WESTFORD CENTER — The School Committee voted unanimously to approve the district’s Strategic District Improvement Plan (SDIP) for fiscal years FY27 to FY30, following discussion of updates aimed at improving communication, student engagement and accountability.
At the April 27 meeting, Superintendent Christopher Chew presented a revised draft of the plan, highlighting changes made since earlier discussions.
One notable addition stemmed from feedback provided by the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Chew said that SEPAC Chair Melissa Mackey submitted recommendations based on parent surveys and recurring themes from community conversations. That feedback informed new language for the SDIP plan, emphasizing “meaningful participation for all students,” designed to support a wide range of learners rather than being limited to special education.
The broader language would allow schools to create specific, measurable actions while maintaining a districtwide focus on inclusion.
Chew also proposed strengthening communication efforts across the district, particularly around curriculum, instruction and student work. Officials said increasing visibility into classroom learning could help families and the broader community better understand how education has evolved.
Another key area of discussion focused on accountability and behavioral practices. The updated plan includes an initiative to clarify expectations around approaches such as restorative justice and collaborative problem-solving. Chew said the goal is to ensure students, staff and families understand how behavior is addressed, while still protecting student privacy.
Chew acknowledged concerns from some staff and families about consistency and follow-through in disciplinary practices. The revised plan calls for evaluating the impact of current approaches on the school environment and clearly communicating outcomes.
The initiative is intended to build trust across the district by ensuring transparency in expectations without disclosing individual student information.
The new structure would help avoid ambiguity at the end of the three-year cycle by tying initiatives more directly to measurable school improvement efforts.
The discussion also connected the new plan to ongoing work in areas such as restorative practices training and increased access to collaborative problem-solving resources for families, including those in Title I programs.
Following the discussion, the school committee unanimously approved the plan.
The SDIP will guide district priorities, resource allocation and school-level improvement plans through 2030.
