Curriculum committee reviews MTSS work and readies district for statewide personal finance requirement

Jim Lapick, chair of the Pottsgrove School District—s Curriculum, Instruction & Technology (CIT) committee, summarized two items from the March 18 committee meeting: continued implementation of the district—s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and work to meet Pennsylvania—s new personal finance graduation requirement.

Lapick told the board that MTSS remains a central framework for screening, monitoring and intervening based on academic, behavioral, discipline and social-emotional data. Committee members reviewed Pennsylvania Youth Survey data and began drafting an action plan; the plan and data will be reviewed further at a Schools Partnership meeting in May.

On personal finance, Lapick said the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires all public schools to implement a mandatory personal finance course for students between grades 9 and 12 beginning with the 2027 school year; the course must be at least half a credit and the state standards become effective July 1, 2026. "The district has the freedom, so to speak, in terms of developing the curriculum," Lapick said, and CIT will make decisions this year about when to offer the course, what to name it, how its credit will apply and who will teach it.

The committee will share a preparation checklist at the April CIT meeting and use remaining meetings this year to make curricular and scheduling decisions required to meet the state timeline.