District Curriculum Accommodation Plan

What is the DCAP and why do we use it?

The North Brookfield Public Schools is dedicated to student success and recognizes the variety of learners within the student body.  Teachers regularly face difficulties with how to meet the needs of North Brookfield students who represent a broad range of learning styles, life experiences, previous school experiences, and background skills and knowledge. The purpose of the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) is to describe the strategies and resources that are available to classroom teachers and specialists in their quest to address the diverse learning needs of our students.

State law

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.”

School Councils and District Accommodation Plan, Ch. 71 Section 59C -Amended Language “The school council, including the school principal, shall meet regularly and shall assist in the identification of the educational needs of all students attending the school, shall make recommendations to the principal for the development, implementation and assessment of the Curriculum Accommodation Plan required pursuant to Section 38Q1/2, shall assist in the review of the annual school budget and in the formulation of a School Improvement Plan.