“The Portsmouth School Department believes that high-quality instruction is the foundation of an exemplary education to prepare students for post-secondary education and a career. In support of this priority area, we will emphasize growth for all students and work to reduce any achievement and opportunity gaps to provide students with an equitable education.”
Portsmouth School Department
Priority 1 in the District’s Five-Year Strategic Plan: 2019-2024
Teaching & Learning
The Portsmouth School Department is committed to supporting every student to become a confident learner and a successful adult who is engaged in the community.
We begin by differentiating instruction for every student, which means that educators tailor the curriculum and their teaching to the needs and learning styles of their students.
Our district uses a framework called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to identify each student’s academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs. MTSS consists of two elements:
Response to Intervention (RTI) focuses on academics and provides increasing levels of intervention support to struggling students.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is similar to RTI but focuses on providing universal school-wide expectations and tiered intervention supports to help students meet those expectations.
If a student is struggling, schools work with students and parents to
provide additional accommodations, modifications, interventions, supports, and services.
For students with disabilities, we offer a range of Special Education Services to meet each student’s needs, from ages 3 to 22.
MTSS is organized into three tiers of students’ needs and interventions:
