Kenston High School outlines instructional goals: tier‑1 strategies, MTSS and expanded career‑readiness options

Matt Watts, speaking for the high‑school staff at the Dec. 15 board meeting, described three instructional priorities for the year: strengthening tier‑1 classroom strategies to increase whole‑class engagement, refining the district’s MTSS referral and intervention process, and expanding college‑career‑military readiness pathways.

Watts said teachers are conducting peer‑to‑peer observations during planning time to identify instructional approaches that increase student talk and engagement. The high school has implemented universal screeners and monthly leadership reviews as part of MTSS, and Watts noted that a well‑run MTSS process typically targets roughly 3–5% of students for tier‑2 or tier‑3 interventions.

To meet state readiness measures Watts said the school is reviewing seniors and juniors against the state’s 11 targets for college‑career readiness and is considering an in‑house SAT prep course and the embedding of industry‑recognized credentials into existing courses. He also described work with Auburn Career Center on CTE offerings and a district‑wide counselors committee to align K‑12 counseling and career programming.

Board members praised the administrative teams and department chairs for implementation work; the Program of Studies for 2026–27 was later approved by motion. Officials said more detailed progress updates will follow as they refine schedules and pathway definitions.