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Consultant urges stronger in-district social-emotional programs to reduce out-of-district placements
Summary
An external consultant presented an audit of Danvers Public Schools’ social-emotional programs, recommending a vertically aligned, skill-focused continuum and more team-based practice to keep students in district and improve transitions to less restrictive settings.
Dr. Alex Hirschberg, an external consultant, presented the results of a therapeutic audit of Danvers Public Schools’ social-emotional programs, telling the School Committee the district should build a more vertically aligned, skill-focused continuum to reduce out-of-district placements and improve students’ return to inclusive classrooms.
The audit, requested after a broader special-education review, found rising emotional and behavioral needs among students and recommended a program model that emphasizes concrete emotion-regulation skill building, multidisciplinary teaming, and a hybrid service model that balances inclusion and separate instruction when appropriate. "We want programming that moves toward a less restrictive environment over time," Dr. Hirschberg said, arguing for common language, consistent skill plans and practice opportunities across…
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