Hatboro-Horsham high school leaders describe expanded MTSS interventions, new IXL use

The Hatboro-Horsham High School leadership told the school board on Jan. 27 that a retooled multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) program and new digital tools are yielding gains and more consistent monitoring for students who need extra academic and social-emotional help.

"Tier 2 is where that data driven decision making actually occurs," said Dr. Dennis Williams, the school principal, describing a shift toward clearer instructional strategies, progress monitoring and early intervention. Administrators credited the board and district office for sustained support that they say has improved student achievement over the last two years.

School leaders described a core-team process that meets every Friday at 8 a.m., typically with 15–17 staff — building administration, guidance counselors, the special education supervisor, the nurse and the school psychologist — to triage referrals from teachers, counselors, parents and sometimes students themselves. The district restored a centralized referral workflow called "Hatteras Connect," housed in PowerSchool, to place each student on an agenda for a 2–3 minute triage and to assign a support coordinator responsible for six-week reviews.

On math interventions, the district assigned an interventionist who pushes into Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 classes, supports students who retested the Algebra Keystone, runs Lunch-and-Learn sessions, and provides one-on-one or small-group help for pre-algebra skill deficits. Administrators said Algebra 1 has seen the largest group-level deployment and that teachers and interventionists use IXL to monitor skill-level progress since day one of a course.

"All of our Algebra 1 students are also using IXL this year," one presenter said, adding that the school currently holds about 30 licenses for English and plans to expand use so ELA supports can more closely mirror the math interventions.

On ELA and executive-function interventions, the high school has piloted an ELA support lab (a half-credit class) and offers targeted six-week interventions focused on organization, time-management and assignment completion. Social-emotional concerns are handled through a combined SAP (student assistance program) and SEBB triage in the same referral system so staff can view academic and behavioral needs holistically.

Board members asked how students are informed and whether families can opt out. Presenters said counselors meet individually with referred students to explain concerns and supports and, where appropriate, introduce students to the assigned interventionist. The team said referrals come from a mix of teachers, counselors, parents, and student self-referrals and that they discuss roughly "30 to 45" students in a given core-team cycle, though that number fluctuates as students are added or removed from review.

Administrators said they are evaluating interventions at benchmark points, including Keystone exams, and are considering staffing stability for intervention roles so the approach can expand consistently.

The presentation closed with thanks from board leadership and an invitation for questions; several board members and parents sought examples of classroom activities and opportunities for parent engagement, which presenters said they would revisit as the programs mature.