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Edward Hopkins School
Building Accommodation Plan
2014-2015
As an educational community, the Edward Hopkins School will provide a creative and lively
environment in which all students can strive toward their highest academic goals. All children
will have equal access to learning opportunities with teachers providing a differentiated
instruction approach, providing challenges to students at all levels. As a transition school
between elementary and middle school, we are committed to increasing student responsibility for
learning and student independence within a supportive and safe environment. Hopkins students
will participate in all aspects of school life as a way to build a strong and vital school culture. As
part of the larger Hopkinton Public Schools, we embrace the system’s goal of Lean, Create, and
Achieve Together.
The Hopkins School has embraced the values of Respect, Responsibility, and Tolerance as its
permanent themes. Throughout the academic curriculum, and across all aspects of school life,
these values are directly taught and practiced. When a student is struggling in any area of the
program, the school theme comes to life, when it considers the spectrum of support it can offer to
any individual. In fact, when a child is experiencing difficulty with any one particular aspect of
learning, all aspects of school life are brought into consideration when brainstorming solutions,
strategies, and accommodations.
Our first priority is to provide instruction that is differentiated and will challenge students at their
individual learning/skill levels. Our teachers continue to learn about Differentiated Instruction
through course work, workshops, reading, and collegial interaction. On a daily basis, students
receive assignments, instruction, or assessments that accommodate learning styles so that all may
access the curriculum standards for our district and our state. Professional staff are supervised
and evaluated with regard to their knowledge and practice of differentiated instruction. When an
individual student struggles, despite teacher accommodations and interventions, the Learning
Support Team (LST) at Hopkins provides ideas, suggestions, and alternatives from a group of
colleagues. Referral to the LST triggers a time-limited series of strategies that attempt to improve
student performance. At the conclusion of the process, data and other information are analyzed to
determine the effectiveness of the interventions, accommodations, and action plan. A decision is
made to continue or amend the supports, or, in some cases the student may be referred for a
Special Education Team Evaluation. Finally, the Hopkinton Public Schools provides a formal
mentoring program to all first-year teachers. Mentor teachers provide many levels of support to
beginning teachers, including the sharing of their repertoire of strategies, accommodations, and
approaches that experienced teachers develop over time.
The following is a comprehensive list of those services, procedures, structures, and personnel
that Hopkins School has available to students requiring help:
Professional Support Staff:
 Principal and Assistant Principal
 Learning Support Team
 Guidance Counselor
 Mathematics Tutor
 School Psychologist
 Speech and Language Pathologist
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Literacy Teacher
Technology Integration Teacher
Library/Media Specialist
Instructional Teaching Assistants
Behavior Consultant
Professional Development Programs that support Building Accommodation Plan
 Differentiated Instruction: Pre- and Post-Tests, Extensions, Remediation, Enrichment
 Understanding By Design to produce a guaranteed and viable curriculum: ASCD
 K-5 Literacy Curriculum
 K-5 enVision Math Program
 Professional Learning Communities for collaboration and assessment of student learning
 Writers’ Workshop
 What Works In Schools: ASCD
 Crisis Response Training
 CPI Non-violent Crisis Intervention and Restraint Training
 Steps to Respect Guidance Curriculum
 Mentoring Program for first year teachers
 Responsive Classroom
Student Programs
 Principal’s Cabinet: Monthly Student Recognition Program
 Community Service Projects
 After school Help/Before School Help with teachers
 MCAS Tutoring
 After School Programs/Activities
 HPTA Enrichment Programs
 Weekly Guidance and Health classes: Steps to Respect Program
 Friday Lunch Performances
Strategies/Accommodations
 Differentiated Instruction
 Scaffolded instruction
 Tiered instruction
 Preferential seating
 Multi-sensory instruction
 Assistive technology and adaptive technology
 Graphic organizers
 Study guides
 Reading summaries
 Study carrels
 Portfolios/Performance assessment
 Flexible grouping
 Mnemonic devices
 Independent curriculum extension zctivities
 Behavior management systems
 Teacher Resource Guide list of accommodations