MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Program Quality Assurance Services
COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW

CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN

Charter School or District: Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public (District)

CPR Onsite Year: 2011-2012

Program Area: Special Education

All corrective action must be fully implemented and all noncompliance corrected as soon as possible and no later than one year from the issuance of the Coordinated Program Review Final Report dated 05/04/2012.

Mandatory One-Year Compliance Date: 05/04/2013

Summary of Required Corrective Action Plans in this Report

Criterion / Criterion Title / CPR Rating /
SE 7 / Transfer of parental rights at age of majority and student participation and consent at the age of majority / Partially Implemented
SE 8 / IEP Team composition and attendance / Partially Implemented
SE 32 / Parent advisory council for special education / Partially Implemented
CR 10B / Bullying Intervention and Prevention / Partially Implemented
COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN
Criterion & Topic:
SE 7 Transfer of parental rights at age of majority and student participation and consent at the age of majority / CPR Rating:
Partially Implemented
Department CPR Findings:
Review of student records and interviews indicate that one year prior to the student reaching age 18, the district does not inform the student and the parent of the rights that will transfer from the parent to the student upon the student's 18th birthday. Upon reaching the age of 18, the school district does not implement procedures to obtain consent from the student to continue the student's special education program and inform the parents of their continued rights.
Description of Corrective Action:
Ms. Pierson will train the special education staff in the process to transfer parental rights at age of majority obtain student participation and consent at the age of majority; she will set up a system with the administrative assistant to the special education department to send appropriate notifications out throughout the year to students turning 17 or 18.
Title/Role(s) of responsible Persons:
Juraye Pierson, Director of Student Services / Expected Date of Completion:
08/31/2012
Evidence of Completion of the Corrective Action:
Training agenda and sign-in sheet for Special Education staff
Sample copies of both letters (age 17 and 18)
List of students turning 17 and turning 18 during the 2012-2013 school year
Description of Internal Monitoring Procedures:
The school conducts a an annual IEP compliance review each summer. The compliance review will be amended to include a review of the previous year's communications to transfer parental rights at the age of majority and obtain student participation and consent at the age of majority. The documentation will also include a list of students expected to turn 17 or 18 in the upcoming school year and target dates for communications.
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN APPROVAL SECTION
Criterion:
SE 7 Transfer of parental rights at age of majority and student participation and consent at the age of majority / Corrective Action Plan Status: Approved
Status Date: 06/18/2012
Basis for Partial Approval or Disapproval:
The district's corrective action plan and supportive documentation is thorough in its explanation.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Required Elements of Progress Report(s):
The district will provide a narrative description of their new procedures related to informing the student and the parent of the rights that will transfer from the parent to the student upon the student's 18th birthday and the new procedures to obtain consent from the student at age 18 to continue the student's special education program and inform the parents of their continued rights. Please also provide evidence of staff training on these procedures, which will include but not be limited to a training agenda, attendance sheet (including name and role) and copies of the materials presented. Please submit this to the Department by October 19, 2012.
Submit the description of the internal oversight and tracking system and identify the person(s) responsible for the oversight, including the date of the system's implementation to the Department by October 19, 2012.
Please submit to the Department a list of student who received the transfer of parental rights at the age of majority or student participation and consent at the age of majority letter. Also, provide copies of all such letters. Subsequent to the corrective action submit a report of the district?s internal review of records and report: the number of student records reviewed, the number of student records in compliance, for all records not in compliance with this criterion determine the root cause(s) of the non-compliance, and the district?s plan to remedy the non-compliance. Please submit this to the Department by February 28, 2013.
*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).
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/19/2012
02/28/2013

3

MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education , Program Quality Assurance Services

Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public (District) CPR Corrective Action Plan

COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN
Criterion & Topic:
SE 8 IEP Team composition and attendance / CPR Rating:
Partially Implemented
Department CPR Findings:
Student record reviews and interviews indicate that when members of the Team are not present at Team meetings, the district does not document if the parent and district agree to use alternative means, or if the district and the parent agree, in writing, that the attendance of the Team member is not necessary because the member´s area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed. The district also does not document if the district and the parent agree, in writing, to excuse a required Team member´s participation and the excused member provides written input into the development of the IEP to the parent and the IEP team prior to the meeting.
Description of Corrective Action:
Ms. Pierson will train the special education staff in the requirements for IEP Team composition and attendance, as noted above.
Title/Role(s) of responsible Persons:
Juraye Pierson, Director of Student Services / Expected Date of Completion:
08/31/2012
Evidence of Completion of the Corrective Action:
Copy of Team meeting excusal form
Agenda, sign-in sheet for training of relevant people
Description of Internal Monitoring Procedures:
The school conducts an annual IEP compliance review each summer. The compliance review will be amended to include a question to verify that all Team members who were not present at the Team meeting either used alternative means to participate or were excused, either of which would be agreed to in writing by the district and the parent. The verification will also indicate if the Team member was excused but still needed to provide input, that s/he did so in advance of the meeting and provided it to both the parent and the IEP team.
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN APPROVAL SECTION
Criterion:
SE 8 IEP Team composition and attendance / Corrective Action Plan Status: Approved
Status Date: 06/20/2012
Basis for Partial Approval or Disapproval:
The district gave a detailed description of the planned corrective action with correlating evidence to support their corrective action plan.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Required Elements of Progress Report(s):
The district will submit to the Department evidence that all required special education staff have been trained and informed in respect to IEP Team meeting attendance. Please provide evidence of staff training on these procedures, which will include but not be limited to a training agenda, attendance sheet (including name and role) and copies of the materials presented. Submit this to the Department by October 19, 2012.
Submit a copy of the district's internal monitoring system to ensure that all required IEP Team attendance procedures re being implemented consistently. Please submit this to the Department by October 19, 2012.
The district will submit to the Department copies of any excusal forms that have been utilized during the 2012-2013 thus far with a copy of the attendance sheet (N3A form). Subsequent to the corrective action submit a report of the district's internal review of records and report: the number of student records reviewed, the number of student records in compliance, for all records not in compliance with this criterion determine the root cause(s) of the non-compliance, and the district?s plan to remedy the non-compliance. Please submit this to the Department by February 28, 2013.
*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).
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/19/2012
02/28/2013

5

MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education , Program Quality Assurance Services

Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public (District) CPR Corrective Action Plan

COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN
Criterion & Topic:
SE 32 Parent advisory council for special education / CPR Rating:
Partially Implemented
Department CPR Findings:
Document review and interviews indicate that while the district has made and documented ongoing efforts to encourage the establishment of a functioning PAC, there are no officers or bylaws in place. The district has provided an annual workshop within the district regarding the rights of students and their parents and guardians under the state and federal special education laws.
Description of Corrective Action:
The school will advertise a "welcome back to school" PAC meeting in September, 2012. If no one chooses to attend, or if those in attendance do not agree to serve as officers of the PAC, Ms. Pierson will actively recruit at least 1 parent to serve as the President of the PAC and update the PAC's bylaws, which were last drafted in 2005. PAC meetings will continue to be held monthly, at a time convenient to the officers and advertised to the school community at least 2 weeks in advance.
Title/Role(s) of responsible Persons:
Juraye Pierson, Director of Special Education / Expected Date of Completion:
10/31/2012
Evidence of Completion of the Corrective Action:
List of PAC officers
Copy of PAC bylaws
Description of Internal Monitoring Procedures:
The school conducts a an annual IEP compliance review each summer. The compliance review will be amended to include a requirement that the compliance review goes to the PAC President, whose name will appear on the compliance review.
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN APPROVAL SECTION
Criterion:
SE 32 Parent advisory council for special education / Corrective Action Plan Status: Partially Approved
Status Date: 06/20/2012
Basis for Partial Approval or Disapproval:
The district will also submit the following as evidence of their efforts to establish a functioning PAC: copies all of advertised PAC meetings, PAC agendas, sign-in sheets, updated Bylaws, PAC officer list, and school committee consultation with PAC.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
One month prior to the commencement of the school year 2013-2013, the district shall actively advertise the initial PAC meeting of the academic year using multiple methods (postings, fliers, web-site, emails, mailings) and maintian this as record on an annual 2012-2013 school calendar. As evidence, the district will provide to the Department copies of all such advertisements including PAC training agendas, sign-in sheets, Bylaws, and PAC officers list.
Required Elements of Progress Report(s):
The district will provide the Department with a description of the newly developed strategies for encouraging the establishment of a PAC. The district will also submit a copy of the annual calendar of 2013-2013 school year PAC meetings, including the proposed meeting on the rights of students and their parents and guardians under the state and federal special education laws. Please submit this to the Department by October 19, 2012.
The district will provide the Department with a description of the results of the district's efforts to establish a PAC. Include copies of: the PAC officer list, The PAC Bylaws, school committee agendas and minutes pertaining to consultation with the PAC, Agendas of PAC training sessions or meetings conducted by the district, documentation of other district efforts to support the PAC. Please submit this to the Department by February 28, 2013.
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/19/2012
02/28/2013

7

MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education , Program Quality Assurance Services

Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public (District) CPR Corrective Action Plan

COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN
Criterion & Topic:
CR 10B Bullying Intervention and Prevention / CPR Rating:
Partially Implemented
Department CPR Findings:
A review of documentation and interviews indicate that the district does not implement professional development for all contracted service providers that includes developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent and stop bullying incidents; information regarding the interaction and differential that can take place between and among a perpetrator, victim and witnesses to the bullying; research findings on bullying,; and information on internet safety and cyber-bullying.
Description of Corrective Action:
Contracts with contracted service providers will now include language that they must participate in training. BART will invite all contracted service providers to the school's training sessions on our Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan. The school offers these during the teachers' August professional development residency, so contractors should have more flexibility to attend. The school will also have a "make-up" session in September for any personnel or contracted service providers that miss the August session. If contracted service providers are unable to make either of those sessions, they will be provided with the materials from the training, as well as a video of the presentation.
Title/Role(s) of responsible Persons:
Juraye Pierson, Assistant Principal / Expected Date of Completion:
10/31/2012
Evidence of Completion of the Corrective Action:
Signed attendance sheets and/or signed receipt of training materials
Copy of training materials
Agendas from training sessions
Description of Internal Monitoring Procedures:
The ED will require documentation (sign-in sheets) from the Assistant Principal to ensure that the training was completed for all personnel (including contracted service providers) and that our contracts with our contracted service providers are upheld.
CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN APPROVAL SECTION
Criterion:
CR 10B Bullying Intervention and Prevention / Corrective Action Plan Status: Approved
Status Date: 06/20/2012
Basis for Partial Approval or Disapproval:
The district provided evidence of the procedures that are in place to ensure that contracted service providers are trained on the district's Bully Prevention and Intervention Plan that includes developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent and stop bullying incidents.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Required Elements of Progress Report(s):
The district will submit to the Department evidence of staff training that all contracted service providers have been trained on the requirements of district's Bully Intervention and Prevention Plan which will include, but not be limited to, a training agenda, attendance sheet (including name and role) and copies of the materials presented. Please submit this to the Department by October 19, 2012.
*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).
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/19/2012

9