Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mtss Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District 128 reports early results from MTSS work; recommends math supports and in-day interventionists
Summary
District 128 administrators reported Feb. 24 that first-semester data show ninth-grade heterogeneous college-prep classes performed similarly to prior years, and a joint committee recommended expanding math supports, shifting some morning interventions into the school day, and creating interventionist roles.
District 128 administrators gave a midyear update Feb. 24 on the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), reporting first-semester outcomes and committee recommendations for next-year intervention design.
Dr. Tom Coolentes, who presented the update, described MTSS as "a framework for organizing schools for continuous improvement that is meant to be systemic, sustainable, and data informed." Administrators told the board the district has created district- and building-level MTSS teams, established data protocols and student success criteria, and is expanding staff practices for data-based decision-making.
Among academic outcomes presented, administrators reported that ninth-grade students in newly implemented heterogeneous college-prep courses produced grade distributions "that closely mirrored the performance of the class the year before," easing earlier concerns that changes could lead to increased failure or placement drops. Administrators cautioned one year of data is limited, but said the broad result suggests staff interventions and supports were effective in the first semester.
A joint committee composed of ESP (educational support personnel), teacher-union representatives, and district administrators met weekly in January and February to review academic interventions. The committee recommended several structural changes: expand ESP-supported tier-1 math supports; consider shifting some extension-lab resources from before-school sessions into the school day to improve access for students with transportation or circadian challenges; pilot English, math and science interventionist positions with caseloads to provide differentiated instruction and reteaching; better co-location of tier-3 literacy and numeracy interventions to reduce student movement between programs; and continue executive functioning coaching positions that are ESP roles and have shown results.
District officials emphasized no final staffing design has been adopted; the administration will present a staffing plan to the board in March after continuing collaborative discussions with teacher and ESP union leadership. The administration said changes, if approved, would be incorporated into next year’s staffing process.
