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Waltham Public Schools

District Curriculum Accomodation Plan
(Revised Summer 2024)

Introduction

The District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) for the Waltham Public Schools outlines curriculum implementation and intervention aligned to the Massachusetts Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Blueprint. The DCAP follows federal and state law and DESE guidance to ensure all efforts have been made to meet each student’s needs in a general education setting (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 38Q1/2). The plan explains high-quality, rigorous, grade-level Tier I instruction with appropriate accommodations for all students, using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The DCAP describes tiered classroom instruction and structures that support students at each level Tier I, II, or III accommodations and interventions, including two-way communication with parents and caregivers. The DCAP is aligned with the pillars for the WPS Strategic Plan. Such systems and structures include, but are not limited to:

Access to grade-level core instruction for all students and in-class supports and interventions for all students;
Core common curricula and assessments to monitor student mastery of grade-level standards and to enable early intervention;
An assessment system that includes progress monitoring, screening, diagnostic, and other assessments to inform instruction at all tiers and grade levels;
Common Planning Time for educators grounded in inquiry cycles and data-informed instruction;
Professional Development is aligned to the pillars of our District Strategic Plan with an overarching theme of focusing on Practices to Elevate Equitable Student Outcomes;
Dedicated as well as embedded instructional time devoted to social and emotional learning;
Instructional Leadership Teams (ILT), Student Teacher Assistant Teams (STAT), Language Acquisition Teams (LAT), and Early Warning Intervention System Teams (EWIS) that provide educators with space to collaborate and develop instructional supports.

The DCAP is intended to provide and assist all educators to analyze the diverse learning styles of each student and provide accommodations to meet their individual learning needs.

Equitable Access diagram

Introduction 1

Table of Contents 3

Tiered Instruction System 4

Tier I: Universal Support, or What ALL Students Receive 4

Tier II: Targeted Support in Response to Student Needs 4

Tier III: Intensive Support through Explicit and Focused Intervention 4

Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction and Related Services 4

High-Quality Core Curriculum 5

Data-Informed Inquiry Cycles 5

School Teams and Improvement Plans 6

Instructional Leadership Teams (ILT) 7

Early Warning Intervention System Teams (EWIS) 7

Language Acquisition Teams (LAT) 7

Student Teacher Assistance Team (STAT) 8

Instruction, Support, and Interventions in Waltham Schools 8

Tiered Supports: Elementary 8

Tiered Supports: Middle School 10

Tiered Supports: High School 12

Additional Information 15

Tiered Instruction System

Tier I: Core Instruction, or What ALL Students Receive

Tier I instruction happens in every classroom, every day. Tier 1 instruction focuses on grade level standards and skills and is responsive to students’ academic, linguistic, and social-emotional needs. Tier I can be delivered in a whole group or a small group setting with a grade level teacher, instructional paraprofessional, ESL teacher, or other staff member, regardless of whether those students are also receiving Tier II or III support. Tier I instruction should be universally designed, culturally responsive, and flexible, allowing for students to demonstrate their grade-level proficiency in multiple means and with multiple opportunities. It occurs in every classroom and content area, and is considered integral to our core instructional curriculum and pedagogical model.

Tier II: Targeted Support in Response to Student Needs

Tier II instruction is targeted, small group intervention that is responsive to student needs as demonstrated on a core assessment, screener, diagnostic, or other qualitative or quantitative assessment. Tier II generally includes additional opportunities to practice skills necessary to achieve at grade-level. ALL educators may provide Tier II support or intervention. Educators may implement a Tier II support after consultation with the STAT, LAT, grade-level teams, or other professionals in the building. Students receiving Tier II instruction should have specific academic, behavioral, language or SEL goals established, with progress monitoring opportunities.

Tier III: Intensive Support through Explicit and Focused Intervention

Tier III instruction is the most intensive form of support. Tier III instruction includes more intensive interventions that occur individually or in very small groups over an extended period of time. Students receiving Tier III instruction are not necessarily receiving special education. Students with disabilities may not need Tier III support and students not identified with a disability may need Tier III support.

Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction and Related Services

One function of the Student Teacher Assistance Team (STAT) is to monitor the progress that students are making as they receive Tier 1, 2, and/or 3 interventions (see page 8 for the STAT description). If there has been no, or very limited, documented progress over time, the STAT may make a referral for a special education evaluation. Unlike screening to determine placement in Tiered Interventions, a Special Education evaluation requires parental consent. Once consent is obtained, A team that includes the student’s caregivers, special and general educators and the student (if over 14 years old) look at the student through a series of assessments, observations and interviews in order to determine if (1) the student has a disability (2) the student is making effective progress in school (3) the lack of progress due to the disability, and (4) the student requires specialized education and/or related services to make effective progress or to access the general education curriculum. If eligible, the Team will develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that includes specially designed instruction and/or related services that meet the needs of the student.

It should be noted that students with disabilities have the same access to Tier 1, 2 and 3 supports as their peers. In the Waltham Public Schools, students receive the supports that they need when they need them, regardless of whether or not they have an IEP.

High-Quality Core Curriculum

The Waltham Public Schools regularly review and revise curriculum in order to ensure that curriculum is aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and equitably accessible to all students. Curriculum Overview documents for all subject areas are available on the Waltham Public Schools website. Instructional coaches facilitate professional development and support teachers with implementation. Curriculum Directors coordinate curriculum publication and guide the selection process for high quality instructional materials (HQIM). The process to review and adopt curriculum at any grade level and in any discipline includes the following:

Review committees, composed of a diverse group of stakeholders, to identify curricular resources of interest and aligned to our values and priorities as a district;
Curriculum review rubrics to assess curriculum resources for diverse representation, standards alignment, usability, and other relevant requirements. WPS aligns with recommendations from Massachusetts DESE to select curriculum materials that are aligned with MA Frameworks.
Piloting curricula of interest in the classroom;
Using student, teacher, and community feedback from pilots to inform final decisions about curriculum;
Presenting curriculum revisions and textbook adoptions to School Committee for feedback and, when necessary, budgetary approval;
Professional learning for teachers who will implement the curriculum, facilitated by curriculum developers and internal teachers and curriculum directors.

Data-Informed Inquiry Cycles

Waltham Public Schools has a system for routine formative assessment of student learning, which includes diagnostic assessments, screeners, and progress monitoring alongside summative and formative curriculum assessments. The Waltham Public Schools Assessment Vision Statement is as follows:

Waltham’s assessment system will ensure that teachers and leaders have culturally responsive, reliable, and valid data. Assessment data, both formal and informal, will provide information about where students are in reference to grade-level standards and individual benchmarks, thereby informing Tier I instruction, as well as appropriate Tier II and Tier III interventions. Thoughtful analysis and compassionate reflection, through an asset-based lens, will improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students.

This mission statement is grounded in the following beliefs that all assessments in WPS should be:

Purposeful: We assess for the purpose of improving teaching and learning.
Balanced: We assess to fully capture our students’ progress relative to grade level benchmarks and standards.
Equitable: We assess the equity of instruction to improve outcomes for all students.
Actionable: We assess to refine instruction to support student access to learning.

The WPS Assessment Calendar contains a comprehensive overview of the types of assessments administered at each level and content area, including when those assessments will be administered to inform interventions and tiered supports. Screeners, diagnostic tools, and core common assessments and performance tasks inform the work happening in teacher and administrator inquiry cycles.

Planning cycles graphic

In Waltham, grade-level teams and departments meet routinely to analyze student work and performance on assessments in order to make adjustments to instruction. Instructional coaches conduct coaching cycles with grade level teams or individual teachers based on the priorities articulated by the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) in the School Improvement Plan.

School Teams and Improvement Plans

The Waltham Public Schools utilizes school based teams to ensure that all students have access to appropriate Tier I instruction and, whenever necessary, access to additional tiered interventions. The following teams exist at every school and are central to the implementation of tiered instruction and intervention across our system:

Instructional Leadership Teams (ILT)

Every school has an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). This team’s core function is to ensure equitable access to high-quality, rigorous Tier I instruction for all students as outlined in the School Improvement Plan (SIP). The team meets monthly with the School Principal to create, monitor, and implement action steps connected to the SIP that prioritize instruction, equity, and community engagement.

Other functions of the ILT include:

Provide professional development to colleagues during building and curriculum meetings;
Gather and present student-level data and school priorities to families, community members, and colleagues;
Develop peer observation opportunities for teachers to visit their colleagues’ classrooms;

Early Warning Intervention System Teams (EWIS)

Schools also convene Early Warning Indicator Systems (EWIS) meetings. EWIS teams monitor data such as attendance trends, grades in courses, and disciplinary incidents in order to prioritize Tier I and Tier II supports. These teams include teachers, administrators, and counselors and attendance officers and nurses as needed. EWIS uses data systems to monitor student success data aligned with attendance, behavior, and coursework. The teams recommend interventions and document progress.

Language Assessment Teams (LAT)

Language Assessment Team (LAT) structure is recommended by the DESE to ensure effective instruction, progress, and placement decisions for English learners (ELs) at the school level. The purpose of the LAT is to provide, implement and monitor interventions and/or resources for specific ELs. All schools in Waltham have a LAT. Members may include: the student’s classroom teacher, the student’s ESL, Dual Language, and/or SEI content teacher, an administrator from the ML Department; an ELL Coach; school guidance counselors and/or psychologists as necessary; special education teachers or related providers if the student receives such services; the school’s assistant principal or principal; and parents/guardians and/or students (when developmentally appropriate).

Notes are recorded in the LAT meeting tab in the Ellevation data management system. Team members specifically discuss student language progress within the Multi-tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) framework to help specific students. Meetings topics include:

student placement in ESL courses (e.g., changing a level or exit- 4.2 overall on ACCESS with 3.9 literacy score)
writing culturally responsive English Learner Success Plans (ELSP)- required by the LOOK Act for students who did not make their annual ACCESS target score
families’ funds of knowledge
following up on student progress and progress monitoring
identification, instruction, and support for SLIFE students

LAT members consider the following data when making decisions about placement, instruction, and goal-setting. WPS CLD_ELL Educational History Form,

Student Teacher Assistance Teams (STAT)

The purpose of the Student Teacher Assistance Team (STAT) is to provide, implement and monitor interventions and/or resources for specific students who are not making effective progress with Tier 1 instruction and Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 interventions. Interventions created identify clear goals and steps for progress monitoring. STAT works to analyze student progress related to goals to support effective academic and social emotional progress. This STAT Document outlines the elements of STAT in the Waltham Public Schools.

Instruction, Support, and Interventions in Waltham Schools

Based on each student's needs, curriculum objectives and competencies, educators define targeted supports for their students. The DCAP resources are intended to help students on a more temporary basis, while other supports and services are available for those who may require more long-term assistance. The resources listed are considered research-based, best practice and a means of differentiating instruction for students. The resources accessed may vary for each staff member or student depending on the general education content or setting. Typically, DCAP resources are accessed following collaboration with educators, school counselors and administrators. Educators who wish to add interventions to these grids should contact their director or principal.

Tiered Supports: Elementary

Supports	Discipline/Category	T1	T2	T3	Measure(s)
Small group instruction by classroom teacher focused on foundational skills	ELA/Literacy	x	x		Fundations Unit Assessments (K-3), DIBELS 8 Progress Monitoring-PSF, Lexia
Small group instruction by classroom teacher focused on Phonics/Word Reading Skills	ELA/Literacy	x	x		Ignite!, Fundations, DIBELS 8 Progress Monitoring - NWR, WRF, Lexia, UFLI Decodable Passages/Books
Small group instruction by classroom teacher focused on Oral Reading Fluency	ELA/Literacy	x	x		Fundations Fluency, DIBELS 8 Progress Monitoring - WRF, ORF, Lexia Fluency Reads, UFLI Decodable Passages/Books
Small group instruction by classroom teachers focused on Comprehension and Vocabulary Knowledge	ELA/Literacy	x	x		Fundations vocabulary, DIBELS 8 Progress Monitoring - Maze, Lexia Comprehension passages, EL Mid-Unit & End of Unit Assessments
Targeted small group instruction by classroom teacher or Reading teacher	ELA/Literacy		x		DIBELS Progress Monitoring, Fundations Progress Monitoring Probes, Quick Phonics Screeners (QPS), Wilson
Targeted small group instruction by classroom teacher or math interventionist	Mathematics		x		Math screener and unit assessments
Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) strategies and scaffolds Graphic organizers Visuals Word banks or word walls Sentence frames/stems Preidentified and pretaught vocabulary Structured pair/small group work	All Content Areas	x			Saved in Ellevation platform
Intensive small group targeted instruction by classroom teacher, ESL teacher, reading teacher, math interventionist, challenge teacher or other staff member	ELA/Literacy Mathematics ESL Other disciplines			x	Progress Monitoring Assessments
English Learner Success Plans (ELSP)	English as a Second Language			x	Asset-based short term intervention; saved in Ellevation platform and progress monitored regularly.
Representative and diverse texts for all students	All Disciplines	x			Core Common Assessments -- Subgroup Analysis Panorama Climate Surveys -- Culturally Responsive Classroom Items
Restorative Conversation/Conflict Resolution	SEL/ Restorative Practices		x		Self Report, Teacher Observations, Classroom Observations, Panorama SEL Assessments
Leader in Me/ Zones of Regulation/ Mindfulness/ CALM Classroom/ SEL Curriculum/Morning Meeting	SEL	x			Leader in Me tracking, Classroom Assessments and Observations Panorama SEL Assessments
Integration of SEL core competency skill building into core content classrooms	SEL	x			Classroom Assessments and Observations Panorama SEL Assessments
Intentional relationship building	SEL	x			Panorama SEL Assessments
Small groups with specific focus with School Adjustment Counselor (SAC) such as social skills, self management, grief, etc.	School Counseling		x	x	Classroom Observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments
One to one counseling with SAC	School Counseling		x	x	Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
School counselors provide referrals and consults with educators, collateral contacts and community partners	School Counseling		x	x	Classroom Observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
Parent/guardian and teacher individual scheduled conferences	SEL and academic	X	X		Formative assessments, teacher and family observations
Intentional Summer Programming	Various	X	X		District formative assessments

Tiered Supports: Middle School

Supports	Discipline/Category	T1	T2	T3	Measure(s)
Small group instruction by classroom teacher during classes	All disciplines	x			Core Common Assessments, Student work, exit tickets
ELA & Math Lab - 2 or 4 times per 6 day rotation	ELA & Math		x		Teacher rec, MCAS scores, student work, Core Common Assessments, grades, DIBELS 8 reading screener (ELA only)Int
Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) strategies and scaffolds Graphic organizers Visuals Word banks or word walls Sentence frames/stems Preidentified and pretaught vocabulary Structured pair/small group work	All disciplines	x			WIDA Aligned Rubrics
English Learner Success Plans (ELSP) and SLIFE goals	English as a Second Language			x	Focus on language domain progress: oral, reading (fluency and comprehension), writing (WIDA rubric)
Study Org - student receives targeted instruction to support specific skill building and executive functioning	All subjects	x	x	x	Teacher recommendation, student work samples, grades, STAT forms
Intentional teacher/student relationship building	SEL		x		Classroom Observations, Panorama SEL Assessments, Family Reports, Student Self Assessment
Restorative Conversation/Conflict Resolution	SEL/ Restorative Practices		x		Self Report, Teacher Observations, Classroom Observations, Panorama SEL Assessments
SEL core competency support during SEL block, including Welcome Class for newcomers and beginning English Language Learners	SEL	x			Panorama SEL Assessments, SEL Block Student surveys; Classroom Observations and Assessments;
Intentional small group instruction with specific focus from School Adjustment Counselor (SAC) such as self management management, grief, etc.	School Counseling		x	x	Classroom Observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments
One to one counseling with SAC	School Counseling		x	x	Classroom Observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
School Counselors provide referrals and consults with educators, collateral contacts and community partners	School Counseling		x	x	Classroom Observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
Referrals to career and college readiness partners (internships, career exploration camps, etc)	School Counseling	x	x		Student Self Reports, Family Reports
Clinical crisis counseling	School Counseling			x	Self Reports, Classroom Observations, Clinical Assessments
Parent / Caregiver Partnership	All disciplines	x			Building positive and reciprocal partnerships based on sharing positive news, keeping channels of communication open via telephone calls, emails, Remind
Supplemental Summer Programming	Various	X	X		District formative assessments

Tiered Supports: High School

Supports	Discipline/Category	T1	T2	T3	Measure(s)
Small group targeted instruction by classroom teacher	All disciplines	x	x		Core common assessments, student work, exit tickets
Peer tutoring	All disciplines	x			Course grades and core common assessments
Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) strategies and scaffolds Graphic organizers Visuals Word banks or word walls Sentence frames/stems Preidentified and pretaught vocabulary Structured pair/small group work	All disciplines	x			Conversation observation and analysis tool (COAT), WIDA Rubrics
English Learner Success Plans (ELSP)	English as a Second Language			x	Focus on intensive academic language domain progress: oral (ACCESS), reading (fluency and comprehension), writing (WIDA rubric)
Intervention (Hawk) block	All disciplines	x	x		Core common assessments, course grades
Academic Enrichment Classes: Scheduled classes for sustained targeted academic support in specific disciplines	Math, English & Science		x		Core common assessments, course grades, classroom observations and assessments
Saturday School & Vacation Programming	All disciplines	x	x		Core common assessments, course grades
SEL core competency support in Homeroom	SEL	x			Panorama SEL Assessments, Classroom observations and assessments
Integration of SEL Core Competency Skill Building into Core Content Classrooms	SEL	x			Classroom assessments and observations Panorama SEL Assessments
Restorative practice Tier I instructional strategies	SEL	x			Classroom observations, Panorama SEL Assessments
Restorative Conversation / Conflict Resolution / Mediation	SEL/ Restorative Practices		x		Self Report, teacher observations, Classroom Observations, Panorama SEL Assessments
Intentional teacher/student relationship building	SEL		x		Classroom Observations, Panorama SEL Assessments, Family Reports, Student Self Assessment
Match with Adult Role Model / Mentor (Maize)	SEL		x		Targeted classroom observations, Panorama SEL Assessments, Family Reports, Student Self Assessment
Small groups with specific focus with School Adjustment Counselor (SAC) such as self management management, grief, etc.	School Counseling		x	x	Targeted and intensive classroom observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments
One to one counseling with SAC	School Counseling		x	x	Targeted and intensive classroom observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
Clinical crisis counseling	School Counseling			x	Intensive Self Reports, Classroom Observations, Clinical Assessments
School Counselors Providing Referrals and Consults with Educators, Collateral Contacts and Community Partners	School Counseling		x	x	Targeted and intensive classroom observations, Teacher Reports, Family Reports, Student Self Assessments, Progress Monitoring of Counseling Goals, Panorama SEL Assessments, Clinical Assessments
Career and College Readiness Seminars	School Counseling	x			Classroom Assessments, Post Secondary Plan Completion
Career and College Readiness Individual Meetings	School Counseling		x		Targeted post-Secondary Plan Completion, Student Self Reports, Self Reports
Referrals to Career and College Readiness Partners (internships, Metrowest CPC, Dual Enrollment, etc)	School Counseling	x	x		Post Secondary Plan Completion, Student Self Reports, Self Reports
Organized events for students and families in support of Career and College Readiness and SEL	School Counseling/ SEL	x			Post Secondary Plan Completion, Student Self Reports, Self Reports
Parent / Caregiver Partnership	All disciplines	x			Building positive and reciprocal partnerships based on sharing positive news, keeping channels of communication open via telephone calls, emails
Parent / Caregiver Partnership	All disciplines. Tier 2: early intervention student missing 10-19% of school days Tier 3 - intensive intervention student missing 20% or more of school days		x	x	Targeted and intensive regular and sustained conversation related to students attendance, socio-emotional learning and its impact on academic performance. Resources include: Home visits, iDecide workshops for substance abuse, Safety Educational Plans and informing parents/caregivers of Child Requiring Assistance (CRA).
Supplemental Summer Programming & Credit Recovery	Various	X	X		District formative assessments

Additional information:

Please reach out to your student’s principal – contact information can be found on the WPS website.