Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4096 Telephone: (781) 338-3700
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
January 5, 2012
Susan M. Gorky, Superintendent
Northbridge School District
87 Linwood Avenue
Whitinsville, MA 01588
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Gorky:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the onsite visit conducted in your district in December 2011. During the Mid-Cycle Review the Department monitored selected special education criteria to determine your district’s compliance with special education laws and regulations. The review consisted of information gathered from one or more of the following activities: interviews, review of student records, examination of documentation, and classroom observation(s).
The Department determined that one or more of the criteria monitored in your district was “Partially Implemented” or “Not Implemented.” In all instances where noncompliance was found, the Department has prescribed corrective action for the district. This corrective action must be implemented as soon as possible, but in no case later than a year from the date of this report. You will find these requirements for corrective action included in the enclosed report, along with requirements for submitting progress reports using the enclosed form.
Please provide the Department with your written assurance that all of the required corrective action will be implemented by your district within the timelines specified in the report. You must submit your statement of assurance to Darlene Lynch, Director, Program Quality Assurance Services, by January 23, 2012.
Your staff's cooperation throughout this Mid-cycle Review is appreciated. If you have questions about this letter or the enclosed report, please do not hesitate to contact Joan Brinckerhoff at 781-338-3715.
Sincerely,
Joan Brinckerhoff, Ph.D., Mid-cycle Review Chairperson
Program Quality Assurance Services
Darlene A. Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
cc: Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Elizabeth Y. Ahern, Ed. D., Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Mike McGrath, School Committee Chairperson
Catherine A. Stanton, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
1
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REPORT
Northbridge Public Schools
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: December 15, 2011
Date of this Report: January 5, 2012
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REPORT IS IN TWO SECTIONS.
Required Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion / Criterion Implementedü / Criterion Partially Implemented (PI) or Not Implemented (NI) / Method(s) of
Investigation / Basis of Determination about Criterion / If Partially Implemented or Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action and
Timelines for Implementation / (b) Progress Report Due Date(s) and Required
Elements /
SE 7
Transfer of parental rights and student participation and consent at age of majority / ü / Student Records
Staff Interviews / A review of student records and interviews with staff members demonstrated that the district provides notice and options for the transfer of parental rights to the student and the parent at the Team meeting one year prior to the student reaching 18 years of age.
When a student reaches 18 years of age the district implements procedures to obtain consent from the student, student and parent or delegated adult in accordance with the student’s selection regarding decision-making.
SE 8
IEP Team composition and attendance / Student Records
Staff Interviews / A review of student records and interviews with staff members showed that the district maintains procedures consistent with the requirements for Team attendance at each IEP meeting. Team chairs have received training and are implementing the excusal process that includes parental agreement and a written report from the absent required Team member.
SE 18A
IEP Development and content / PI / Student Records / A review of student records and interviews with staff members indicated that for students on the autism spectrum or with a disability that make them vulnerable to bullying, harassment or teasing, information regarding skills and proficiencies to address bullying, harassment and teasing are not consistently addressed in the IEP. / The district must provide training for Team chairs to address the skills and proficiencies to respond to bullying, harassment or teasing for students on the autism spectrum, students with disabilities that need social skills development or other vulnerable students. Please see www.doe.mass.edu/sped/
advisories/11_2ta.html.
Further, the district must develop an internal oversight and tracking system to ensure that for students on the autism spectrum or those that with a disability that make them vulnerable to bullying, harassment or teasing, that the IEP contains information regarding skills and proficiencies to address bullying, harassment and teasing.
The district must conduct an administrative review of student records subsequent to the implementation of training on Team consideration for skills and proficiencies to address bullying, harassment or teasing within the student’s IEP.
*Please note when conducting administrative monitoring the district must maintain the following documentation and make it available to the Department upon request:
a) List of student names and grade levels for the records reviewed; b) Date of the review; c) Name of person(s) who conducted the review, with their role(s) and signature(s). / Submit evidence of training related to addressing bullying and harassment which will include but not be limited to a training agenda, attendance sheet and copies of the materials presented. Also, please submit the description of the internal oversight and tracking system and identify the person(s) responsible for the oversight, including the date for the system’s implementation by March 23, 2012.
Provide the results of the administrative review of student records. Indicate the number of records reviewed, the number found to be compliant, an explanation of the root cause for any continued noncompliance, and a description of additional corrective actions to be taken by the district to address any identified noncompliance by June 15, 2012.
SE 25
Parental consent / ü / Student Records
Staff Interviews / Interviews with staff members and a review of student records demonstrated that the district has procedures in place to address when a parent revokes consent to special education services in writing. No parents have revoked consent for services at this time.
Additional Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion / Criterion Implementedü / Criterion Partially Implemented (PI) or Not Implemented (NI) / Method(s) of
Investigation / Basis of Determination about Criterion / If Partially Implemented or Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action and Timelines for Implementation / (b) Progress Report Due Date(s) and Required
Elements /
SE 24
Notice to Parents / ü / Student Records / A review of student records showed that the district consistently provides notice to parents following the proposal for an evaluation or a Team meeting. The guiding questions on the second page are addressed with sufficient information.
SE 25
Parental Consent / ü / Student Records
Staff Interviews / A review of student records and interviews with staff members indicated that the district secures parental consent for all evaluations and IEPs. In instances when consent is delayed and the district makes multiple requests to the parent, these efforts are documented in the student record.
SE 29
Communications
Are in English and the Primary Language of the home / ü / Document Reviews
Student Records / A review of student records demonstrated that the district has a system in place to consistently translate special education materials and documents for those parents with a home language other than English. A review of documentation demonstrated that the district has a system in place to secure both written and oral translations.
SE 37
Procedures for Approved and Unapproved Out-of- District Placements / ü / Student Records
Staff Interviews / Interviews with staff members and a review of student records showed that the district monitors each student in an out-of-district placement and documentation of the monitoring plan is maintained in the student record.
Northbridge Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
January 5, 2012
Page 2 of 8
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Northbridge Public Schools
M I D – CY C L E P R O G R E S S R E P O R T
Date Prepared: ______
Prepared by: ______
(name and title)
Criterion: ______
Topic: ______
For each criterion for which you prepare a progress report, please· make a copy of this cover page,
· fill in the information requested above, and
· attach a complete description of the corrective action taken and any accompanying documentation.
(Description of corrective action for each criterion and any accompanying documentation should include all of the “Progress Report Required Elements” for that criterion in the Mid-cycle Report.)
Send the whole set of completed progress reports to:
Darlene Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02148-4906
Rev. 6/30/08