Cohoes district outlines MTSS rollout, says three data points will guide interventions

The Cohoes City School District told the board on Dec. 10 that its MTSS pilot teams are meeting regularly and that the district is formalizing a K–12 referral form and communication plan to roll the framework out across buildings.

Rachel Marshall, identified in the meeting as the district official leading the update, said pilot schools have been meeting multiple times and that the district hopes to standardize benchmark measures so teams can identify students who need Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions. "There's gotta be a minimum of three data points for each grade level," the district reported, citing measures such as i‑Ready, CoreConnex, Hegarty, aimsweb fluency checks and New York State assessment data as examples that will be used based on grade level.

Marshall said data cycles are planned for January to collect benchmarks and identify students for interventions. The district also described training and staffing supports to help teachers use data teams and MTSS structures at each building.

Board members asked clarifying questions about which exact measures would be used at each grade level and how the approach would look different at the high school, where credit and recovery metrics will be incorporated. District staff said those specifics will be finalized as pilot data are reviewed and communicated through a rollout plan to schools and families.

No formal policy decision or vote was requested at the meeting; the board asked staff to continue finalizing the referral form and the communication plan ahead of the data cycles in January.