Suffern assistant superintendent lays out curriculum 'blueprint,' highlights literacy and scheduling changes
Loading...
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kevin McCahill presented the district's instructional blueprint—focusing on curriculum alignment, literacy interventions, secondary flex scheduling and pilots for AI and Lexia PowerUp—and told the board the district will need staffing and budget decisions to expand interventions ahead of May budget deliberations.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kevin McCahill on Wednesday told the Suffern Central School District Board of Education that the district is organizing instruction around four pillars—engaging curriculum, enrichment and advancement, essential skill development, and learning beyond the classroom.
"If you name it, it helps you take things out of the complex and make it more accessible," Dr. McCahill said, summarizing the purpose of the new blueprint and the district's work to standardize core tools such as CKLA and Eureka Math in elementary grades and common assessments in secondary grades.
Why it matters: McCahill said the blueprint will let the district measure, adapt and repeat successful interventions across schools. He described an eight-week elementary MTSS data cycle, pilots using Lexia PowerUp at the high school to address older students' literacy gaps, and an ongoing SchoolAI elective and pilot at the secondary level.
On standardized tests, McCahill noted the state is moving away from traditional Regents exams, saying the shift toward a single diploma "sunsetting the New York State Regents exams" gives districts more flexibility to design local proficiency measures.
Board members focused questions on literacy and staffing. A board member asked, "Have we been able to identify students with dyslexia from this program, and where are we going with that?" Dr. McCahill replied that prior consultant work emphasized formative assessment rather than early dyslexia diagnosis and that the district's tools (Lexia, CKLA, UFLI) help flag students who need intervention; he also said the district faces a statewide shortage of Orton-Gillingham–certified teachers.
"The science of reading has been the approach now," McCahill said, describing the district's alignment to research-based literacy practices while acknowledging more staffing and budget support may be required to expand targeted interventions.
Board members suggested exploring a coordinator role or additional certified specialists; McCahill and the superintendent said those needs will be part of upcoming budget discussions.
On secondary scheduling, McCahill explained the new flex (IE) block is meant to rotate groups of students through intervention and enrichment so youngsters do not lose access to electives while receiving targeted support. He described a pilot that uses scheduling integration with the district's Synergy student management system and said the model remains a work in progress.
Next steps: McCahill said the administration will present specific budget needs to the board during next month's budget finalization process. The board was reminded the district budget and school board election are scheduled for May 19, with petitions available March 2 and final filing on April 20.
The board had no immediate votes tied directly to the blueprint presentation; budget and staffing proposals will be discussed in follow-up meetings.
