Hoosac Valley Regional School District to Undergo Tiered Focused Monitoring Review

08:00AM / Friday, January 03, 2025Print Story | Email Story

CHESHIRE, Mass. — During the week of Jan. 6, 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring

Review of the Hoosac Valley Regional School District.

This review is part of DESE's ongoing efforts to monitor and ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations concerning English Learner Education (ELE) programs.

The Tiered Focused Monitoring Review is a comprehensive process that examines various aspects of a district's ELE program. The review will focus on areas such as:

Student assessments for English learners
Identification and placement of English learners
Parent and community involvement
Curriculum and instructional practices
Student support services
Faculty, staff, and administration licensure requirements
Program planning, evaluation, and recordkeeping

The review is conducted every six years for each district and charter school to assess their adherence to relevant laws and ensure continuous improvement in serving English learners.

In addition to the onsite review, parent outreach is a critical component of the process. The Hoosac Valley Regional School District will distribute a survey to parents of students whose records will be

examined. The survey seeks feedback on key aspects of their child's English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and included in the final monitoring report.

Parents or community members who wish to participate further can request a telephone interview with the Review Chairperson, Samantha Kodak, by contacting her at Samantha.k.kodak@mass.gov.

DESE will also accommodate individuals who need assistance, such as translation services, to ensure full participation.

Following the onsite visit, DESE will issue a report within approximately 60 business days. This report will outline areas where the district meets or exceeds regulatory requirements, as well as areas requiring improvement.

The final report will be made publicly available at https://www.doe.mass.edu/ele/cpr/.

For more information or to participate in the review, contact Samantha Kodak at Samantha.k.kodak@mass.gov.

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Adams Fire Plans to Keep Public Informed on Station

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:07PM / Wednesday, August 12, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — The Prudential Committee hopes to invite the public to see the fire station and explain its needs.

The Fire District is trying to address the deteriorating building and is moving forward with a needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects, a company that specializes in public safety design. The $8,000 for this was approved at the annual meeting earlier this year.

The first order of the process is the space needs assessment. Fire Chief David Lennon and Water Superintendent John Barrett at the July 27 meeting discussed inviting the public to tour the building as they start the assessment.

In other news, the Fire Department hired a full-time firefighter and three on-call firefighters.

The board discussed new jackets for employees who are 65 and older to signify and distinguish them when at a scene. This is to prevent the Fire Department from running afoul of a state law mandating retirement of active firefighters at age 65.

The district is also still mulling expanding the district townwide. It currently does not cover areas of the town that are not on the water system but the Fire Department responds to any fire and emergency calls within the town's borders.

View Full Story