BURLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
District Curriculum Accommodations Plan - DCAP
A Resource Guide for Teachers, Principals, Student Support Services Personnel, and Parents to Meet the Needs of All Learners of the Burlington School District
Massachusetts General Laws require the adoption and implementation of a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP). This plan is intended to guide principals and teachers in ensuring that all possible efforts are made to meet student needs in general education classrooms and to support teachers in analyzing and accommodating the wide range of student learning styles and needs that exist in any school. By describing in a document the accommodations, instructional supports and strategies that are available in general education, and the process for determining effective interventions for struggling learners, it is hoped that this DCAP will help support diverse learners in our schools and avoid unnecessary referrals to special education.
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 38Q1/2 “A school district shall adopt and implement a curriculum accommodation plan to assist principals in ensuring that all efforts have been made to meet the 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 programming, 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.”
DCAP Overview:
The role of the Burlington Public Schools has evolved over the years from one of essentially developing and implementing specific support programs and services for students to one of collaboration with Principals, classroom teachers, and curriculum coordinators and department heads. This collaboration in planning and implementation enables the District to provide specifically defined programs and services to continue to meet the needs of the students.
The formulation of new programs and service initiatives are a result of the broader representation of opinions through District Leadership Teams and individual School Based Teams. The Burlington Public Schools in consultation with these Teams has facilitated the establishment of programs and services to more effectively and efficiently meet the needs of the students.
The Burlington Public Schools is dedicated to working collaboratively with educators, parents, support professionals and the community to ensure that all students receive their appropriate services and supports in the least restrictive environment/setting, conducive to facilitating their maximum emotional, social and academic growth. The focus of this collaborative approach is to prepare students for productive lives as full members of our society. The Burlington Public Schools DCAP was developed and refined through several meetings with district administrators and was shared with each School Leadership Team. Additionally, the DCAP was be disseminated and explained to all staff at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels. The Burlington Public Schools DCAP addresses various strategies that will help to achieve this objective, including:
Systems of Tiered Instruction (RTI) - A system used to screen, assess, identify, plan for, and provide interventions to any student at- risk of school failure due to academic or behavior needs. This approach referred to as Response to Intervention (RTI), is a process that provides immediate intervention to struggling students at the first indication of a failure to learn.
Special Education Services - These would 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. A description of the District’s Special Education programs and services is appended to this DCAP.
Title I - Memorial, Francis Wyman, Pine Glen
Reading Services - This means the direct and systematic instruction in reading for all students.
Mentoring and Collaboration - This set of strategies includes those that encourage teacher mentoring and collaboration.
Parental Involvement - This effort includes workshops/presentations and strategies that encourage parental involvement in their children's education.
While not required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), this DCAP seeks to identify strategies in several other areas including:
School Organization - Included here are such things as changes to the school schedule (such as additional instructional time or block scheduling), review of school policies and discipline codes, RtI and pre-referral activities before students are evaluated to determine eligibility for special education, after-school options (such as homework assistance and peer coaching.) and behavioral interventions including Bullying Programs/Bullying Curriculum.
Curriculum Alignment- These strategies provide for a review of local curriculum in relation to state learning standards.
Additional Support Services - Services that provide additional staffing or consultation on behavioral issues and on literacy development are included in this category.
Psychologists: School Psychologists perform evaluations and screenings, provide consultation to classrooms, and provide direct services to children both in the classroom and individually to address academic, social/emotional, and/or behavioral needs.
School Counselor: The school counselors at the secondary level support the academic, career and personal/social-emotional development of all students. They participate in disciplinary meetings as well as Special Education and 504 Team meetings. They assist students and parents with the college application process or other post secondary goals. At the elementary level, the school counselors support the social/emotional development of all students. They provide social skills instruction within the classroom and within small groups. The elementary school counselors coordinate and oversee students’ 504 Accommodation Plans. The school counselors also provide support to teachers and parents.
Reading and Math Curriculum Coaches: Coaches facilitate curriculum work and alignment through Curriculum Councils and are the liaisons between the councils and the district leadership teams; they provide professional development to all staff in the district and also support teachers through modeling lessons and providing resources; coaches also manage student data and progress monitoring through the RtI model
Speech and Language Pathologist: SLP’s perform evaluations and screenings, provide consultation to classrooms, and provide direct services to children both in the classroom and in the therapy room to address communication skills including the following: receptive and expressive language, social communication, articulation, fluency, voice, and hearing.
Occupational Therapist: OT’s perform evaluations and screenings, provide consultation to classrooms and provide direct services to children both in the classroom and in the therapy room to address fine motor and perceptual motor skills as well as address sensory integration skills.
Physical Therapist: PT’s perform evaluations and screenings, provide consultation to classrooms and provide direct services to children both in the general education setting and in the therapy room to address gross motor skills
Behaviorist: The behaviorist provides consultation and support to classroom throughout the district as well as direct services to students in district programs. The behaviorist conducts systematic behavioral assessments, provides interpretations of the results, and develops and supervises behavior intervention plans.
Vision Specialist: The vision specialist conducts assessments and provides consultative services to classroom teachers as well as direct instruction to students with visual impairments.
Assistive Technology: Products, devices, or equipment (whether acquired commercially, modified or customized) that are used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
STRATEGIES & DESCRIPTION