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Instructional support staff outline MTSS work and Exceptional Children caseloads
Summary
District instructional support staff reviewed MTSS implementation, data submission, risk assessment workflows and EC department services; Dr. Norton reported about 2,165 EC students with category breakdowns and said historical overidentification post‑COVID remains a concern but current practices aim to curb it.
The Instructional Support Services team presented a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) update and an overview of the Exceptional Children (EC) department's work, training and caseloads.
Miss Wilson summarized MTSS as a school improvement framework across academics, social‑emotional, behavior and attendance. She said the district participates in an annual facilitated assessment (FAMD) and reported a previous 100% implementation measure; she also described monthly submissions of risk assessment counts to the Center for Safer Schools and the use of a data warehouse to simplify reporting.
Dr. Norton provided a detailed EC update, reporting the department serves over 2,160 students (she cited 2,165 as a current figure) and gave primary category counts: about 700 students with a primary learning disability, roughly 413 with autism as the primary category, 398 with a primary speech impairment, about 361 with other health impairment, and other categories with counts below 10 suppressed in public reporting to avoid identification. She described the service continuum (inclusion, separate settings, homebound), monthly SEB (social emotional behavior) team meetings, functional behavior assessments (FBAs), and the district's emphasis on data‑driven decisions before creating or changing IEPs.
Board members pressed on classroom timelines and teacher capacity; presenters described planned professional development for classroom management and interventions, zonal supports for EC staff, and expanded onboarding for teachers new to Rockingham County. Regarding identification rates, Dr. Norton said data suggests residual effects from overidentification around the COVID period, but that current practices and tighter data collection are intended to reduce overidentification going forward.
The board asked about early identification and Child Find; Dr. Norton said interventions begin as early as ages 2–3, include preschool hub sites and coordination with Head Start and medical providers, and aim to provide early supports so fewer students require IEPs once they enter kindergarten and beyond.
