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.

Cheshire West Mountain Bridge Reconstruction Eyed for April

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town is hoping to start the reconstruction of the West Mountain Road bridge in April. 
 
The steel culvert, which carries West Mountain Road over Kitchen Brook, has several structural and erosion-related issues, including cracking, rusting, minor wall displacement, sinkholes, partially failed and dulled galvanized coating, roadway settlement, and signs of leakage. 
 
According to the state Structures Inspection Field Report from January 2025, the structure is a single-barrel corrugated steel arch with an open bottom supporting fill with an asphalt wearing surface.
 
The town was previously awarded a small municipal bridge grant to cover the engineering costs, which was done by Gill Engineering.
 
The town was again awarded another bridge grant for the reconstruction project, anticipated to cost $770,518, with the bid being awarded to CD Davenport of Greenfield. 
 
According to the plans from Gill Engineering, the project will include repairing the bridge's foundation, reinforcing the sides of the crossing, rebuilding the road surface, and adding new guardrails and drainage. 
 
During excavation, the contractors will take "extreme care" not to damage the existing corrugated steel culvert. To prevent unbalanced loading, they will remove equal amounts of fill from both sides simultaneously. 
 
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