Unionville‑Chadds Ford administrators updated the board on the district’s implementation of a Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), describing it as a team‑based, data‑driven framework that addresses academics, behavior and social‑emotional learning.

An administrator leading the presentation said MTSS is an "umbrella" for practices that include core instruction, screening, RTII, interventions and tiered meetings for students who need additional supports. The presentation stressed fluid tiers — supports can intensify or decrease as student needs change.

Maggie Hunt, an assistant principal at Unionville High School, described year‑one implementation there with a focus on tier‑1 instructional strategies and bite‑sized professional development for teachers. She offered classroom examples: a world‑language teacher who added five minutes for organization routines, an AP history teacher who tracks FRQ preparation via a short Google form and follows up to align preparation with outcomes, and a math teacher rethinking the role of homework. "Tier 1 instruction is a swimming pool at Unionville High School. We're all invited to the party," Hunt said, using the analogy to explain universal research‑based strategies for all students.

Board members asked about the relationship between MTSS, IST and IEP processes. Presenters clarified that IST functions are being folded into MTSS's tier 2/3 practices and that formal special‑education evaluations and IEPs remain separate statutory processes invoked when further evaluation is warranted.

Administrators highlighted the district's use of LinkIt as a data‑warehousing tool that allows cross‑campus reporting (attendance, grades, discipline, risk assessments) to identify students who need support earlier and with greater precision. The district also noted steps to scale MTSS practices in middle and elementary grades and to prioritize early‑grade interventions.

Next steps include continued bite‑sized PD, regular tier‑1 meetings to cluster students by need, and reporting from LinkIt to inform targeted interventions across campuses.