Norwood Public Schools District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)

Norwood Public Schools District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)

Introduction to DCAP

Each school district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is required to develop a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) to assist school leaders and teachers in planning and providing a general education program that is able to accommodate students’ diverse learning needs and avoid unnecessary referrals to special education. The Massachusetts General Law related to DCAP is as follows:

New Section 38Q ½ added to Chapter 71

“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 education 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.  The curriculum accommodation plan shall include provisions encouraging teacher mentoring and collaboration and parental involvement.”

Recent amendment made to Chapter 71, §59C

“The school council, including the school principal, shall meet regularly and shall assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school, make recommendations to the Principal for the development, implementation and assessment of the curriculum accommodation plan required pursuant to Section 38Q ½, shall assist in the review of the annual budget, and in the formulation of a school improvement plan.”

Essentially, the law requires that the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan be adopted by the district and individualized for each school building. The purpose of accommodation planning is to continually strengthen and improve the general education program, for the benefit of all students. The Norwood Public Schools’ DCAP addresses various strategies that will help achieve this objective, including:

• Assistance to Regular Education Classroom Teachers – Such assistance includes such things as professional development that will help them to analyze and accommodate various students’ learning needs, including students who are English Language Learners, and to manage student’s behavior effectively.
• Support Services – These include services that are available to students through the regular education program, including services to address the needs of students whose behavior may interfere with learning. These services include reading and Title I support; ELL support; paraprofessional support; library and technology support; nursing support; occupational, physical, and speech therapy, and psychological consultation.
• Mentoring and Collaboration – This includes such things as mentoring new teachers and common planning time.
• Parental Involvement – This includes opportunities that encourage parental involvement in their children’s education such as school and district councils, PTO/PTA, websites, Connect-Ed and conferences...

Overview

The following District Curriculum Accommodation Plan for the Norwood Public Schools outlines an approach to curriculum implementation and intervention that is aligned to the Massachusetts Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Blueprint. This plan lays out the expectations for high-quality, rigorous, grade-level Tier I instruction with appropriate accommodations for all students, using the principles of Universal Design and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRISP). The purpose of the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) is to provide all NPS educators with: 

• a guide to support principals and educators in supporting students receiving services in different tiers in different instructional areas;  
• expectations for high-quality, rigorous, grade-level Tier 1 instruction using principles of culturally responsive teaching (CRSP);
• appropriate accommodations for all students using principles of UDL;
• structures that support students at any level;
• schedules, teacher collaboration time (CPT,)  educator professional learning (PL), core curriculum, instructional leadership team (ILT), assessment system
• outlined Universal Accommodations to which all students have access. These accommodations should be offered and progress monitored before referrals to SST and/or Special Education Services. 

This plan outlines the instructional approach that supports NPS to meet its vision of every child in every classroom getting what they need every day.  Services in tiers are fluid and can be added and removed as the result of progress monitoring.  As a whole, the plan is flexible and dynamic, allowing for the inclusion of additional resources and supports as they are developed and adopted. 

Please click on the link below to read the Norwood Public Schools DCAP

Norwood Public Schools District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)