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District leaders describe expansion of MTSS, deeper learning and project-based initiatives
Summary
District staff reported completion of a three-year MTSS partnership, new deeper learning frameworks, project-based learning rollouts, and curriculum alignment efforts including a common Algebra I resource and ELA/Spanish immersion pilots.
At the May 12 meeting, district staff provided an extended update on curriculum, instruction and student supports, outlining recent initiatives in MTSS, deeper learning, project-based learning (PBL) and curriculum alignment.
Charles (presenting staff member) told the committee the district completed a three-year partnership with an external vendor to operationalize a whole-student review process across every school. The process produces student-centered portfolios intended to ease transitions between grades by documenting strengths and next steps that follow a student year-to-year.
Staff highlighted a range of professional development and programmatic work: middle-school professional development on civil discourse, a teacher-developed authenticity protocol, expansion of deeper learning and project-based models, and plans to blend deeper learning into next year’s PD model. The district reported interdisciplinary projects — including a high-school crime-scene analysis that culminated in student presentations to a judge — and participation in a regional showcase with multiple student teams.
Curriculum alignment work included secondary schools agreeing on a common Algebra I resource to support collaboration whether the course is taken in grade 8 or 9, and coordinated field-testing of ELA resources with Spanish-immersion versions to align K–5 materials. Staff said they plan to provide additional professional learning on PBL and create a library of PBL units to make the approach sustainable.
Committee members asked about empirical measures to track deeper learning outcomes and transfer skills. Staff acknowledged the challenge of quantifying deeper learning in the short term and said they will rely on a combination of student reflections, portfolios, disaggregated data (MCAS, I-Ready, AP where applicable), and observable “leveling up” of tasks as qualitative evidence of progress. The district plans further development of portfoliobased capstone assessments tied to the portrait-of-a-learner framework.
