Grafton Public Schools Mid Cycle Report 2012
MassachusettsDepartment 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
June 26, 2012
Dr. James Cummings, Superintendent
Grafton Public Schools
30 Providence Road
Grafton, Massachusetts 01519
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Dr. Cummings:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the onsite visit conducted in your district on April 2012. 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: staff interviews, review of student records, examination of documentation, and/or classroom observation.
We are pleased to tell you that the Department has found your district to be in compliance with all of the criteria monitored in your district during the Mid-cycle Review. The findings of the Department are included in the enclosed report. You and your entire staff are to be congratulated for your success in implementing the requirements included in these criteria.
The Department will notify you of your district's next regularly scheduled Coordinated Program Review (CPR) several months before it is to occur. At this time we anticipate that this CPR will occur sometime during the 2014-15 academic year unless the Department determines that there is some reason to schedule this visit earlier.
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 Paula Twomey at 781-338-3730.
Sincerely,
Paula Twomey, 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
Kathleen Halloran, School Committee Chairperson
Kathleen Baris, Special Education Administrator, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:Mid-cycle Report
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REPORT
GRAFTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: April 30, 2012
Date of this Report: June 26, 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
Criterion / Criterion Implemented / 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 / / 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 yearprior 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 / Interviews with staff members and a review of student records indicated 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 / / Student Records
Staff Interviews / Student record review and interviews with staff members demonstrated that the IEP Team considers and addresses the skills and proficiencies needed to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing for students identified with a disability that affects social skills development or when the student’s disability makes him or her vulnerable to bullying, harassment or teasing, as well as for students identified with a disability on the autism spectrum.
SE 25
Parental consent / / 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.
The district acts promptly and provides written notice to the parent/guardian’s written request to discontinue services based on the revocation of consent, as well as information on how the parent can obtain a copy of his/her procedural safeguards before the district discontinues the services.
Additional Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at
Criterion / Criterion Implemented / 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 20
Least restrictive program selected / / Staff Interviews
Student Records / Interviews with staff members indicated that at all school levels, IEP Teams have guidedand formal discussionsof the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). A review of student records clearly indicated that the district does not remove an eligible child from the general education classroom solely because of needed modification in the curriculum.
SE 22
IEP implemen-tation and availability / / Student Records
Staff Interviews / A review of student records and interviews with staff members indicated that at the beginning of the school yearthe district has an IEP in effect for all eligible students within its jurisdiction. This includes agreed upon services relative to counseling at the high school level.
SE 29
Communi-cations are in English and primary language of home / / Student Records
Staff Interviews
Document
Review / A review of documentation showed that the district has developed and implemented proceduresto identify families who may require translation services and to ensure communications withparents are in clear and commonly understood words and are in both English and the primary language of the home if such primary language is other than English. Further, interviews with staff members and a review of student records demonstrated that if the district provides notices orally or in some other mode of communication that is not written language, the district keeps written documentation that it has provided such notice in an alternate manner, of the content of the notice and of the steps taken to ensure that the parent understands the content of the notice.
SE 32
Parent advisory council for special education / / Staff Interview
Parent Interview
Document
Review / A review of district documentation and interviews indicated that the parent advisory council (PAC) duties include participation in the planning, development and evaluation of the school district’s education programs.
SE 34
Continuum of alternative services and placements / / Student Records
Staff
Interviews
Document
Review / A review of documentation, student records and interviews with staff members demonstrated that the district has put in place a continuum of services and placement options for students with social, emotional and behavioraldisabilities. Programs in the district include language-based classrooms and therapeutic behavioral learning classrooms with services that include Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), counseling and social skill building.
SE 46
Procedures for suspension of students with disabilities when suspensions exceed 10 consecutive school days or a pattern has developed for suspensions exceeding 10 cumulative days / / Student Records
Staff Interviews / Interviews with staff members and a review of student records demonstrated that the district has developed and implemented appropriate procedures for students with disabilities regarding suspensions and manifestation determinations. Specifically,district personnel, the parent/guardian and all relevant Team members participate in the manifestation determination process, reviewing all relevant information and dataas to whether or not the behavior in question is a manifestation of the student’s disability and makingplacement decisions based on their determinations.
SE 48
Equal opportunity to participate in educational,
nonacademic, extracurricular and ancillary programs, as well as partici-pation in regular education / / Student Records
Staff Interviews / A review of student records and interviews with staff members showed that the district has a scheduling process in place to ensure that middle and high school students placed in substantially separate classroomshave an equal opportunity to participate with their general education peers in art, music and physical education.
SE 55
Special education facilities and classrooms / / Observation / An onsite observation indicated that the district’s new high school facility has designated appropriate space for the provision of all related services and the special education classrooms are located throughout the school to maximize inclusion of such students into the life of the school.
Grafton Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 26, 2012
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