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Methuen School Committee approves updated district curriculum accommodation plan
Summary
The committee approved a long-overdue District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DECAP) to clarify universal classroom supports, MTSS procedures and referral steps; members raised concerns about preserving formal documentation for students who need College Board testing accommodations.
The Methuen School Committee voted to approve an updated District Curriculum Accommodation Plan on June 22, saying the document, last revised in 2013, will serve as a single reference for teachers, families and administrators on accommodations, MTSS procedures and tiered supports. The plan was presented by Acting Superintendent Dr. Gowski, who described it as a "reference point for staff, families, students" and said the district plans annual review and incremental hyperlinking to classroom examples.
Committee members praised the modernization while asking for safeguards. "My big concern is that going through this, this reads like an accommodation on a 504 or an IEP," Member Keegan said, warning that offering broad, undocumented accommodations could delay formal identification of students who need individualized education programs and complicate requests for College Board testing accommodations. The superintendent acknowledged the concern and noted the plan is meant to articulate universal best practices (tier one) while preserving referral processes for TSS teams.
The document outlines universal-design-for-learning practices, inclusive classroom strategies, assessment adjustments and a menu of supports that teachers can reasonably implement without immediately invoking special‑education referrals. The administration said the DECAP also lists staff available for consultation, describes progress-monitoring cycles for interventions and shows pathways from referral to designation for English‑learner and other support services.
Committee members moved and seconded the plan and approved it by voice vote. The committee directed administration to keep the DECAP as a living document, build out linked classroom examples, and review it annually to ensure it continues to support both universal instruction and the documentation needed for formal accommodations on external exams.
The vote closes a multi-year update effort and positions the district to publish the DECAP on the Methuen Public Schools website and include it in staff and family handbooks ahead of the fall term.
