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Board praises 1st Avenue learning walk for small‑group instruction and MTSS progress
Summary
Board members and school leaders reported the Jan. 13 board learning walk at 1st Avenue Middle School highlighted sustained implementation of MTSS and small‑group instruction, a new missing‑homework recognition program and positive student engagement, the board said.
Board members on Jan. 13 described a productive learning walk at 1st Avenue Middle School that emphasized small‑group instruction, multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) and student agency.
Dr. Forsey and Principal Aslami told the board the site has been following a multi‑year progression and that small‑group interventions are now evident across classrooms. Principal Aslami thanked site staff and singled out assistant principal Michael DeGrazia for implementation work: "He's been with the staff for a long time and he's really the one I lean on to understand how the staff is feeling, and what are their needs." Board members said they saw evidence of student engagement in diverse classes ranging from robotics to theater and a Money Matters elective at the middle‑school level.
Board members also noted a new approach to handling missing homework that provides teachers with communication templates and gives staff structured time to follow up with families. "Your small group interventions… were very obvious in every classroom I saw," one board member said while praising the approach to tracking and coaching students. Trustees said the student panel at the end of the visit reinforced the instructional shift and the school culture.
District staff framed the learning walk as part of a broader, district‑level strategy: officials said the visit reflected the district's three‑year plan to scale small‑group instruction and to use targeted assessments to group students for intervention. The board thanked site leaders and encouraged continued monitoring of implementation and outcomes.
