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District Curriculum Accommodation Plan

Introduction

Massachusetts General Laws, Ch. 71, Section 38Q 1/2 requires the adoption and implementation of a district curriculum accommodation plan (DCAP). This law states the following: 

A school district shall adopt and implement a curriculum accommodation plan to assist principals in ensuring that all efforts have been made to meet students' needs in regular education. The plan shall be designed to assist the regular classroom teacher in analyzing and accommodating diverse learning styles of all children in the regular classroom and in providing appropriate services and support within the regular education program including, but not limited to, direct and systematic instruction in reading and provision of services to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning, or who do not qualify for special education services under chapter 71B. The curriculum accommodation plan shall include provisions encouraging teacher mentoring and collaboration and parental involvement. 

Purpose

Minuteman’s DCAP lists programmatic supports, support personnel, teacher mentoring and collaboration strategies, parent and community involvement activities, and accommodations to facilitate students’ access to the curriculum within the regular education setting. Minuteman High School teachers continuously monitor student progress looking for opportunities to make accommodations to facilitate learning and to foster understanding. The district supports the objectives of the DCAP through professional development activities and teacher mentoring. 

Programmatic Supports/Services Available to Students in the Regular Education Setting

  • Leveled classes in grades 9-12 
  • Broad career and technical exploratory program targeting areas of high interest 
  • Comprehensive career and technical curriculum within chosen field emphasizing experiential learning and authentic assessment 
  • Individualized computer-based reading instruction and remediation 
  • Supported courses in academic areas 
  • Elective courses in world languages, visual arts, and music 
  • ELL program 
  • MCAS preparatory workshops 
  • After school support in all content areas 
  • Peer mentoring program 
  • Use of diagnostic assessment tools as needed 
  • Use of technology to post class assignments, homework, and grades 
  • Use of technology for students to access and work on assignments at home or school 
  • Integration of technology into instruction 
  • Access to one-to-one devices 
  • Use of Student Support Team (SST) to discuss student needs and develop instructional intervention plan 
  • Response to Intervention model (RTI) 

Support Personnel Available to Students in the Regular Education Setting

  • Principal and Assistant Principal 
  • Guidance Counselors 
  • School Psychologist 
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker 
  • Speech and Language Therapist 
  • Reading Specialist 
  • School Nurse 
  • School Resource Officer 
  • Librarian 
  • ESL Teacher 
  • Special Education Staff 

Teacher Mentoring and Collaboration

  • Faculty is working on creating curriculum maps for each course to foster integration. 
  • On-going professional development focused on issues that support teaching and student learning. 
  • Teachers make frequent use of department meetings, emails and shared files to exchange strategies and curricula with other professionals in the district. 
  • New teacher mentors are provided, and regularly scheduled mentor meetings are held monthly. 

Parent and Community Involvement

  • Parent information meeting held for all freshmen and new students 
  • Parent-Teacher conferences 
  • Parental access to the Aspen portal for student grades and assignments 
  • Parent advisory groups (SEPAC, MPA, and School Council) 
  • Mid-Term progress reports/warning notices 
  • Quarterly Report Cards 
  • Individual parent conferences at parent or teacher request 
  • Automated phone and email notification system 
  • Social media notifications of upcoming events 
  • Vocational advisory councils for each technical program 
  • Multiple vocational services open to the public 
  • Co-op opportunities offered for students 

Accommodations Recommended in the Regular Education Setting for Student Access to the Curriculum

Physical Supports 

  • Provide strategic seating 
  • Offer flexible student groupings 
  • Limit distractions 
  • Use consistent and familiar routines 
  • Post daily and/or weekly schedule 

Behavioral/Social/Emotional Supports 

  • Develop and maintain consistent classroom expectations and routines 
  • Utilize behavior contracts, charts or tracking sheets, as appropriate 
  • Provide a mentor (peer or adult) as appropriate 
  • Provide positive reinforcement 
  • Allow frequent breaks, as appropriate 
  • Provide one to one feedback to support student needs, as appropriate 
  • Facilitate peer feedback and critique 
  • Encourage student self-monitoring 
  • Schedule meetings with counselor, teacher and student, as appropriate 
  • Referral process for SST intervention and/or progressive discipline 

Organizational Supports 

  • Post daily/weekly schedule 
  • Provide course syllabus or overview 
  • Prompt students to record homework assignments or provide electronic access to homework assignments 
  • Provide outlines and checklists of steps for longer assignments 
  • Provide interim deadlines for long term assignments 
  • Provide graphic organizers, templates and exemplars, as appropriate 
  • Prompt to recheck and evaluate work 

Instructional Supports 

  • Break assignment into segments or shorter tasks 
  • Give directions in short steps or smaller chunks 
  • Pair auditory and written instructions 
  • Provide preview and review of material 
  • Present content in multiple ways 
  • Connect new material to previously learned material for reinforcement 
  • Connect material to students’ experience to show relevance 
  • Provide frequent checks for understanding 
  • Emphasize important concepts to be learned 
  • Allow “wait time” for student responses 
  • Utilize partially filled in outlines to scaffold content, as appropriate 
  • Provide graphic organizers, templates and exemplars, as appropriate 
  • Provide word banks, as appropriate 
  • Provide copies of class notes, study guides and supplementary materials, as appropriate 

Technology Supports 

  • Provide access to on-line and printed reference tools 
  • Allow use of school-provided technology, as appropriate 
  • Provide calculators, as appropriate 
  • Allow students to submit assignments electronically, as appropriate 
  • Incorporate technology into instruction, as appropriate 
  • Provide digital texts or books on tape, as appropriate 

Assessment Supports 

  • Provide flexible, multiple means of formative assessment 
  • Provide options to demonstrate skills using varied assessment strategies 
  • Allow extended time on tests, as appropriate 
  • Teach and reinforce test taking skills, including skills for standardized testing 
  • Provide grading rubrics, as appropriate