DESE Review and Resulting Report

Representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education visited Riverview in October 2023 to conduct a Program Review. This review entailed assessing all components of our programing and facilities.

DESE’s Review Team was thoroughly impressed with Riverview and shared the following observations with us:

• Great work is being done with students in the areas of education, social-emotional, vocational, and independent living skills as well as wellness and recreation.
• Students clearly are learning strategies that they can apply to be successful.
• The warm, welcome feeling on campus from students and staff is evident.
• Students are clearly excited about learning.
• The grounds and facilities are well kept, clean, homey, and welcoming.
• Students in classes were actively engaged.
• There is a strong sense of community building.

Staff from various departments were interviewed as part of the process and shared the following thoughts and impressions on what it is like to work at Riverview:

• Excellent teamwork, problem solving, and data collection.
• Staff are strongly committed to the students.
• Riverview is a great community.
• Staff are proud to be helping kids.
• Staff love their jobs.

Parents and families were surveyed regarding their experience with Riverview. Comments included:

• Riverview is an amazing community and very inclusive.
• Amazing program. My student is thriving.
• Riverview had made exceptional efforts to implement IDEA.
• Riverview is top notch.
• Wish we had found it sooner.
• Families noted the value of Riverview’s emotional, education and vocational training.
• My child would not be the fine, accomplished, independent person they are if they had not attended RV.

The result of their visit is that Riverview was found to be in full compliance with the policies, protocols, and expectations reviewed during their visit. The final report can be found here: Riverview School DESE Program Review

If you have any questions about the results of this review or the process itself, please reach out to Maria Cashdollar at mcashdollar@riverviewschool.org. Thank you to all who took part in this process. We are very proud of our students, our staff, and our school!