Longview presenters outline PLC-driven plan to tighten core instruction and expand MTSS supports
Loading...
Summary
District instructional leaders told the board the Longview School District is standardizing Professional Learning Communities, projection maps and shared assessments to ensure clearer core (Tier 1) instruction and target interventions through an MTSS framework; board approved related policy updates earlier in the meeting.
Longview School District instructional leaders on March 9 described steps to align classroom instruction districtwide through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and a Multi‑Tiered System of Support (MTSS).
At a study session before public comment, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Carrie Montgomery said the district is using PLCs to strengthen Tier 1 instruction and create systems for data‑driven decisions. Montgomery said staff built an internal PLC hub where teachers and principals can access projection maps, unit plans and common assessments drawn from state‑level prioritized standards and district templates.
"PLCs are really about helping teachers get better at what they do so students can learn more," Montgomery said, describing the PLC hub and the four essential PLC questions — what students should learn, how the district will know they learned it, how to respond if they haven't, and how to extend learning when they have.
Monticello Middle School principal Scott Marzano told the board his teams have used projection maps to set approximate pacing for units and identify priority standards. He described a goal that teams complete a common assessment after a unit so teachers can compare results and plan interventions. "If we get behind and we get to the end, you're naturally going to have to leave something out," Marzano said, urging a consistent approach across schools.
Robert Gray principal Kristy Wall showed examples of classroom artifacts and explained an item‑analysis process teachers use after formative interim assessment blocks (FIAB) to identify which problems students struggled with and why. She said classroom strategies such as visible learning targets and student self‑assessment are already raising student agency.
Board members commended the work and asked about parent communication and transitions between grade spans. Montgomery and Marzano said teachers are evaluated on communicating progress, use exit slips and student‑led conferences, and that the district is working to build a data platform to smooth transitions from elementary to middle school.
The presentation emphasized a multi‑year timeline: district leaders said they expect to have most systems and shared units in place within three to five years and to continue iterative work afterward. The board requested copies of the presentation materials for distribution to trustees.
The PLC/MTSS briefing followed routine business: earlier in the meeting the board approved revisions to policy 5010 (discrimination‑free workplace) and adopted policy 6702 (wellness) and suspended policy 6700 per the district's procedure plan. Those motions passed by voice vote.
The study session materials will be posted to the district for staff and trustee access; district leaders said they will share follow‑up documentation by email to board members.
