York Suburban board examines curriculum rewrite and assessment plan as student performance lags in math and ELA
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Summary
Board members spent the bulk of the meeting pressing district leaders on how a new curriculum and MTSS rollout will be measured and whether state assessments and local benchmarks will show progress. Administrators said the district will use a combination of state tests, benchmarks and classroom-level formative data rather than a single metric.
The York Suburban School District board on Tuesday heard extended presentations and questions about a districtwide curriculum rewrite and the implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), during which board members pressed administrators for clear measures of success.
Administrators described MTSS as a three-tiered, evidence-based approach. "Tier 1 is that guaranteed viable written curriculum," said Miss Potts, a curriculum presenter, explaining the district’s focus on a strong core and targeted tier 2 supports delivered by math and reading specialists. She framed the work as aligning curriculum, instruction and assessments with the district’s portrait-of-a-graduate competencies.
The board probed how the district will know the curriculum is working. "What are we supposed to look at if we can’t look at the standardized tests?" asked a member of the board, arguing parents and the public need consistent indicators. District staff and Dr. Krauser responded that there is no single metric: the state-required standardized tests (PSSAs/Keystones) will remain part of accountability, but the district also will use formative assessments, benchmark tools, performance tasks and MTSS data teams to evaluate progress. "It's the combination — formative assessments, benchmarks, summative assessments," an administrator said.
Board members repeatedly pressed for a three-year plan that would show whether the curriculum rewrite is working. Administrators said they will monitor common assessments, performance tasks, benchmark trends and classroom-level data and report those measures to the public, while acknowledging state assessments and delivery methods may change in the coming years.
The presentation also highlighted career and credential programs at the high school — AP expansion, dual-enrollment partnerships with York College and industry certifications such as OSHA and ServSafe — as elements the district views as part of overall student success.
Why it matters: Board members framed the discussion around public accountability for taxpayer-funded curriculum changes and the need for transparent, consistent measures that families can track. Administrators cautioned that statewide changes in assessment design and delivery complicate year-to-year comparisons, so the district will rely on multiple internal and external measures.
What’s next: The district plans follow-up presentations, including a forthcoming report from the teacher-on-special-assignment about implementation supports. Board members said they expect administrators to identify specific internal indicators the public can use to evaluate the curriculum in the coming years.
