About US
P.S. 65K is an elementary school located in Cypress Hills in District 19, serving students from 3K to Grade 5. We foster a rigorous, student-centered learning community where every child has equitable access to high-quality instruction and the support needed to succeed. Our classrooms reflect a commitment to differentiated instruction, culturally responsive teaching, and social-emotional learning. These practices encourage students to think deeply, build confidence, and develop resilience. We believe education is strongest when it is a partnership, and through strong family and community connections, we ensure that students are supported academically, socially, and emotionally and are empowered to grow as curious learners, problem solvers, and future leaders.
Mission
At P.S. 065K, we are committed to deepening the connection between Tier 1 instruction and MTSS/WIN practices through purposeful, data-informed instructional design that accelerates learning for all students and promotes intellectual engagement.
We commit to:
- Implementing differentiated, intellectually engaging core instruction that provides multiple access points, purposeful scaffolds, and enrichment to build deep conceptual understanding.
- Designing Tier 1 learning that intentionally aligns to WIN/Tier 2 supports so that intervention decisions also strengthen core instruction and ensure smooth reentry into rigorous grade-level content.
- Fostering a culture of continuous improvement through job-embedded coaching, progress monitoring, and responsive planning that drives instructional decision-making.
- Empowering families as partners and cultivating trusting relationships that support the whole child.
Bringing District 19’s vision of Future Driven Leadership to life by embedding the following into all areas of our school community:
- Implementing cognitively engaging, differentiated core instruction with integrity to promote student independence and ownership of learning.
- Cultivating a culture of continuous, data-driven growth and collaboration among staff through coaching, intervisitations, and team structures.
- Prioritizing strategic technology integration to enhance access, innovation, and student outcomes.
- Establishing robust, data-driven MTSS Tier 2 supports that align to core instruction and accelerate student progress toward reentry.
- Closing the home-school gap through targeted family engagement, building strong relationships with families as partners in learning.
Guided by the District 19 Pillars, we commit to:
- Strengthening core instruction through culturally relevant practices and Tier 1–Tier 2 alignment.
- Investing in adult learning through embedded coaching and intervisitations.
- Creating a sense of belonging and trust through restorative practices and student voice
- Building family and community partnerships to enhance schoolwide impact.
- Engaging in ongoing cycles of progress monitoring and instructional adjustments.
Problem of Practice
How do we build teacher capacity to deepen intellectual engagement in Tier 1 instruction by using data to plan multiple access points, strategically group students, and connect Tier 1 learning to WIN/Tier 2 supports—ensuring that intervention decisions also inform and strengthen core instruction, and that scaffolds and enrichment are purposeful, flexible, and designed to accelerate progress toward grade-level expectations?
Vision
At P.S. 065K, we aspire to cultivate a learning community where every student is intellectually engaged in rigorous, equitable, and differentiated core instruction. We envision a school where purposeful alignment between Tier 1 instruction and MTSS/WIN practices ensures that intervention not only addresses immediate needs but also strengthens and informs core instruction.
In our classrooms, all students—regardless of tier—are provided multiple access points, opportunities for productive struggle, and the right scaffolds or enrichment to thrive in grade-level learning. Instructional excellence is driven by teacher expertise in using data to design meaningful learning experiences, flexible groupings, and seamless transitions between supports.
Through collaboration, reflective practice, and strong family partnerships, we commit to a future where every learner has the access, tools, and encouragement needed to master standards, develop independence, and grow as confident, capable thinkers.
priority focus
P.S. 065 will build teacher capacity to deepen intellectual engagement in Tier 1 instruction by using data to plan multiple access points, strategically group students, and connect Tier 1 learning to WIN/Tier 2 supports—ensuring that intervention decisions also inform and strengthen core instruction, and that scaffolds and enrichment are purposeful, flexible, and designed to accelerate progress toward grade-level expectations.
- Engage in intentional instructional design, using data to plan MTSS and WIN instruction that directly supports or extends current Tier 1 content.
- Pre-plan WIN instruction during weekly Teacher Team meetings by identifying the standards and learning targets from Tier 1, then determining how to support, pre-teach, or extend those targets based on student need.
- Use academic screener, diagnostic, and formative assessment data to group students and identify targeted skills or concepts requiring reinforcement or acceleration.
- Design tasks that are responsive to student progress—including scaffolds for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students and enrichment opportunities for students on or above grade level.
- Embed the language, structures, and routines of Tier 1 instruction into WIN (e.g., protocols, academic vocabulary, discussion structures, Wit & Wisdom and Eureka resources) to promote transfer and coherence.
- Document and reflect on student progress during WIN to determine readiness for reentry into Tier 1 and adjust groupings or tasks accordingly.
- Collaborate with interventionists, ENL providers, and IEP teachers to ensure MTSS supports are targeted, aligned to Tier 1 standards, and designed with reentry in mind.
- Participate in ongoing professional learning focused on data-driven planning, small group instruction, and intentional scaffolding to improve instructional coherence across tiers.
