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District presents 2025–28 comprehensive academic plan and seeks continuation of Magic School AI pilot
Summary
Marple Newtown staff presented a draft 2025–28 comprehensive academic plan to the school board on March 11 and asked to continue the Magic School AI pilot. The plan, posted Feb. 13 for the required 30-day public review, includes four goals: districtwide MTSS implementation at elementary schools, adoption of Pennsylvania STEM/tech standards and s
Dana Altobao (staff member) presented the Marple Newtown School District’s draft comprehensive plan for 2025–28 and sought board approval to continue the district’s Magic School artificial-intelligence pilot.
Altobao said the comprehensive plan is primarily academic and that districts in Pennsylvania are required to submit a three-year comprehensive plan to the state. The plan was posted on the district website Feb. 13; staff said they will seek board approval at the March 25 meeting, which will satisfy the plan’s required 30-day public posting window before submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Altobao outlined four district goals in the plan. First, the district will implement a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) at all elementary schools over three years, a collaborative effort involving principals, counselors and psychologists. Altobao said the district expects a downstream effect of up to a 10 percent reduction in the number of special-education evaluations because interventions are delivered earlier within regular education settings.
Second, Altobao described implementation of new state standards covering science, technical education, STEM and design thinking; she said Marple Newtown has been preparing for the change and expects a significant curriculum effort over the coming summer. Third, the district plans to continue structured literacy work (Altobao cited the Savvas program, now in its second year). Fourth, the plan emphasizes routine formative assessment practices, with results stored in Performance Matters so teachers can use the data to guide instruction.
On technology, Altobao said staff are seeking approval to continue work with Magic School, an AI platform the district piloted this year. She said the district rolled the system out to staff K–12 in the fall and gave teachers a two-month head start before students in grades 6–12 received licenses. The platform is a closed system limited to Marple Newtown, Altobao said, and the district has released guidelines for staff and students; staff continue to advise against inputting sensitive district information into prompts. Altobao said the district also plans to introduce unit lessons for grade 5 next year to support students’ transition to middle school.
Altobao described the plan as the district’s academic commitments through 2028 and said the state will review the submission and provide feedback. The transcript does not record a board vote on the plan or on continuation of the AI pilot; staff said they will seek the board’s formal approval on March 25.
