Intervention and Support for All Students

The District Curriculum Accommodation Plan  encompasses efforts as follows: 

• Analysis of diverse learning styles within the general education classroom; 

• Accommodations to meet needs of the diverse learning styles within a general education class; 

• Provision of appropriate services and support within the general education classroom; 

• Services to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning; 

• Encouragement of parental involvement in their children’s education; 

• Encouragement of teacher mentoring and collaboration; 

• Assistance to general education staff through professional development and collaboration

Each school has a Building Curriculum Accommodation Plan and staff are refreshed on this plan each year. When a student needs accommodations to access the general education environment, all accommodations on these plans are available to all students. 

Our teachers have many ways to monitor reading development and growth, including the use of an early literacy universal screening assessment. Early literacy universal screening assessments are brief tests that provide information about your child’s early reading skills. We use the results to determine a student’s risk for reading difficulty and to guide us in providing additional reading support. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability.  We are required to assess students in grades K-3 at least twice per year consistent with Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f). 

In Medfield, we use the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) mCLASS by Amplify.  This screening tool is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  The DIBELS is administered to each child by a teacher or staff member three times per year and takes about 10 minutes to complete. 

Early literacy screening tools are used to assess skills that may predict future reading difficulties. These skills include alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, word reading, reading comprehension and rapid automatized naming. Skills are assessed differently depending on the student’s grade level. 

• Alphabetic Knowledge: Students’ familiarity with the names and sounds of letters and letter patterns. 

• Phonemic Awareness: Students’ knowledge of individual sounds in language. 

• Word/Passage Reading: Students’ ability to read words accurately and fluently.

• Reading Comprehension: Students’ ability to understand and make meaning of a text.

• Rapid Automatized Naming: Students’ ability to rapidly name a limited set of repeatedly presented known objects or letters.

Following the screening assessment, each grade level team at our schools will review all students’ results. Our team includes classroom teachers, reading specialists, special educators, the literacy coordinator and the principal. Together, a plan will be made to provide additional support to any student that requires it. This plan will be shared directly with families. 

For more information, see this Video and these Slides

The primary goal of K-5 mathematics in Medfield is to build a strong foundation of mathematical concepts and develop lifelong problem-solving skills. Just as physical growth varies from child to child, so does the acquisition of academic knowledge. Between ages five and ten, there is a range of developmentally appropriate math performance. In order to meet the diverse needs of students, Medfield Public Schools utilizes multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). MTSS is a systemic, evidence-based framework that provides a continuum of supports for ALL students to meet their educational needs.

In order to ensure that all students make adequate progress, MPS staff monitor their growth using a variety of assessments. The assessment results, in conjunction with specialist and teacher observations, allow MPS to identify specific areas of strength and need. Medfield Public Schools uses STAR math as a universal screening tool in grades 2-5. Math screening tools, such as STAR math assessments, are designed to measure overall mathematics ability as well as specific mathematics skills such as geometry, measurement and data, number and operations, and fractions. 

We use the STAR math screening results to determine a student’s risk for difficulty in math and to guide us in providing additional math support. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability. This screening occurs 3 times per year. Following the screening assessment, staff within each building review students’ screening results as well as the results of other formative, summative and common assessments to continually track and support student progress.

Upon receipt of a physician’s written order verifying that any student enrolled in a public school or placed by the public school in a private setting must remain at home or in a hospital on a day or overnight basis, or any combination of both, for medical reasons and for a period of not less than fourteen school days in any school year, the principal shall arrange for provisions of educational services in the home or hospital. Such services shall be provided with sufficient frequency to allow the student to continue his or her education program, as long as such services do not interfere with the medical needs of the student.

Home Hospital Information

Home Hospital Forms

Short-term Home Hospital Form

This form is for students with a medical diagnosis that results in the student being confined to the home, hospital, or otherwise unable to attend school for medical reasons for at least 14 days, or on a recurring basis that will accumulate to at least 14 days over the course of the current school year,

Short-term Form

Long-term Home Hospital Form

This form is for If, in the opinion of the student's physician, an eligible student is likely to remain at home, in a hospital, or in a pediatric nursing home for medical reasons for more than 60 school days in any school year.

Long-term Form

Medfield Public Schools has two Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) on staff across the district. These individuals work to support any student whose behavior impedes learning by supporting staff and administrators, developing data collection methods and student support plans, sitting on the Student Support Teams (SSTs) at each building, and providing professional development to staff regularly. They work to develop positive behavioral approaches to support student learning across the district. These staff members are trained Safety Care trainers and assure that all identified staff in the district are up to date on their trainings each year. 

Pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination in publicly funded activities the Medfield Public Schools has a duty to identify, refer, evaluate, and if eligible, provide access to public education to students with impairments in its jurisdiction. For additional information about the rights or parents of eligible children, or for answers to any questions you might have about identification, evaluation and placement into Section 504 programs, please contact your school's guidance counselor:

Memorial School: Kathy Bockhorst, kbockhorst@email.medfield.net 

Wheelock School: April Bouzan, abouzan@email.medfield.net 

Dale Street School: Lindsay Maloney, lwarner@email.medfield.net 

Blake Middle School: 

   Matthew Marenghi, 8th Grade Guidance Counselor, MMarenghi@email.medfield.net 

   Jennifer Dondero, 7th Grade Guidance Counselor, JDondero@email.medfield.net 

   Tracy Allen, 6th Grade Guidance Counselor, TAllen@email.medfield.net 

Medfield High School:

  Stephanie Worthley, sworthley@email.medfield.net 

    Alyse DiLuzio, adiluzio@email.medfield.net

    Anne Lodge, alodge@email.medfield.net

    Amanda Padden, apadden@email.medfield.net

    Erik Ormberg, eormberg@email.medfield.net