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District Curriculum Accommodation Plan PDF

128 Pages·2008·0.36 MB·English
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Springfield Public Schools A Culture of Educational Excellence! DISTRICT CURRICULUM ACCOMODATION PLAN (DCAP) A Resource Guide for Principals, Teachers, Student Support Services Personnel, Paraprofessionals, and Parents Our Students will Always come FIRST Teamwork, Shared Trust, & Accountability Mutual Respect A Culture of Educational Excellence Our Core Parents & Business Community Is As Partners Teaching & Learning The mission of the Springfield Public Schools is to provide the highest quality of education so that all of our students are empowered to realize their  full‐potential and lead fulfilling lives as lifelong learners, responsible citizens and leaders in the 21st Century. Springfield Public Schools Executive Summary District Curriculum Accommodation Plan Revised changes to Chapter 71, Section 38Q½ of the Massachusetts General Laws, requires all school districts to adopt and implement a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP). The plan is designed to assist principals and teachers in ensuring that all possible efforts have been made to meet students’ needs in general education classrooms and to support teachers in analyzing and accommodating diverse learning styles of all children that may be present in a school. The Springfield Public Schools DCAP is directly connected to procedures that are currently in place to strengthen and improve the general education program for the benefit of all students, not solely or specifically for special education. The DCAP is intended to address various strategies that will help achieve that objective, including: • accommodating various students’ learning needs, including students who are English Language Learners, and to manage student’s behavior effectively; • support services that are available to students through the general education program, including services to address the needs of students whose behavior may interfere with learning; • direct and systematic instruction in reading for all students. When there is a concern regarding a child, the District has Student Teacher Assistance Teams (STAT) and Service Teams as problem solving processes to address these concerns. These processes include staff collaboration, communication with parents/guardians, discussion and development of an Individual Curriculum Accommodation Plan (ICAP) that includes strategies for accommodation or intervention, and periodic review and evaluation of student progress. This document includes curriculum accommodations for elementary, middle, and high school. For each level there is a list of school personnel who are available to assist and support classroom teachers in analyzing and accommodating the individual needs of students. In addition, there is a list of sample strategies and other actions from which the teachers and collaborating staff may select for appropriate accommodations for individual students. This list includes suggestions for accommodating concerns regarding academic progress as well as strategies and interventions designed to resolve social and behavioral issues. The lists, strategies, and interventions included in this guide were gleaned from documents that are currently being utilized in many schools throughout the District to support the diverse learning needs of students in the general education setting. There is also a section of this resource guide that includes Opportunities for Success guidelines that were developed by the Colorado Department of Education. There are ten disabilities that are included in the handbook. They are Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD), Attention Emotional Disability, Significant Identifiable Emotional Disability, Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities (Section 504), Significant Cognitive 1 Challenges, Speech/Language Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visually Impaired, and Prevention Initiatives. There is information about these disabilities available in the following areas: • Characteristics of the students’ disability • Essential learnings • Classroom practices • Assessment strategies • Service options There are both formal and informal routes in developing an ICAP. In some instances, communication between parents and teachers will be effective in identifying issues and agreeing upon strategies and interventions to be implemented. In other situations, teams of educators will be involved in a more formal process such as STAT or Service Team and a more formal plan may result. If the latter occurs, it is important to make sure that any student determined at-risk receives a Student Success Plan that generates an academic portfolio in accordance with the Pupil Progression Plan. The academic portfolio can be the same as the STAT/ICAP student file, which includes samples of student work and other information documenting area(s) of concern. The DCAP should be used as a tool to help support the diverse learning styles for students in the general education setting in which there is collaboration among teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, school psychologist, and other school support staff to accommodate such styles. Concerns that cannot be resolved after extensive and documented efforts by STAT or Service Team where there is a lack of progress may result in recommendation for a more formal evaluation to determine if a disability exists. Teachers in Springfield are always concerned with student achievement. Monitoring student progress and making data driven decisions provides opportunities to ensure that accommodations are being provided to students with diverse learning needs. The District is committed to fostering a Culture of Educational Excellence, which has six strategic priorities, which are: • Improve Student Achievement • Safe and Nurturing Learning Environment • High Performance Management • Learning Communities • Accountability for Results • Effective Communications and Collaborative Partnerships Some strategies are already in place to address these strategic priorities. This resource guide along with those strategies will ensure that equitable and accessible education is available to all students of Springfield Public Schools. 2 Overview of Accommodations Accommodations are changes in how a student access information and demonstrates learning. Accommodations do not substantially change the instructional level, content, or performance criteria. The changes are made in order to provide a student with equal access to learning and equal opportunity to show what he or she know and can do. Examples of accommodations can include changes to the following (PEAK Parent Resource Center): • Presentation and/or format and procedures • Instructional strategies • Time/scheduling • Environment • Equipment • Architecture • Test taken orally • Large print textbooks • Additional time to take test • A locker with an adapted lock • Weekly home-school communication tool, such as notebook, daily log book • Peer support for note taking • Lab sheets with highlighted instructions • Graph paper to assist in organizing and lining up math problems • Tape record lectures • Use of a computer for writing Elementary Curriculum Accommodation Classroom Characteristics Supporting Curriculum Accommodation for Regular Education Students • Small class sizes • Standardized and other testing data – MCAS, MEPA, Step Up Springfield Assessments, teacher administered assessments and assessment used to assess achievement and to inform instruction • Differentiated instruction • School-based professional development for teachers • Building literacy teams • District wide Kindergarten screening • Portfolio system for collecting designated student work and assessing progress over time (Pupil Progression Plan) • Curriculum and instructional activities that address varied learning styles 3 Student Support Personnel and Resource Staff Providing Specific Consulting/Support/Intervention in the Regular Education Setting • Behavioral Specialists Behavioral interventions with students, management strategy support for teachers • School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker Provides teacher consultation, support to student and families, liaison for social/ community agencies. Liaison between home and school, parent and teacher support and consultation, *chairperson/facilitator of STAT or Service Team. (*May vary by school) • Instructional Leadership Specialists/Collaborative Professional Development Teachers Teacher consultation for curriculum modification, screening and informal and formal assessment, direct service to groups or individual students, demonstration classes, co-taught classes. • Speech/Language Pathologist and OT/PT Specialists Teacher consultation, classroom observations of students, informal screening, parent/home consult. • Librarian Consultation with teachers regarding resources, support for enrichment/research • School Nurses Consultation to staff, communication and consultation with parents, direct service to individual students and staff, vision and hearing screening. Serve on STAT or Service Team as needed, develop and manage a health care plan. • School Psychologist Teacher consultation and support to teachers, parents, and students on academic, behavioral or social issues; formal evaluations, staff training • ESL Teacher Direct services for identified students, consultation to staff and parent • ELL Resource Teacher Teacher consultation for curriculum accommodation, screening and informal and formal assessment, direct service to groups or individual students, demonstration classes, co-taught classes. • STAT and Service Team Review of staff, principal and parent referred cases • Principal Articulation and modeling of vision and principles, supervision and evaluation of staff, fostering of accommodation philosophy, facilitating staff; collaboration and communication. • Therapists (outside agencies) Teacher consultations, observation of students • Quebec Team Police Department liaison, individual student or parent support and consultation, referral where appropriate 4 Possible Accommodations and Interventions that may be recommended but are not limited to regular education students ELEMENTARY Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment Strategies Provide multi-modal presentations of materials Utilize differentiated instruction and assignments Develop alternate assessments Repeat or reteach concepts Offer peer teaching/group activities Model content area reading strategies Provide individual help in the classroom Include study skills strategies Utilize transition cues Develop teacher-student contracts Incorporate incentives/rewards Utilize technology/computer-assisted instruction Provide challenge projects Offer oral/untimed testing Utilize multiple intelligence/learning style approaches Model use of graphic organizers Develop integrated curriculum projects Behavioral Intervention Strategies Classroom interventions by guidance counselor Arrange seating accommodations Develop student-teacher contacts Develop behavioral plans Include positive reinforcement/incentives/rewards Utilize charts and graphs to monitor expectations Adjust classroom management strategies Facilitate parent support/communication Consult with school psychologist, social worker, special needs staff Individual and small group guidance counseling Organizational Strategies Provide school-wide agenda system Develop flexible/modified schedule Utilize flexible grouping Utilize contract learning Utilize team teaching Implement a progress reporting system Cooperative teaching Consult and co-planning by grade level teams 5 Intervention Provide test taking strategies and practice Utilize miscue analysis/prescriptive teaching Develop study skills strategies Consult with teacher mentors Provide after school help Utilize peer buddy systems 6 Springfield Public Schools MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM ACCOMMODATION Classroom Characteristics Supporting Curriculum Accommodation for Regular Education Students • Leveled classes in core subjects at grades 6, 7 and 8 • Computer labs (with assigned support staffing) • Team structure at grades 6, 7 and 8 • Strong elective program for exploration and to meet interest areas • Remedial reading classes • Behavioral support center • Writing portfolio system • Standardized (and other) testing data base MCAS, MEPA, Step Up Springfield Assessments, District Benckmark Assessments, teacher administered assessments • Service Learning Grant • Detention, in-school suspension • Course/grade level acceleration • Honors courses in core academic areas • Retention or repeating of specific courses • After school help in all disciplines • Student folders for all core academic areas Student Support Personnel and Resource Staff Providing Specific Consultation/Support/Intervention in the Regular Education Setting • Behavioral Specialists Behavioral interventions with students, management strategy support for teachers • School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker and Guidance Counselors Provides teacher consultation, support to student and families, liaison for social/ community agencies. Liaison between home and school, parent and teacher support and consultation, *chairperson/facilitator of STAT or Service Team. (*May vary by school), file manager • Department Chairs Curriculum and instruction oversight, teacher assistance with curriculum modifications, curriculum resource acquisition and allocation • Administrative Team Support to teachers on social/behavioral issues, behavioral interventions with students, scheduling accommodations, articulation and implementation of vision and principles, supervision and evaluation of staff, fostering of philosophy of accommodation • School Nurse Consultation to parents, students and staff, direct service for individual students 7 • Quebec Team Police Department liaison, individual student or parent support and consultation, referral where appropriate • ESL Teacher Direct services for identified students • ELL Resource Teacher Teacher consultation for curriculum accommodation, screening and informal and formal assessment, direct service to groups or individual students, demonstration classes, co-taught classes. • Instructional Leadership Specialists/Collaborative Professional Development Teachers Direct instruction, consultation regarding curriculum modifications for teachers • Librarian Support for student research, consultation with teachers and students about curriculum resources • MCAS-related Student Success Team Review of MCAS and other performance data, development of individual student success plan • School Psychologist Teacher consultation and support to teachers, parents, and students on academic, behavioral or social issues; formal evaluations, staff training • Therapists (outside agencies) Teacher consultations, observation of students • STAT or Service Teams Review of teacher referred cases SUGGESTED CURRICULUM ACCOMMODATIONS Physical Arrange preferred seating Incorporate stress-release activities Use visual/auditory aids Experiment with use of space Include energizers Remove distractions Consider a better student/teacher match Structural Change levels Change instructors Use contract learning Cross grade levels Develop alternate assignments Organizational Experiment with a flexible schedule Rotate the student’s schedule 8 Include an extended day program Reduce the student’s schedule Invite parental assistance Arrange parent workshops Insist upon frequent progress reports Remedial Offer after-school support Schedule counsel or meetings Improve parental communication Find a buddy reader Arrange peer tutoring Take advantage of mentoring Utilize study groups Provide assistance with note taking Technology Incorporate appropriate software Schedule computer-assisted instruction Provide calculators Tape record lessons Offer research assistance Take advantage of computer labs Utilize listening centers Arrange E-mail communication Behavioral Change seats Utilize charts Provide a mentor Refer parents to agency Provide a set of rewards Plan parental programs Adjust classroom management Use simple corrective measures Provide on going positive reinforcement Refer to ADL mediation Arrange alternative programs Instruction/Assessment Give extended time on tests Encourage peer tutor Allow oral testing Provide manipulatives Use alternate assessments Vary teaching strategies Identify student’s learning style 9

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The Springfield Public Schools DCAP is directly connected to procedures that are .. Organizational skills and study strategies for school and work.
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