District Curriculum Accommodation Plan - DCAP
- What is the DCAP?
- How did this DCAP come about?
- What is the goal of the DCAP?
- Direct and Systematic Reading Instruction
- What is Universal Design for Learning and how can it facilitate student success?
What is the DCAP?
Monomoy Regional School District, in compliance with the Massachusetts General Law, has developed a District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP). The intent of this plan is to provide a guidance document for school staff to ensure that all students in general education classes are provided with the tools and strategies to be successful. The DCAP is aimed at assisting teachers and specialists in providing universally designed learning experiences to ensure that students will meet educational milestones through the use of various teaching modalities. The DCAP guidance document describes accommodations that are provided for students who need accommodations to access the content. According to Chapter 71, Massachusetts General Law: Section 38Q ½:
“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.”How did this DCAP come about?
In 2025, existing instructional, leadership, and stakeholder committees and teams at each MRSD building reviewed our current DCAP, and compared it to DCAPs from other districts across the state, the Massachusetts DCAP law, and the district’s 2024-2028 mission, vision, and core values. Focusing on the core underpinnings of our district to provide a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) so all students have equitable access to programs and curricula to reach their full potential, we have included the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as the framework for our new DCAP. We want to thank Acton-Boxborough Regional School District for providing approval to apply their model in our work.
What is the goal of the DCAP?
The goal of the DCAP is to describe the strategies and resources that classroom teachers and specialists are expected to use to address the diverse learning needs of all students. Our goal is to create a learning environment where students receive a variety of identified supports and accommodations in order to access instruction and assessment. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to, adjustments in curriculum, teaching strategies, teaching materials, and the use of various assessments where students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning. Since we should utilize available general education supports and accommodations prior to referring a child for a special education evaluation, educators and MTSS teams should monitor the effectiveness of these strategies over time.
For students with existing 504 plans or IEPs, the team should ensure that any accommodations that are required due to the student’s specific disability should still be listed in the IEP or 504 plan, regardless of whether or not they are listed in the DCAP and available to all students. This ensures that if students leave MRSD to move to another district or graduate, the receiving school has the information necessary to develop an appropriate plan for that student.
“The instructional support system should consist of ongoing systematic efforts to accommodate any student’s learning needs within the general education classroom. Instructional support must be viewed as a viable intervention strategy; one that is expected to occur for any student encountering difficulties in learning.” (MA Department of Education, “Is Special Education the Right Service? A Technical Assistance Guide,“ pp. 5-6 3/01). The foundation of Monomoy’s DCAP is based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Direct and Systematic Reading Instruction
Monomoy Regional School District employs a structured literacy approach to reading instruction, rooted in the science of reading, which emphasizes a systematic and cumulative approach to teaching reading skills. This method is designed to be explicit, direct, and diagnostic, ensuring that students develop a strong foundation in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (see MRSD Literacy Plan).
Direct instruction is an instructional approach that utilizes explicit and structured teaching routines. A teacher using direct instruction models, explains, and guides students through extended practice of a skill or concept until mastery is achieved. Direct, explicit instruction is appropriate for all learners, in all five components of reading, and across all settings, including whole group, small group, and one-on-one. (Adapted from Florida Center for Reading Research)
What is Universal Design for Learning and how can it facilitate student success?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based, concrete educational framework that helps guide the design of learning environments in order to make them accessible and effective for all. Through UDL, educators provide multiple means of representation (the “what” of learning), action/expression (the “how” of learning), and engagement (the “why” of learning). UDL can be applied to any discipline or domain and ensures that all learners have access to and the ability to participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities. The National Center on Universal Design for Learning describes the three UDL frames as follows:
Multiple Means of Representation: Learners differ in the ways they perceive and make meaning of information. For example, those with sensory disabilities (e.g., blindness or deafness), learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia), and those representing diverse or non-dominant cultures and/or languages all approach content differently. And these differing approaches must be honored and valued. Equally important is the consideration of how people, cultures, individual and collective identities, perspectives, and ways of knowing are represented within the content. Learning, and transfer of learning, occurs when multiple representations and perspectives are used because they support learners to make connections within, as well as between, concepts. In short, there is not one means of representation that will be optimal for every learner; providing options for representation is essential.
Multiple Means of Action/Expression: Learners differ in the ways they navigate a learning environment, approach the learning process, and express what they know. Therefore, it is essential to design for and honor these varying forms of action and expression. For example, all individuals, including those with disabilities, approach learning tasks very differently. Depending on the context, some may prefer to express themselves in written text but not speech, and vice versa. It should also be recognized that action and expression require a great deal of strategy, practice, and organization, and this is another area in which learners will differ. In reality, there is not one means of action and expression that will be optimal for every learner; options for action and expression are essential.
Multiple Means of Engagement: Affect represents a crucial element to the learning process, and learners differ markedly in what sparks their motivation and enthusiasm for learning. Learners must be able to bring their authentic selves to the learning environment and find connections to what matters most in their lives. The UDL framework emphasizes the idea of learner variability, and learners’ multiple and intersecting identities are an essential layer of fully recognizing the notion of learner variability. While we emphasize dimensions of identity as a part of the variability in this section on Multiple Means of Engagement, the essential role identity plays in learning is woven across all three UDL principles. Further, learners' interests and sources of motivation may vary depending on the context. Some learners may be highly engaged by spontaneity and novelty while others are disengaged, even frightened, by those aspects, preferring a strict routine. Some learners might like to work alone, while others prefer to work with their peers. And these preferences might vary from week to week or even day to day. In reality, there is not one means of engagement that will be optimal for all learners in all contexts; multiple options for engagement are essential.
District Mission
District Vision
Core Values
Knowledge: We value curiosity and continuous growth
Dignity: We value every individual and their voice
Caring: We value kindness and compassion
Stewardship: We value responsibility as citizens in our community and in our world
Courage: We value integrity, character, and the willingness to take risks
Portrait of a Graduate
Creative & Critical Thinker
- Critical thinker and problem solver
- Creative, curious, and innovative
- Adaptable and flexible
- Prepared for college, career, and life
Communicator & Leader
- Effective communicator
- Work within and lead a team
- Consider other perspectives
- Collaborate, compromise, and negotiate
Engaged Citizen
- Act with integrity
- Engage with empathy
- Recognize and respect diversity
- Engage civically, environmentally, and globally
Independent & Confident Learner
- Self-motivated and independent
- Advocate for themself
- Embrace challenges
- Resilient

District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)
- Academic and Instructional Accommodations
- Being and Wellness Accommodations
- Executive Function/Organization/Attention Accommodations
Academic and Instructional Accommodations
|
ACADEMIC/INSTRUCTIONAL Accommodations |
|||
|
* evidence-based practice for multilingual learners |
Representation |
Action & Expression |
Engagement |
|
Access to specified workstation |
X |
||
|
Adaptive or specialized writing utensils |
X |
||
|
Answer masking/eliminator* |
X |
||
|
Audio tag* |
X |
||
|
Bilingual word-to-word dictionary and glossary* |
X |
X |
|
|
Chunk tasks and goals* |
X |
||
|
Color contrast* |
X |
||
|
Enlarged cursor/mouse pointer tool* |
X |
||
|
Frequent movement breaks |
X |
||
|
Graphic organizers, supplemental reference sheets* |
X |
X |
|
|
Highlighting tools* |
X |
||
|
Item flag* |
X |
||
|
Line reader tool* |
X |
X |
|
|
Noise buffer |
X |
||
|
Notepad* |
X |
||
|
Paper-based/computer-based editions* |
X |
X |
|
|
Read aloud (or signs) selected words* |
X |
||
|
Redirection to text/questions |
X |
||
|
Repeat directions/clarifies directions (also clarifies in native language)* |
X |
||
|
Reverse contrast |
X |
||
|
Screen/Document zoom* |
X |
||
|
Scribe* |
X |
||
|
Seating in a specified area |
X |
||
|
Separate or alternate location options |
X |
||
|
Small group, one-one* lesson/test administration |
X |
||
|
Stop testing procedures |
X |
||
|
Student subvocalizes assignment, thinking, problem-solving* |
X |
||
|
Text-to-speech, speech-to-text* |
X |
||
|
Word prediction software* |
X |
||
Being and Wellness Accommodations
|
BEING and WELLNESS Accommodations |
||||||||
|
Social/Emotional Practices * evidence-based practice for multilingual learners |
Representation |
Action & Expression |
Engagement |
|||||
|
Access to a counselor, nursing staff |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Answer masking* |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Chunk tasks and goals* |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Social-emotional/wellness check-ins |
X |
|||||||
|
Frequent movement breaks |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Noise buffer |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Redirection to text/questions |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Repeat directions/clarifies directions (also clarifies in native language)* |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Separate or alternate location options |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Small group, one-one* lesson/test administration |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Stop testing procedures |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Student subvocalizes assignment, thinking, problem-solving* |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Beverages/food permitted at workstations to support medical/wellness needs |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Graphic organizers, supplemental reference sheets* |
X |
|||||||
|
Positive reinforcement and feedback* |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Behavioral implementation plan |
||||||||
|
Use of cues for transition or other changes |
X |
|||||||
|
Access to specified workstation |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Seating in a specified area |
X |
X |
||||||
|
Graphic organizers, supplemental reference sheets* |
X |
|||||||
Executive Function/Organization/Attention Accommodations
|
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION / ORGANIZATION / ATTENTION Accommodations |
|||
|
Social/Emotional Practices * evidence-based practice for multilingual learners |
Representation |
Action & Expression |
Engagement |
|
Access to a counselor, nursing staff |
X |
X |
|
|
Chunk tasks and goals* |
X |
||
|
Frequent movement breaks |
X |
||
|
Noise buffer |
X |
||
|
Repeat directions/clarifies directions (also clarifies in native language)* |
X |
X |
|
|
Graphic organizers, supplemental reference sheets* |
X |
||
|
Positive reinforcement and feedback* |
X |
||
|
Use of cues for transition or other changes |
X |
||
|
Access to specified workstation |
X |
X |
|
|
Seating in a specified area |
X |
X |
|
|
Graphic organizers, supplemental reference sheets* |
X |
||
