HENDRICK HUDSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT — District staff on Sept. 16 described the first-year rollout of HMH InterReading at the elementary level and outlined a strengthened, district-wide Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). After the presentation, the Board of Education voted to approve a revised MTSS policy.

Lauren Scollins, identified in the meeting as a district staff member leading the presentation, said teachers in the pilot reported strong curriculum alignment and that staff engaged in summer curriculum writing to connect InterReading lessons to science and social studies. "Teachers loved the way the curriculum was connected to the learning standards," Scollins said during the meeting. She and other presenters described early implementation challenges — pacing, volume of materials, a disconnected initial writing component — and said HMH has revised parts of the program entering version 3.

Teacher Danielle Cohen, who the presentation identified as a pilot participant and HMH contributor, said she worked with the vendor over the summer to create teacher resources and a homework guide aligned to the new version. Scollins and presenters said the district had experienced delivery and online-access problems over the transition period and that local staff, including the literacy coach Janine Rizzoli and the district technology coach, have been visiting classrooms to support teachers.

District staff said this year they will use HMH’s universal benchmark (the HMH benchmark) with fidelity to gather baseline data and track growth through the school year, and the district has purchased English language learner support modules for the program.

On MTSS, presenters described expanded weekly teacher-team meetings, biweekly MTSS meetings led by building administration, standardized referral forms for K–5 and 6–12, and a series of resource folders and progress-monitoring tools to give teachers consistent interventions and progress checkpoints across the district. Staff emphasized that MTSS is a continuous, multi-layered process distinct from curriculum: "MTSS is not a curriculum," a presenter said, and should drive targeted instruction for students at tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 levels.

The presentation also described how Academic Intervention Services (AIS) will be applied under MTSS: staff said AIS should be skill-focused, time-limited and monitored, and not used as a permanent placement based on a single score. A board member noted parents’ past perception of AIS as a “life sentence,” and staff responded that goals, check-in dates and communication to families will be clarified and standardized so parents receive specific information about the type, frequency and duration of supports being delivered.

After the presentation, a board member moved to approve policy 4324 (Multi-Tiered System of Support). The motion was seconded and the board voted "all in favor." The board also conducted a second reading and approved policy 5155 (Admission of International Students) later in the meeting.

The district said it will provide more comprehensive growth data once HMH benchmark data accumulates during the school year and reported plans to continue targeted professional development for teachers and coaches, including HMH’s Coachly program and district-led PD.

Votes at a glance

- Policy 4324 (Multi-Tiered System of Support) — Motion to approve made during the meeting; board vote: approved (motion made/seconded; "all in favor").
- Policy 5155 (Admission of International Students) — Second reading; motion made/seconded; "all in favor" (approved).

What this means

District staff framed the MTSS policy adoption as aligning formal policy with the MTSS practices presented: increased meeting cadence, consistent referral paperwork, clearer parent communication and a districtwide toolkit for interventions. Staff emphasized the district will rely on the HMH benchmark for year-two growth measurement and on ongoing PD for teachers and coaches.

Looking ahead

Staff said they will bring benchmark and growth data to the board as it accumulates, continue PD for teachers and literacy coaches, and expand supports for English learners through the new HMH modules.