District Curriculum Accommodations Plan Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School
revisedDecember13,2016
What is a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan?
The Massachusetts General Law requires all school districts to adopt and implement a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP).
The purpose of this plan is to:
●
Assist
associate
principals
in
ensuring
that
all
efforts
have
been
made to
meet
student
needs
in
regular
education.● Assist
classroom
teachers
in
analyzing
and
accommodating
the
diverse learning
styles
of
all
children
in
the
regular
classroom● Assist
regular
education
teachers
with
the
implementation
of appropriate
services
and
support
within
regular
education programming.
These
supports
must
include
accommodations
to address
students’
academic
needs
as
well
as
behavioral
supports.ExcerptsfromtheMassachusettsGeneralLaws,Chapter71,Section38Q1/2
Lincoln-Sudbury has developed this DCAP taking into consideration the requirements specified in the law, but more importantly, being mindful that this plan supports our own Core Value of Respecting Human Differences. These district accommodations are aligned to comply the Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) as Tier I and II interventions. For more information about MTSS, please visit:
http://www.mass.gov/edu/government/departments-and-boards/ese/programs/
accountability/tools-and-resources/massachusetts-tiered-system-of-support/
The L-S District Curriculum Accommodations are divided into 4 defined areas:
● Environmental, Physical, and Structural Accommodations
● Instructional and Curriculum Accommodations
● Testing and Homework Accommodations
● Social and Emotional Accommodations
Associate Principals and teachers are encouraged to take into consideration the following in-classroom accommodations when working with diverse learners.
ENVIRONMENTAL/PHYSICAL/STRUCTURAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
● Changing seating assignment
● Altering physical arrangement of classroom
● Providing or allowing the use of assistive technology (computers, calculators, noise-canceling headphones, audio systems, etc)
● Allowing movement breaks when appropriate
INSTRUCTIONAL AND CURRICULUM ACCOMMODATIONS:
● Varying instructional modes (whole group, small group, individual work) and methods
● Providing multi-modal presentation of information (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) when possible and appropriate
● Differentiating materials, instruction and expectations as appropriate
● Providing alternative assignments, academic “choice” projects, and alternative ways for students to show what they know
● Modifying workload or length of assignments as appropriate
● Simplifying directions, repeating explanations, creating rubrics, and providing examples of finished work
● Providing outlines, study sheets, and/or checklists
● Breaking down long projects into manageable chunks with interim due dates
● Explicitly teaching reading, writing, organizational, and study skill strategies
● Allowing additional class time for organizing assignments and monitoring use of student daily/weekly planner/agenda as needed
● Using wait time
● Checking for understanding by asking student to repeat information, directions, and questions
● Reviewing student’s work before it is turned in when possible and appropriate
● Providing systems for students to be able to monitor their progress (Google classroom, electronic gradebook, opportunities for check-in, progress reports)
● Providing graphic organizers for writing, or graph paper to assist in organizing and lining up math problems as needed
● Access to class notes when appropriate
● Supporting the use of audiobooks or extra textbooks for at home use when necessary
● Providing extra help, including one to one extra help when possible, and other opportunities for extra practice, miscue analysis, and re-teaching
● Previewing vocabulary, building on students’ prior content knowledge, and making connections across topics
TESTING AND HOMEWORK ACCOMMODATIONS:
● Providing practice tests, formative assessments, and/or study guides
● Allowing rest breaks and/or additional time
● Allowing oral testing when appropriate
● Varying test formats/types of questions on a test when appropriate
● Modifying grading standards as appropriate
● Minimizing penalties for spelling errors, sloppy handwriting when appropriate
● Allowing open book or open note tests where appropriate
● Providing reference tools (formula sheet, etc.) as needed or appropriate
● Shortening tests, quizzes, and other graded work
● Highlighting or previewing key directions
● Giving tests in an alternative site when appropriate
● Allowing use of tools like calculators, and word processors as appropriate
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
● Providing frequent and immediate feedback, including positive feedback
● Allowing breaks and other stress release activities
● Implementing behavioral intervention strategies including positive reinforcement
● Providing clear, written criteria for behavior
● Providing preferential seating
● Providing verbal and visual cues regarding transitions
● Providing verbal and visual cues regarding directions or staying on task
● Allowing students to leave class to check in with counselor on an as needed basis
● Developing a safety plan when needed
● Engaging in frequent check-ins and positive relationship building
Excerpts
from
the
Norwood
Public
Schools
DCAP
have
been
used,
with authorization,
to
complete
this
document.If the interventions listed above do not provide sufficient support,
Lincoln-Sudbury also offers Tier II interventions that are accessible to all general education students. These include:
House Meetings
The school is divided into four houses. Each house has an associate principal, two house guidance counselors, and an administrative assistant. Clinical staff, campus aides and nurses are also part if each house team. The house teams meet weekly to discuss students who are having academic, behavioral, social-emotional or
attendance difficulties. House teams devise and implement interventions to further support these students.
Student Support Team (SST)
If a student’s issues are not resolved at the house level, a student’s case may be referred to the Student Support Team to recommend other supportive interventions.
The SST meets bi-weekly. It is led by a school psychologist, and includes members from each academic department. A school nurse, or any other pertinent staff, are asked to participate in SST meetings on an as-needed basis. House guidance
counselors present student case studies to the SST for consultation. At least one of the general education teachers that works with the student being discussed also attends the meeting.
Regular Education Classes Supported by Special Education Staff
Special education teachers or teaching assistants are assigned to classes to support students on Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and other struggling students. These classes have been identified as containing students needing curriculum
accommodations and additional instructional supports. Currently over twenty classes are supported by special education staff.
Regular Education Classes Co-Taught with Special Education Teachers Recognizing that there are a small number of students requiring more intensive accommodations and supports, L-S provides classes that are staffed by one content area teacher and one special educator. This allocation of staff creates a teacher:
student ratio which is significantly smaller than in the typical L-S class.
Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Center (ASC) is staffed by two part-time tutors funded by a Title 1 Federal grant. The ASC provides regularly scheduled tutoring sessions.
Access to the ASC is based on teacher and house referral. ASC tutoring is also provided to students who have struggled to develop the skills necessary to pass the MCAS exams. Eligibility for MCAS support is determined by poor MCAS scores from previous years, or classroom teacher concerns.
Interventionist/Strategic
Skills
classesThe interventionist is a certified teacher who works with students identified as struggling in areas such as organizational skills, time management, executive functioning, writing, and basic math skills. Students who show need for additional support in the general education setting are scheduled to attend a Strategic Skills development course taught by the interventionist (or a special educator).
Incoming ninth graders who are identified by their middle schools as needing the Strategic Skills course, are scheduled into the class during their first semester at L-S. House counselors identify and refer students to participate in the Strategic Skills course for semester two based on their semester one grades. Students may take more than one semester of Strategic Skills. The interventionist also runs an after-school homework support program two afternoons a week.
ACE
ProgramACE is an alternative program serving a mix of students with and without IEPs.
The ACE Program aims to provide students with a safe, nurturing, and student- centered environment so that they are better able to acquire the necessary academic, social, and emotional skills they need to successfully access the mainstream environment. Students in the ACE Program benefit from a small student to staff ratio, one-to-one mentoring, access to clinical supports and counseling groups, academic support in a small group setting with organizational and study skills instruction, and small English and History classes.
Guidance/Clinical
CounselingWithin each House at Lincoln-Sudbury, two school guidance counselors provide traditional guidance counseling. School guidance counselors provide academic and emotional support to students throughout their four years, culminating with the college admissions process, post high school education or employment. Each school guidance counselor monitors the academic progress of approximately 200 students. School guidance counselors communicate frequently with parents and coordinate efforts to support their students who are experiencing emotional crises or lack of success in school. In additional to the traditional school guidance counselors, a limited number of clinical counselors provide therapeutic supports for the considerable number of students who experience emotional distress interfering with their ability to make progress in school. Clinical Counselors provide psychological services as required for some special education students in their IEPs, as well as individual counseling for general education students who require short-term intensive and/or crisis intervention services. Clinical
counselors also collaborate with outside treatment providers and programs in order to address students' school-based needs.
Beacon
ProgramThe Beacon Program is a short-term transition program at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School that students may attend after extended absences due to illness, injury (including concussions), psychiatric hospitalization, or extended evaluations. Other students may access this program on case-by-case basis. The Beacon Program helps students with their reentry and reintegration into the school community by supporting their academic, social and emotional needs. This program is designed to minimize returning students’ stress and anxiety, while encouraging academic progress.
Skills
for
Well-Being
Class (from Program of Studies)This semester long general elective course is based upon the curriculum for Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) which is a structured therapeutic program created by Marsha Linehan used to teach practical life-long coping skills. The course teaches the four core skills sets: core mindfulness, interpersonal
effectiveness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance. The core mindfulness skills teach how to become more clearly aware of the present moment and to be able to stay in that moment. The interpersonal effectiveness skills focus on
effective ways of achieving one’s objectives with other people. The emotion regulation skills are ways of changing and regulating distressing emotional states.
The distress tolerance skills are techniques for coping with these distressing emotional states if activities and discussions, completion of homework
assignments, as well as weekly check-ins and journal entries during class time.
