitions and to provide families with practical activities to prepare children for kindergarten. They noted a summer pilot of “Bobcat Cub” materials—short videos and activities for preschool families—and plans to expand that work.
Board members asked about parent communication and community outreach. Colleen O’Connor and other administrators said principals and school psychologists routinely meet with parents when concerns arise, and the district’s Developmental Support Committee is planning communications for preschool families.
The district presented MTSS as an ongoing, multi‑year effort that combines screening, diagnostics, targeted intervention and regular progress monitoring, with special education integrated into the process for legal eligibility or more intensive supports.
The presentation closed with board members and administrators describing the district’s goal of consistency so that a child’s supports do not depend on which teacher they have. “We’re basing it on data so that it’s equitable across all classrooms for all kids regardless,” an administrator said.
