TEC Connections Academy

The District’s mission is, "Through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging TEC Connections Academy will provide students a high quality, innovative, virtual public school experience through access to education that empowers students to demonstrate respect, life skills, growth mindset, critical thinking, communication skills, and application of knowledge to prepare them for the next stage of their life's journey." The District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP), described in detail here, is in keeping with this mission.

Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 38Q1/2, enacted in May 2012, requires the Commonwealth of Massachusetts adopted a law for school districts to develop and implement a curriculum accommodation plan:

“A school district shall adopt and implement a curriculum accommodation plan to assist principals in ensuring that all efforts have been made to meet 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 program 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.”

A DCAP is designed to enable all students to access the curriculum effectively and demonstrate their level of proficiency. Since a DCAP is an accommodation plan for access, it does not change the content, rigor, or instructional level of the curriculum. DCAP accommodations are part of the general education classroom environment and are available to all students, including English language learners (ELL) and students with disabilities.

Access to regular education accommodations facilitates students achieving at their highest level. A DCAP reinforces good educational practice, responds to all students’ individual learning styles, avoids labeling students, helps close the achievement gap, and gives students a voice.

The TEC Connections Academy (TECCA) DCAP speaks to the diverse learning needs of students to ensure all efforts are made to meet their needs in the general education program. The plan assists the regular education classroom teacher in analyzing and accommodating the diverse learning styles of all children in the regular classroom and in providing appropriate services and support within the general education program including, but not limited to, direct and systematic instruction in reading and provision of services to address the needs of students whose behavior may interfere with learning. The TECCA DCAP helps create an academic environment where students with varied intellectual capabilities and learning styles have the best opportunity to learn and grow. The DCAP was developed to support the needs of all students regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, homelessness, or English language proficiency. TECCA's teachers’ creativity and differentiation of instruction allow the entire spectrum of our population to learn most successfully. Teachers take an active role in ensuring students receive and benefit from the accommodations provided. Teachers are also provided with support that encourages collaboration and learning coach involvement. Some best practices include:

Before class, teachers:

• Create accessible materials when necessary

• Consider students’ social and emotional and language learning needs

• Provide engaging pre-learning questions, music, and/or activities

• Provide a clear road map and objectives for each unit and lesson and share it with students

• Consider how to connect and/or build students’ background knowledge

During class, teachers:

• Engage in clear, predictable routines/schedules

• Clearly post learning and language objectives.

• Give the class frequent reminders (orally, visually, and in writing) of upcoming due dates for assignments and assessments

• Provide wait time to process information and more time to allow students to fully respond

• Preview/review materials taught

• Secure attention before asking questions

• Provide active learning experiences and opportunities for oral academic language use with various interactive groupings and protocols in class

• Provide clear instruction, expectations, and objectives

• Give directions in multiple ways (orally, visually, and in writing)

• Integrate MCAS questioning and problem-solving when possible

• Include a graded formative assessment/activity for students to submit at the end of each live lesson; provide submission instructions for those who watch the recording.

After class, teachers:

• Post assignments and live lesson recordings

• Break long-term assignments into sequential steps

• Provide regular, timely feedback

Classroom teachers may also make the following accommodations, as appropriate, for any student, regardless of disability or multilingual status:

• Provide graphic organizers for long-term writing assignments

• Provide models of desired work products (when applicable)

• Give students advance notice before calling on them

• Model good note taking

• Use visuals and gestures

Teachers may also make any other appropriate accommodations for students in consultation with students, parents/guardians, counselors, Multilingual teachers, and other team members as needed.

Accommodations change how students learn, not what they learn. Accommodations change how students show what they know and can do; they do not lower expectations or absolve the students of responsibility for learning or performing. Accommodations match the needs of students. Not all accommodations are appropriate at all times. For example, a student may be allowed to reference models of completed written work; however, this accommodation would not be appropriate if the purpose of the assessment is to build on-demand writing capacity.

All students are capable of success. When students do not experience success with our core curriculum or social-emotional instruction, a gap exists between what we want to happen (all students succeeding), and what is actually happening (some students not yet succeeding). To address this gap, a structured problem-solving process is used that helps us understand the challenge, design and implement a targeted intervention plan, and assess the child’s progress to determine next steps. At the core of this process are teacher teams. Teacher teams can be more effective in supporting student learning than a teacher acting in isolation. The educator practice of data based decision making, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative student data, is central to ensuring equitable experiences and outcomes for all students.

The TECCA community came together during the 2022-2023 school year to create a Portrait of a Graduate. Together the community agreed that the following characteristics are essential for our graduates:

• Respect

• Life Skills

• Growth Mindset

• Critical Thinking

• Communication Skills

• Application of Knowledge

These skills are developed through relationships, curriculum and instruction that focuses on developing the whole child. At the heart of TECCA’s educational program, which includes this DCAP, are TECCA’s Core Values:

• Student Centric: TECCA is committed to implementing policies, procedures, and practices that focus on the growth and development, and success of all students.

• School Community: TECCA strives to create a professional and ethical school community where all voices are heard, valued, and respected.

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: TECCA seeks to foster a school culture that provides a safe and encouraging learning environment with an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a systemic, continuous-improvement

framework in which data-based problem solving and decision-making is practiced across

all levels of the educational system for supporting students. Students' progress is closely

monitored by teacher teams at each stage of intervention to determine the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education, or both. MTSS supports both academic and behavioral & social-emotional development.

Tier 1: All students receive high-quality, scientifically based instruction, differentiated to

meet their needs, and are screened on a periodic basis to identify struggling learners who need additional support.

Tier 2: Students not making adequate progress in the core curriculum are provided with increasingly intensive instruction and/or intervention matched to their needs on the basis of levels of performance and rates of progress.

Tier 3: Students receive individualized, intensive interventions that target the students’ skill deficits for the remediation of existing problems and the prevention of more severe problems.

Learning is an interactive and action-oriented process. In all schools, family engagement is essential. However, due to the pivotal role of the Learning Coach at TECCA, it is imperative that the Learning Coach has an active relationship with the school. The Learning Coach must also have an active role in supporting their student’s educational engagement daily. The importance of the Learning Coach does not change the need for a positive teacher/staff-student relationship. Teachers and staff provide instruction and interventions to all students and through this work students needing additional support are identified. In all cases, increased student independence is the goal. Therefore, TECCA aims to gradually release responsibility to students. This process will look different for all students and may vary from lesson to lesson or class to class. Yet, the goal of increased student responsibility does not change. This DCAP has been developed with this process in mind.

Assessment

• Variety of assessment modes (present, design, perform, write, oral, draw)

• Performance test vs. written test

• Project-based assessment

• Extended time when doing so will not impact validity of the assessment

• Closed vs. open-ended questions

• Pursue grade improvement opportunities according to the grading policy

• Review and follow up on exit ticket responses to help students achieve the objective of the lesson

• Reviewing quick checks and other assessments (after completion) to use them as a study tool and create further opportunities for understanding

• Extra credit opportunities

Instructional

• Vary grouping in the classroom for different purposes (homogeneous groups, heterogeneous groups, individual conferences)

• Scaffold complex concepts and provide leveled problems for multiple entry points

• Multimodal learning styles (oral, visual, kinesthetic, digital)

• Offer the use of graphic organizers

• Provide a variety of ways to respond: oral, choral, student white boards, etc.

• Emphasis on quality vs. quantity

• Identify and/or pre-teach key vocabulary (word bank, visuals)

• Use of a word wall (whole class or individual) for key academic terms

• Re-teach with multiple approaches

• Clarify directions or questions

• Frequent checks for understanding

• Pre-alerts and wait time

• Provide agendas and objectives that clearly articulate learning goals for students

• Provide a model of the finished product

• Provide more frequent parent/guardian communication

• Access to live lesson recordings

• Mini-lesson recordings when appropriate

• Portfolio previews

• Teacher meetings after live lesson to clarify content

• Using webmail to engage in frequent communication

• Targeted/differentiated live lesson instruction through the use of breakout rooms and scaffolding

• Availability of virtual manipulatives in live lesson

• Invitation to small group live lessons with general education teachers

• Reduced number of practice problems/activities in Connexus lessons once mastery is demonstrated

• Meeting with a teacher in live lesson who can model, break down, and help the student begin a portfolio (for example, refer to a graphic organizer and guide the student to complete it at home)

• Attend available support times

• Flexible due dates (up to four weeks)

• Appropriate services to support linguistic minority students including remedial instruction

Organizational

• Graphic organizers

• Using a planner to plan/map out upcoming assignments

• Student portfolio or assignment exemplars/models

• Using webmail to engage in frequent communication

• Creating a daily/weekly schedule; using block scheduling

• Follow-up webmail summaries of check-ins, which document discussed strategies, additional resources, and concrete steps to take for greater academic success, and promote a growth mindset

• Step-by-step webmail breakdowns of portfolios, which include relevant live lesson recordings and resources attached

• Meeting with a teacher in live lesson who can model, break down, and help the student get started on a portfolio (for example, refer to a graphic organizer and guide the student to complete it at home)

• Attend available support times

Teacher Supports

• Grade Level Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings to encourage collaboration, discussion surrounding assessments, common unit planning, and student progress. This planning time allows for accommodating and planning for diverse learning styles.

• District-wide professional development activities with a focus on content and pedagogy

• Communication with and access to school counselor

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.

• MTSS, including Student Support Team

• Consultation with Multi-Lingual Supervisor and school level teacher for linguistic minority students

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

These accommodations will provide support to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning. In addition to the accommodations listed below, TECCA has also established a partnership with Cartwheel Care to increase access to mental health support for identified students and families.

Student Supports

• Repeated practice in school routines out of the context of actual events

• Expectations presented visually rather than just verbally

• Use time management tools (daily planner, assignment sheet, calendar, and agendas)

• Mindfulness activities

• Small group for social emotional learning

• Opportunities for choice

• Class breaks/brain breaks

• Minimize visual distractions

• Student breaks as needed

• Tools/Manipulatives

• Mindfulness toolkit

• Social stories

• Reflection sheets

• Predictable and routine classroom structure

• Morning Meeting

• Follow-up webmail summaries of check-ins, which document discussed strategies, additional resources, and concrete steps to take for greater academic success, and promote a growth mindset

• Positive reinforcement

• Communication with and access to the school counselor as needed

• Redirection and reminders to stay on task during live lesson

• Attend available support times, such as lunch bunch or office hours with school counselor

• Reasonable breaks and movement during live lessons

Teacher Supports

• District-wide professional development activities with a focus on social emotional learning

• Data and analysis collection systems

• Collaborate/consult with related services specialists e.g., adjustment counselors, speech/language pathologists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, multilingual teachers, and administrators

• Student Support Team

• Communication with and access to school counselor

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.

• MTSS team: Response to Intervention team and Student support team

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

Assessment

• Quality over quantity for open ended questions where appropriate

• Memory aids/reference sheets/mnemonic cards

• Project-based assessment, when appropriate

• Performance test vs. written test, when appropriate

• Multimodal/Alternative assessments - oral, projects, etc

• Facilitated review sessions in live lesson (for example, creating guided notes together, learning to use note taking strategies, and improving study skills before taking assessments)

• Flexible due dates up to two weeks per student handbook

• Choice board projects, when appropriate

• Verbal responses/voice recordings for short answer questions, when appropriate

• Templates/outlines for portfolios

• Use of open, student-created, notes

• Allowing retakes/test corrections

• Extended time on assessments

• Exemplars on class message boards for others to refer to

Instructional

• Differentiated instruction/assignment

• Small group

• Individualized help

• Rubrics

• Provide breaks when helpful

• Cue student to task

• Enlarged text as appropriate

• Adapt live lesson

• Word banks as part of a reference sheet

• Multimodal presentation of content - visual, verbal,electronic

• Graphic organizers/structured notes/checklists

• Breaking down assignments/projects into manageable chunks

• Extra space and decluttered formatting of assignments/assessments when needed and possible

• Strategic pairing for group work

• Alter or reduce responses, items, problems

• Alternative homework options

• Models/exemplars

• Access Text to Speech and Speech to Text capabilities available within school issues devices

• Sentence starters

• Checklists

• Modify pacing

• Open-note or open-book

• Reteaching strategies: analyzing student writing and comparing it to a grading rubric, reading excerpts and guided questions, looking for specific information within the text, etc.

• Provide teacher notes

• Sending live lesson agenda in advance

• Inquiry based learning

• Study skills

• Problem based learning/real world examples

• Intentional grouping

• Think aloud and modeling

• Audio/visual supplemental material, including audiobooks and free text reader software

• Reading strategies, such as close reading, reading partners, visualization, etc.

• Journal activities

• Use of virtual or real life manipulatives, e-tools

• Workshops that are skill specific (reading/ writing)

• Small group workshops

• Analyze student-submitted work to ensure the student understands the assignments. If the teacher identifies that there is a disconnect, then they will work with the student individually

• If applicable, use private chat to check for understanding during live lessons. Hold student after the lesson if the student remains confused throughout the lesson to clarify

• Picking a specific intervention and apply it 3x a week for 3 weeks

• Appropriate services to support linguistic minority students including remedial instruction

Organizational

• Provide and model with the student how to utilize examples, graphic organizers, guided notes, study guides, or exemplars that address the ST’s specific need

• 1:1 or small group instruction around organization and use of planner

• Use of graphic organizers, word banks

• Chunking assignments: For example, writing an essay piece by piece. When the student turns in each piece, they then move on to the next piece of the essay with due dates. With reading, chunking text, and using workshop time to explain novels/ plays.

• Organizational skills and strategies, i.e. note taking, outlines, flowchart, etc.

• Learning contracts and/or goal setting

• Templates/ outlines/exemplars for portfolios

Teacher Supports

• Common planning time for classroom teachers to discuss assessments, common unit planning, and student progress. This planning time allows for accommodating and planning for diverse learning styles.

• Grade level team meetings

• District-wide professional development activities with a focus on content and pedagogy

• Collaboration/consultation with service specialists

• MTSS team and/or Student Support Team

• Communication with and access to school counselors

• Contacting the learning coach with personal email if learning coach is not responsive to webmail

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.

• Consultation with Multi-Lingual Supervisor and school level teacher for linguistic minority students

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

These accommodations will provide support to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning. In addition to the accommodations listed below, TECCA has also established a partnership with Cartwheel Care to increase access to mental health support for identified students and families.

Student Supports

• Individual student check-ins

• Mindfulness instruction

• Assigned movement/working walks

• Class breaks/brain breaks

• Encourage use of personal sensory tools

• Encourage use of personal Fidget toys/putty

• Games

• Approved apps

• Predictable and routine classroom structure

• Follow-up webmail summaries of check-ins, which document discussed strategies, additional resources, and concrete steps to take for greater academic success, and promote a growth mindset

• Redirection and reminders to stay on task during live lesson

• Communication with and access to the school counselor as needed

• Attend available support times, such as live lesson or office hours with school counseling

• Positive reinforcement

• Reasonable breaks and movement during live lessons

Teacher Supports

• District-wide professional development activities with a focus on social-emotional learning

• Collaborate/consult with related services specialists e.g., adjustment counselor, school counselor, speech/language pathologist, school psychologist, occupational therapist, nurses, and administrators

• Collaboration with outside providers

• Contacting caretaker with personal email if caretaker is not responsive to webmail

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.

• MTSS team and/or Student Support Team

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

• Consultation with Multi-Lingual Supervisor and school level teacher for linguistic minority students

Assessment

• Appropriate extra time on an as needed basis

• Oral testing

• Graphic organizers

• Test retakes

• Breaks as needed

• Tests one page at a time

• Project Based Learning

• Facilitated review sessions in live lesson (for example, creating guided notes together, learning to use note taking strategies, and improving study skills before taking assessments)

• Provide alternative forms of assessments

• Flexible due dates

• Choice board projects, when appropriate

• Verbal responses/voice recordings for short answer questions

• Templates/outlines for portfolios

• Use of open, student-created, notes

• Allowing retakes/test corrections

• Extended time on assessments

• Exemplars on class message boards for others to refer to

Instructional

• Shorter assignments

• Rubrics with clear explanations

• Limited number of problems on assignments

• Small group instruction

• Graphic organizers

• Multimodal instruction

• Breaks as needed

• Study/review guides

• Exemplars

• Individualized checklists for multi-step projects

• Contracts with students

• Shared teacher notes

• Extended deadlines up to 4 additional weeks with no due dates beyond the end of the semester

• Ongoing positive reinforcement

• Frequent progress monitoring with home and guidance

• Reteaching strategies: analyzing student writing and comparing it to a grading rubric, reading excerpts and guided questions, looking for specific information within the text, etc.

• Provide teacher notes

• Sending LiveLesson agenda in advance

• Inquiry based learning

• Study skills

• Problem based learning/real world examples

• Intentional grouping

• Think aloud and modeling

• Audio/visual supplemental material, including audiobooks and free text reader software

• Reading strategies

• Journal activities

• Use of virtual or real life manipulatives, e-tools

• Study Hall: workshops that are skill specific (reading/ writing)

• Small group workshops

• Analyze student submitted work to ensure the student understands the assignments; if the teacher identifies that there is a disconnect, then they will work with the student individually

• If applicable, use private chat to check for understanding during live lesson. Hold student after the lesson if the student remains confused throughout the lesson to clarify

• Picking a specific intervention and apply it 3x a week for 3 weeks

• Targeted LiveLessons for individual or small groups of students

• Appropriate services to support linguistic minority students including remedial instruction

Organizational

• Provide and model with the student how to utilize examples, graphic organizers, guided notes, study guides, or exemplars that address the ST’s specific need

• Implement block scheduling with course/lesson completion goals

• 1 to 1 or small group instruction around organization and use of planner

• Use of graphic organizers, word banks (provided within a reference sheet)

• Chunking assignments: For example, writing an essay piece by piece. When the student turns in each piece, they then move on to the next piece of the essay with due dates. With reading, chunking text, and using workshop time to explain novels/ plays.

• Organizational skills and strategies, i.e. note taking, outlines, flowchart, etc.

• Learning contracts and/or goal setting

• Templates/ outlines/exemplars for portfolios

Teacher Supports

• Common planning time for classroom teachers to discuss assessments, common unit planning, and student progress.

• District-wide Professional Development opportunities

• MTSS team and/or Student Support Team.This planning time allows for accommodating and planning for diverse learning styles

• Communication with and access to school counselor

• Contacting the learning coach with personal email if the learning coach is not responsive to webmail

• Consultation with Multi-Lingual Supervisor and school level teacher for linguistic minority students

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.

These accommodations will provide support to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning. In addition to the accommodations listed below, TECCA has also established a partnership with Cartwheel Care to increase access to mental health support for identified students and families.

Student Supports

• Predictable and routine classroom structure

• Follow-up webmail summaries of check-ins, which document discussed strategies, additional resources, and concrete steps to take for greater academic success, and promote a growth mindset

• Redirection and reminders to stay on task during live lesson

• Communication with and access to the school counselor as needed

• Attend available support times, such as live lesson or office hours with school counseling

• Positive reinforcement

• Reasonable breaks and movement during live lessons

• Developmental Guidance Curriculum

• Mindfulness activities in classes

• General Ed School Adjustment Counselors

• Access to School Counselors

• Breaks as needed

• Student provided fidget toys

Teacher Supports

• District-wide professional development activities with a focus on social emotional learning

• Collaborate/consult with related services specialists e.g., adjustment counselor, speech/language pathologist, school psychologist, occupational therapist, nurses, and administrators

• Outside Mental Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders consultants monthly

• Guidance and Administration Support Team

• Contacting the learning coach with personal email if the learning coach is not responsive to webmail

• In order to increase home/school collaboration and communication, teachers can refer Learning Coaches to a mentoring program as needed.MTSS team and/or Student Support Team

• Teacher induction and mentoring program

• Consultation with Multi-Lingual Supervisor and school level teacher for linguistic minority students

TECCA offers two pathways for Language Learners to achieve mastery of academic English. The yearly ACCESS exam (January) determines student proficiency levels. All Language Learners are notified of program placement at the beginning of the school year.

Foundational Support Pathway proficiency level 1.0-2.9

• At least two periods per day of ESL instruction with ESL /SEI instructor

• ML Specialists will teach a Foundational Level course where instruction provides systematic, explicit, and sustained language instruction, and prepares students for grade level content by focusing on academic language while also attending to social instructional language.

Transitional Support Pathway proficiency level 3.0-4.4

• At least one period per day of ESL instruction with ESL/SEI instructor

• ML Specialists will collaborate with SEI endorsed content teachers on language strategies ensuring language learners have access to grade level materials and assignments. Teachers collaborate on what language learning is needed for conceptual understanding and mastery of analytical practices required for academic achievement.

By offering a comprehensive DCAP, TECCA is able to provide a supportive learning environment for all students. However, at times students may require additional support and accommodations. If your student’s team feels this is needed, the Caretaker listed on the account will be contacted. Similarly, if you have any academic, behavioral, or social-emotional concerns, please contact your student’s homeroom teacher. Consistent communication between school and home is essential for success.