Hoosac Valley Regional School District to Undergo Tiered Focused Monitoring Review

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

Berkshire Arts & Tech Grads 'Grateful to Be Weird'

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

Class speaker Liliana Choque says she was thankful to be 'weird with all of you.' See more photos here. 
ADAMS, Mass. — Among the things that Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School senior Lilianna Choque was thankful for on Saturday was the fact that she knows all her classmates.
 
"In preparation for today, I have read and watched a lot of other graduation speeches," Choque said during her "senior reflection" at the school's graduation exercises. "All of them, without fail, had some version of the same throwaway line: 'Although I don't know all of my classmates,' or, 'Some of you may not know me.'
 
"But the beautiful thing about a graduating class of 32 is that that doesn't apply. I do know all of you … quite well."
 
And, Choque said, she likes what she knows.
 
"Maybe the rumors are true, and we are the weird kids," she said. "But — and you have to forgive me, because I'm going to invoke the right I've been given as a BArT student to be a little cringe here — I'm so grateful to be weird with all of you."
 
Choque was not the only one to extoll the virtues of what she called her "32-ring circle of friends," and she was not the only one to talk about the kindness exhibited by the Class of '26.
 
Head of School Jonathan Igoe set that tone in his opening remarks.
 
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