Middletown Area High School board adopts Year 2 TSI plan after special‑education Keystone shortfalls
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The Middletown Area School District board voted to adopt a second‑year Targeted School Improvement (TSI) plan for Middletown Area High School, citing low Keystone exam proficiency among a special‑education subgroup and setting a 5% improvement goal; the plan will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by Sept. 30, 2025.
The Middletown Area School District Board of School Directors voted to adopt the Tier 2 Targeted School Improvement (TSI) plan for Middletown Area High School (MAHS) and authorized district staff to submit the plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education before Sept. 30, 2025.
School presenter Mr. Friday told the board the district is in a “yellow” or warning phase of TSI because one subgroup — students with individualized education programs (special education) — has not met state achievement markers on the Keystone examinations. “One of our subgroups, specifically the special ed subgroup, has not been meeting the achievement markers through the passing the Keystone examinations,” Mr. Friday said.
The plan targets a 5% improvement in achievement for the special‑education subgroup in algebra, biology and English/literature. Mr. Friday gave the board specific test counts from the previous year: 34 special‑education students sat the algebra Keystone and one was proficient; 32 sat biology and two were proficient; 31 sat literature and three were proficient. He said the district is also addressing attendance and alternate pathways to graduation under Act 158.
Why it matters: A TSI designation signals that a school must adopt a state‑approved improvement plan to address underperforming student subgroups; failure to show progress could extend the designation and affect supports and oversight. The district set a modest, measurable target — 5% growth — as the immediate goal for the subgroup cited in the TSI notice.
Board discussion and context: Board member Mr. Frye asked whether similar patterns appear in other districts; Mr. Friday replied it is “definitely a common trend.” Mr. Friday and other administrators described instructional changes, scheduling revisions and expanded special‑education supports, including hand‑scheduling of special‑education placements and targeted push‑in instruction aligned to teachers’ specializations. Mr. Friday also noted practical limits to test modifications and the difficulty posed when students with reading disabilities face reading‑heavy prompts on math and other tests: “It’s frustrating when you have students who are taking a test who have a specific learning disability in reading and they have to take a reading test,” he said.
Formal action: Board member Mrs. Schreffler moved to adopt the TSI plan for MAHS for Year 2 and authorize submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Education before Sept. 30, 2025. The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.
What the plan includes: Mr. Friday said the plan focuses on strengthened scheduling, IEP revisions, closer alignment of special‑education staff to content areas, student success mapping for 11th and 12th graders, and the district’s implementation of alternate pathways under Act 158 for students who do not pass a Keystone assessment.
Next steps: The plan will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by the stated deadline. Administrators said they will continue monitoring subgroup performance and report back to the board as required.