NORTHFIELD — The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has scheduled an onsite visit for the Pioneer Valley Regional School District during the week of May 23 to 27.
Such visits, part of its Program Review are routinely conducted by the department to satisfy federal and state education requirements to review periodically specific education programs and services in local school districts throughout the Commonwealth.
District Superintendent Ruth Miller indicated that the review will address the areas of special education, civil rights and English language education, and includes a review of school district program procedures and a study of individual student records, as well as the visit to the district. During the visit, the DESE team will conduct interviews of district administrators, teachers and parents, conduct observations of instructional sites and prepare a report for the superintendent and School Committee.
Any member of the public interested in being interviewed by telephone by a member of the DESE team should call the Special Education Office at 413-648-5450 to leave their name and phone number, or they may call Amy Krunkonis at the DESE Springfield office at 413-314-6702. Each person desiring an interview will be contacted by a team membe within two weeks after the completion of the onsite portion of the review. If an individual does not write or speak English, is not comfortable communicating in English, or requires some other accommodation, the department will make arrangements to communicate appropriately with the individual.
Miller indicated that she is confident that DESE’s program review will be a useful and positive experience for the district, and that the report will be a useful planning document for continued development of educational services.