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Kutztown committee reviews high-school curriculum changes, ninth-grade MTSS and algebra supports
Summary
The policy committee heard updates on high-school graduation requirements, senior seminar participation, expanded AP offerings and a targeted ninth-grade MTSS plan that includes an 'Algebra plus' slower-paced intervention. Board members requested unique-student failure counts and historical comparisons.
The Kutztown Area School District Policy & Curriculum Committee on Dec. 8 received a detailed update on high-school curriculum and student supports for 2025–26.
The district said seniors are pursuing a range of pathways — senior seminar (about 40 students), BCTs (22), internships (19), college study (10) and AP courses (11) — and reported increased AP precalculus and AP calculus participation after adding a schedule slot to allow more advanced coursework. "We have 14 students right now taking AP calc, which is double more than we have ever had," the presenter said.
The committee focused on ninth-grade supports after staff reported 41 students currently enrolled in Algebra; about six of those students are in Keystone-exam intervention supports. Staff described "Algebra plus" as a slower-paced grouping that provides intentional time, push-in supports and special-education assistance to help students gain proficiency. "Algebra plus is giving intentional time to a group of students who need...time to work with those students at a little slower pace," staff explained.
Board members pressed staff for more precise reporting. Committee members noted a headline figure—"70 failures"—was course-based and asked for the unique count of students failing courses and a year-over-year comparison. Staff estimated the unique-student count at roughly 17–25 and agreed to provide a breakdown to the full board. Staff also explained Keystone testing reporting timelines and said winter-window results often arrive after the holiday break.
The committee discussed possible benchmarks and parent communication about expectations for incoming ninth graders and said they may set clearer expectations as data evolves. No formal policy change was adopted; staff will return with requested disaggregated counts and historical comparisons.
