Tonganoxie director outlines district plan to raise achievement, expand MTSS and instructional coaching

Brandy Taylor, director of school improvement services for Tonganoxie USD 464, told the school board Monday night the district is focusing on standards alignment, a strengthened multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and expanded instructional-coach work to raise student achievement.

Taylor said the department’s work is organized around four KSDE-identified fundamentals — structured literacy, standards alignment, balanced assessment and quality instruction — and that curriculum design maps required by Kansas (the KISA process) are central to ensuring a “guaranteed viable curriculum.”

“We are a department that is very focused on increasing the rigor and achievement of all the students at USD 464,” Taylor said. She described vertical professional learning communities (K–12 groups by content area) where teachers review how standards build from kindergarten through advanced classes, and said the district is pushing document-based questions and writing at earlier grades to increase cognitive demand.

Taylor described MTSS as a top priority for moving students identified at “level 1” to higher levels. She said the district has reallocated resources and is emphasizing vetted, standards-aligned materials to provide consistent interventions, and that instructional coaches are leading walk-throughs, modeling lessons and running targeted professional development.

Taylor gave counts for the district’s Kite Minis (state-aligned mini-assessments used to prep for state testing): elementary math Kite Minis — roughly 1,657 complete with about 460 assigned and ready to go; middle school math — about 3,024 complete, 177 in progress and 1,229 ready to go; high school math — about 1,979 complete, 27 in progress and 3,260 ready to go. She said ninth- and tenth-grade ELA teachers are using weekly Kite Mini-style questions in class discussions.

She listed adopted and proposed instructional materials and supports: Eureka and CKLA (core math and ELA), reflex math, IXL, UFLY, 6 Minute Solutions, and other targeted interventions. Taylor said the district will review K–12 science materials, handwriting curriculum for kindergarten, pre-K resources and courseware for the Success Center and credit recovery.

Taylor identified building-level performance goals: at Tonganoxie Elementary School (TES) and the district overall, aims include increasing level 3 and 4 scores by 5% and reducing level 1 scores by 5%; Tonganoxie Middle School (TMS) hopes to raise math level 3s by 10% and reduce level 1s by 5%; similar 5% shifts were stated for high school measures. She said instructional coaches and early-release PLC time will support those targets and fidelity to adopted materials.

Taylor also described the district’s “SWAT” testing model that uses instructional coaches and staff to administer assessments so classroom teachers keep instructional time, and said she oversees assessment for pre-K through 12. She added that the TONGI instructional framework (teaching, opportunities to respond, needs assessment, engagement/gradual release/integrating background knowledge) is being rolled out across grade bands.

Looking ahead, Taylor said the department will continue calibrating walk-throughs this spring, expand the coaching model next year, finalize science and pre-K resource adoptions, and prepare students for state assessments in April with targeted boot-camp weeks.

Taylor closed by urging data-driven adjustments to goals and said the district will investigate why targets are missed or met before changing expectations.