District Curriculum Accommodation Plan
District Curriculum Accommodation Plan
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.
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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.
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- 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
- Supported courses in academic areas
- Elective courses in world languages, visual arts, and music
- EL program
- 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
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
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- Principal and Assistant Principal
- Guidance Counselors
- School Psychologists
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers
- Speech and Language Therapist
- School Nurses
- School Resource Officer
- Librarian
- ESL Teacher
- Special Education Staff
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- 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 school.
- New teacher mentors are provided, and regularly scheduled mentor meetings are held monthly.
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- 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
- 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
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- Provide strategic or preferential seating (e.g., close to instruction, low-distraction areas)
- Create flexible and inclusive classroom layouts
- Minimize visual and auditory distractions using classroom design and materials
- Maintain consistent and predictable classroom routines
- Display daily and weekly schedules, using visuals where helpful
- Provide access to movement breaks
- Ensure accessible classroom pathways and materials for students with physical/mobility needs
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- Clearly teach, model, and reinforce behavior expectations and norms
- Implement individualized behavior support plans
- Pair students with peer mentors or adult check-ins for support and connection
- Use positive reinforcement strategies tailored to the student
- Offer structured, frequent, and/or movement-based breaks
- Provide 1:1 or small group feedback and coaching
- Facilitate peer collaboration, critique, and social-emotional learning activities
- Encourage and support student self-monitoring and goal-setting
- Collaborate with school counselors and support staff proactively
- Refer to Student Support Teams (SST), or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) as needed
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- Post visual schedules, calendars, and agendas in the classroom and/or online
- Provide a course overview, syllabus, and pacing guide
- Ensure assignments and resources are accessible online
- Prompt students to record assignments, use digital planners, or calendar reminders
- Offer assignment templates, checklists, and exemplars
- Break long-term projects into steps with interim deadlines
- Use visual tools such as timelines, flowcharts, and graphic organizers
- Prompt students to review, revise, and reflect on their work using checklists or rubrics
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- Chunk lessons and assignments into smaller, manageable parts
- Give multi-modal directions (spoken, written, visual)
- Pre-teach key vocabulary and concepts
- Provide access to preview/review videos or anchor charts
- Use multiple means of representation (e.g., text, video, diagrams) to deliver content
- Make connections to prior knowledge and students’ lived experiences
- Check for understanding frequently using low-stakes methods (e.g., thumbs up, exit tickets)
- Highlight key concepts, steps, or questions in instructions and lessons
- Allow sufficient wait time for responses and processing
- Use scaffolded notes or fill-in-the-blank organizers
- Provide optional word banks, sentence starters, or writing frames
- Share copies of class notes, study guides, or recordings of lessons
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- Provide access to school-approved assistive technology (e.g., speech-to-text, text-to-speech)
- Allow use of calculators, graphic organizers, or translation tools, as appropriate
- Integrate educational apps and tools to support learning
- Use closed captions and transcripts with videos
- Offer assignments in accessible digital formats
- Allow students to submit work electronically, using varied formats (video, audio, typed, etc.)
- Provide access to digital textbooks, audiobooks, and screen reader–compatible materials
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- Offer multiple options for students to demonstrate understanding (e.g., oral, project-based, digital presentation)
- Provide extended time on assessments when appropriate
- Allow tests to be taken in a quiet or alternate setting
- Teach test-taking and study strategies throughout the year
- Provide scoring rubrics and exemplars in advance
- Use frequent, low-stakes formative assessments to guide instruction
- Break assessments into sections or allow flexible scheduling
