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Board hears MTSS presentation on SEL screeners and Panorama data; members ask about equity and parent access
Summary
District academic leaders briefed the board on the MTSS framework and use of Panorama SEL screening and academic screeners (NWEA MAP and i-Ready). Board members pressed for clarity on intervention minutes, countywide tracking, and parent reporting; presenters said parent reports are not yet systematized but parents may review results with counselors.
District leaders described how a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) uses universal screeners and Panorama data to identify academic, social-emotional learning (SEL) and behavioral needs and to design tiered interventions.
"MTSS is the framework that guides how we proactively support students academically, social emotionally, and behaviorally," Jackie Jacobs, the district's chief academic officer, told the board. Suzanne McGowan, supervisor of student services, explained the district’s use of Panorama for SEL screening and that the district uses NWEA MAP and i-Ready for academic screening. McGowan said Panorama provides district- and school-level views and allows teams to drill down by grade, classroom or student to inform targeted supports.
During questions, board members raised equity concerns about whether there is a baseline number of minutes for tier‑2 interventions and whether some schools might provide significantly less intervention time than others. A board member said, "It wouldn't be fair if one school was giving 5 minutes of intervention and another school 30 minutes." McGowan responded that frequency and time are student‑specific and should be guided by progress monitoring; more intensive needs (tier 3) would require greater frequency.
Board members also asked about parent access. McGowan said there is currently no standardized parent report to send home: "As of now, we don't have a parent report that can be sent home. Right now, what we have available is that a parent is welcome to come in to review these results with the counselor or administrator." She added the district is working with the vendor to determine what a parent report could look like.
McGowan noted screening instrument lengths: elementary screeners currently have about 45 questions and secondary about 40, and the district reviews the item set each administration to avoid overburdening learners. The presentation emphasized that the screener is one data point and school teams should combine it with discipline, attendance and teacher input before escalating to formal interventions.
Board members asked for countywide tracking of tier placements; Jacobs said the board recently approved an expanded Panorama module that will allow the district to house interventions and produce a snapshot of each student's interventions and progress districtwide.
The board did not take formal action on MTSS at the meeting; the presentation and discussion provided the basis for follow-up work and potential future policy or procedural updates.
