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Batavia Middle School leaders highlight MTSS, staffing gaps and new peer‑mediation program
Summary
Middle school leaders told the Batavia City School District board that MTSS work, a stricter cell‑phone policy and a peer‑mediation pilot aim to reduce fights and support students; presenters also flagged understaffing in special education and that roughly half of students are below grade level on fall diagnostics.
Batavia Middle School leaders presented a two‑part update to the Batavia City School District board, outlining academic and behavioral priorities for the year and a new peer‑mediation pilot intended to reduce conflicts among students.
Dr. Kreim told the board the school’s top priorities are a revised master schedule, strengthening professional learning communities and expanding MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports). "So our goals for this year that we're focusing on is our master schedule, professional learning community, and MTSS," he said, framing those as the foundation for targeted interventions.
Leaders shared fall diagnostic results and intervention plans. Presenters reported that 59% of students in math were "where they should be" on I‑Ready diagnostics while 41% were two to three grade levels behind; in reading, 47% were at or above target and 53% were two to three grade levels below. Christine Cameron, assistant principal for grades 6–7, said the MTSS team uses six data buckets (behavior referrals, attendance, academic benchmarks, SEL risk assessments and medical information) and meets weekly or biweekly to create tiered intervention plans and progress‑monitor every 4–6 weeks.
Staff described behavior trends and supports. An assistant principal described a districtwide cell‑phone policy for the middle school—grades 5–6 keep devices in lockers; grades 7–8 turn phones in each morning—and said the change "has drastically reduced just about any and all issue related to a cell phone." Presenters also highlighted positive‑behavior initiatives (student‑of‑the‑month, ticket rewards, assemblies) and supports including a therapy dog and outside assemblies focused on bullying and acceptance.
School leaders said severe mental‑health and behavioral needs are concentrated in a small number of students: "We have 9 to 11 kids that are taking up 90% of our time with their mental health, social, emotional, behavioral, needs," Dr. Kreim said, noting limited counseling capacity and partner agencies that are often overbooked.
To address peer conflict, the district obtained a grant to train peer mediators; 25 students completed a three‑day training and will pilot peer mediation this month. Dr. Kreim and staff said the program will provide neutral, student‑led conflict resolution and be expanded into the high school if it proves effective.
Board members asked how parents are involved in MTSS referrals; staff said referrals use an RFA process open to teachers and families and that parent inclusion is being strengthened as the MTSS process is new to the middle school. Presenters also said they will publish more data profiles and multiple assessment measures to avoid relying on a single test score.
The presentation closed with next steps: finalize a master‑schedule draft by June 15, publish student schedules by July 31 and use PLC cycles and MTSS meetings to align interventions with classroom instruction.
