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Presenter outlines MTSS plan to stem student decline in secondary grades
Summary
District presenter described a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) effort to identify and intervene for secondary students who begin trailing off in high school, citing screening tools (STAR, Renaissance, CDT), targeted supports and scheduling challenges that complicate implementation.
Presenter for Kutztown Area SD delivered a detailed presentation on the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for secondary students, describing why students who succeed in elementary and middle school often begin to “trail off” in high school and how tiered interventions are being built to address those trends.
Presenter said MTSS is the district’s school-improvement framework and explained the distinction between tier 1 (universal) supports that apply to all students and tier 2/3 targeted interventions. The presentation cited screening and assessment tools — STAR and Renaissance universal screenings, PSSA/Keystone scores and a state-designed CDT diagnostic assessment — that the district uses to identify students who need additional instruction or scheduling changes.
Presenter described concrete numbers the district reviewed: a focused examination of roughly 65 students’ schedules who were not yet in Algebra I though they needed that credit path, and a group of about 30 eleventh graders who had not passed a literacy Keystone; staff said those cohorts informed immediate academic-support and connections-period scheduling decisions. Presenter said roughly 10–20% of students often need additional targeted supports and fewer than 5% require intensive interventions beyond those tiers.
Committee members asked about scheduling constraints and how MTSS intersects with special-education eligibility; Presenter clarified MTSS runs in tandem with IEP processes and that MTSS data are used to document interventions but do not replace formal special-education evaluations. A staff member described program options such as academic-support periods, targeted connections periods and computer-based supplements like ALEKS for math remediation.
Presenter said district leaders are conducting professional learning, leadership-team development and learning walks across buildings to build capacity and called the work "a whirlwind, but it's gonna be a benefit to kids." The committee did not take formal action on MTSS at this meeting; staff will continue implementation planning and return with updates.
