Syosset outlines tiered MTSS supports, expands Northwell mental‑health partnership

Syosset Central School District presented details of its multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) at the district’s October Board of Education meeting, describing how the district identifies struggling students, the interventions used at each level, and an expanded partnership with Northwell Health to improve access to behavioral health services.

The presentation, led by Superintendent Dr. Raymond Rogers and MTSS staff, described MTSS as “a systematic framework that we use to provide targeted support to our struggling learners,” and walked the board through a case study of a hypothetical fourth‑grade student named Arthur to show how screening, intervention and progress monitoring work over time. District staff emphasized that MTSS addresses academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs and that students may move up or down tiers depending on their response to supports.

Why it matters: Board members pressed staff on rising mental‑health needs across grade levels, how MTSS captures students who fall below conventional screening cutoffs, and what the district is doing proactively to reduce demand for intensive interventions. Staff said the district is strengthening a centralized MTSS module in its student information system, expanding school‑level mental‑health teams and piloting programs to support prevention and social‑emotional learning.

District overview and tiers

Superintendent Dr. Raymond Rogers introduced the program and handed the presentation to Ms. Erin Goldthwait, who described MTSS as a tiered approach that begins with universal classroom‑level supports (Tier 1), moves to small‑group interventions (Tier 2) and advances to individualized, intensive instruction…