At a Town of Norwood School Committee meeting at the Savage Center, consultants and district staff reviewed a comprehensive student services audit and described steps the district has already taken and plans to take to address gaps in special education, nursing, multilingual learner support and counseling.

The audit — described in the meeting as “500 or so page[s]” — identified four consistent areas of concern, district staff and the consultant said: inconsistent use of differentiated instruction and co‑teaching models; gaps in curriculum for sub‑separate programs; need for student‑centered, data‑driven IEP goals; and inconsistent operational procedures and communication. Kate Davey, a consultant with Academic Discoveries, said the audit aimed to separate one‑off items from systemic problems and identify root causes and next steps.

The audit matters because it touches core services to students with disabilities and their classmates, requiring changes to practice, training and, in some cases, staffing. The committee and presenters emphasized that several remedies are already under way and that further steps will focus on standardizing practice and boosting targeted professional development.

District staff described several immediate and planned actions. Presenters said the district has centralized IEP management in Aspen, uses Mustang metrics in meetings to drive data‑based decisions and has created an observational note‑catcher to improve alignment of evaluation and teaching expectations. “We do have an IEP centralized IEP system. They are all through Aspen,” Kate Davey said.

Staff also described professional development (PD) already in place: assistant directors are leading monthly department meetings and in‑person PD sessions, paraprofessionals completed DESE modules on IEPs and behavior, and the district has implemented SMART‑goal training for IEP teams. The presenters said a new team‑chair structure — two elementary team chairs, one for middle and one for high school, plus a half‑time team chair at LMPA — is intended to give principals and teachers clearer points of contact for student‑services decisions.

Nursing staff raised concerns about burnout and substitute coverage. District staff acknowledged that the nursing team was interviewed during a period of staff upheaval and noted that all nurses are now DESE certified and that updated sub‑nurse “subbooks” and private spaces for HIPAA compliance have been addressed. Superintendent Luff told nurses directly: “Call out. We will we will cover. We will figure it out.”

On multilingual learners, the audit recommended caseload relief, targeted PD and streamlined processes. The district reported hiring a CMS English‑learner teacher over the summer, distributing six family liaisons (one per school) and creating job‑alike PLCs for cross‑school collaboration.

Counseling and social‑work supports were discussed. Erin Regan, department chair for guidance, said the district’s counselor‑to‑student ratios are within stated guidelines, and presenters noted an additional adjustment counselor position was created by reconfiguring paraprofessional FTEs. Presenters also described an existing social worker at the high school who provides short‑term clinical counseling and helps connect families to community wraparound services.

Presenters described work on the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP), saying a draft is circulating for stakeholder feedback and that they hope to present a fully revised DCAP by spring. Dr. Munoz, a district staff member, said the DCAP rewrite is intended to make common tier‑one accommodations explicit so families and MTSS teams know what interventions should be tried before a referral for specialized services.

Committee members asked specifically about student and staff safety related to behaviorally dysregulated students. Presenters said the district is improving consistent incident reporting and data entry through Aspen and Mustang metrics to support targeted interventions. A midyear parent survey cited in the meeting showed most respondents reported their children felt “quite safe” or “extremely safe,” though presenters acknowledged concerns and said data will guide future safety and staffing decisions.

Presenters emphasized communication improvements — a consolidated “one‑stop” student services document with contact information and process guides, weekly office hours for assistant directors, and a weekly update email to student‑services staff and paraprofessionals. The committee requested that district staff better communicate program improvements and protocols to general‑education parents to reduce misinformation and ease concerns.

The presentation concluded with staff noting that many audit recommendations have already been started and that ongoing work will focus on consistent implementation, PD, and clearer communication to families and staff.

The School Committee did not take any formal votes on the audit presentation during the meeting; presenters said follow‑up items and stakeholder input will guide next steps.