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Horseheads board hears multi‑year MTSS rollout tied to 'portrait of a graduate'
Summary
District leaders presented progress on a multi‑year MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) initiative and the district's seven‑indicator 'portrait of a graduate,' emphasizing professional learning, common language for tiered interventions, and planned January learning sessions.
Unidentified Presenter (a district instructional leader) told the Horseheads Central School District Board that the district has been developing its MTSS work since the 2021–22 school year and is now focused on systemwide implementation and common language for tiered interventions. "MTSS provides a whole child framework to establish a comprehensive continuum of supports to ensure that all students achieve at high levels academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally," the presenter read aloud during the report.
The presentation traced the work from initial planning during COVID to recent conference‑day activities in which principals and staff reviewed materials and reflected on practice. The presenters said the district used consultant support and input from teachers, principals and a curriculum advisory team to define seven indicators for the district’s "portrait of a graduate": wellness, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking and independence.
Administrators described professional‑learning steps and a phased timeline. They said the immediate emphasis is on tier‑1 instruction and building common vocabulary so staff interpret categories such as "tier 1," "tier 2" and "tier 3" consistently across buildings. The team encouraged principals to lead building‑level reflections and share takeaways with the instructional leaders group; a video illustrating the tiers will be hyperlinked in the board packet for staff and family reference.
Board members asked about external partners and implementation pacing. Presenters said the district worked with Katie Novak’s group and other peer districts to learn from their implementation. In response to a request for measurable milestones, presenters said they are preparing 3‑, 6‑ and 12‑month learning plans and will report next steps at the January meeting. The presentation closed with a call to balance immediate classroom scheduling needs against long‑term fidelity to the MTSS system.
The superintendent and board members praised the work and requested a concise implementation timeline and further detail on how MTSS will be embedded into daily schedules and evidence collection for the portrait‑of‑a‑graduate indicators.
