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Superintendent outlines entry plan: MTSS, data warehouse, equity committee and advisory councils
Summary
Superintendent James Best presented a 90‑day entry plan that recommends implementing MTSS in K–8 for 2025‑26, selecting a K–12 data warehouse, launching an annual district culture and climate survey, forming parent and student advisory councils, and reconstituting leadership roles.
Superintendent James Best presented his entry plan update to the Lower Moreland Board of School Directors on Feb. 4, outlining steps intended to support instruction, data use and family engagement during his first six months in office.
Best said his initial work focused on relationship building and data review, and he recommended several near‑term actions. The district plans to implement a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) in K–8 for the 2025‑26 school year to provide tiered academic and behavioral interventions and to expand progress monitoring. Best recommended adopting a district‑level data warehouse to consolidate assessment, attendance and behavior data from multiple systems so teachers and administrators can see real‑time dashboards. He said a Request for Proposals for the data tool is underway and a vendor will be brought to the board next month.
Best also described administrative restructuring completed earlier this school year that resurrected an assistant superintendent position and upgraded a supervisor role to director of teaching, learning and community engagement; the director will lead MTSS implementation. He said the district will use Pennsylvania value‑added assessment data (the state value‑added model), PSSA and Keystone results to monitor cohort growth and teacher impact.
Other recommendations include an annual district‑wide culture and climate survey for students, families, staff and community stakeholders; the creation of student and parent advisory councils (students in grades 7–12 initially); and continued work on a comprehensive three‑year plan and a 10‑year capital plan. Best said the district has processed 43 policies so far in a policy review project and that an Excellence in Educational Equity committee (formerly the DEI council) is drafting an equity policy for board consideration.
Board members asked about outreach and timeline. Best said staff training on MTSS will precede parent communications and that the goal is to implement MTSS in fall 2025. He told the board the district will seek a 20% or larger return rate from parents on the climate survey and that improved web/app communications are part of a longer plan to boost engagement. Best said the district is partnering with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) for planning and resources.
The board did not take votes on the recommendations at the Feb. 4 meeting; Best said the administration will present a data‑warehouse vendor next month and continue work on the other initiatives.
