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
March 8, 2012
Kathleen Wang, Charter School Leader
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School
317 Russell Street
Hadley, MA 01035
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Ms. Wang:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the onsite visit conducted in your district in January of 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: 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 March 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 me at 413-314-6708.
Sincerely,
Tom Hidalgo, 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
Jean Jonker, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Chung Liu, Chair, Charter School Board of Trustees
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
1
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REPORT
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: January 19, 2012
Date of this Report: March 8, 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 / Not Applicable / The school is a K-8 charter school, and no student reached the age of majority.
SE 8
IEP Team composition and attendance / ü / Student Record Review
Interview / Student record review and interview indicated that members of the IEP Team attend meetings unless the charter school and the parent agree, in writing, that the attendance of the member is not necessary because the member’s area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed. When the charter school and the parent agree, in writing, to excuse a required Team member’s participation, the excused member provides written input into the development of the IEP to the parent and the IEP Team prior to the meeting.
SE 18A
IEP Development and content / PI / Student Record Review
Interview
Document Review / Student record review and interview indicated that for students with a disability on the autism spectrum, or students whose disability affects social skills development, or when the student’s disability makes him or her vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing, the IEP Team did not consider and specifically address in the IEP the skills and proficiencies needed to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing. / Please see Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2011-2: Bullying Prevention and Intervention
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/11_2ta.html.
Develop procedures about the requirements for the IEP Team regarding students with a disability on the autism spectrum or students whose disability makes them more vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing and provide training to appropriate staff.
For those students whose records were identified by the Department, reconvene the IEP Teams to consider and specifically address in the IEP the skills and proficiencies that students on the autism spectrum and those students whose disability affects social skills development, or whose disability may make them more vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing need to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
Conduct an administrative review of IEP Team meetings held since implementing corrective action for students on the autism spectrum, and those students whose disability affects social skills development, or whose disability may make them more vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing to verify that the Team considered and addressed the skills and proficiencies they need to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
*Please note when conducting internal monitoring the charter school 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 a copy of the newly developed procedures and evidence of staff training (meeting agenda, attendance sheet with name and role, copy of materials) by May 1, 2012.
For those student records identified by the Department, submit a copy of the Notice of School District Action (N1), Meeting Invitation (N3), and Attendance Sheet (N 3A) for the IEP Team meetings and where appropriate those specific sections of the IEP where the provisions to address bullying, harassment, or teasing are addressed by June 29, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of the administrative review of Team meetings and include the number of meetings reviewed; the number in compliance with this criterion, the root cause of any non-compliance and the corrective actions the charter school will take to remedy any non-compliance, by October 30, 2012.
SE 25
Parental consent / ü / Student Record Review
Interview / Student record review and interview indicated that no parent has revoked consent to services. The charter school reported that if a parent does give consent for special education services and then revokes consent, the charter school discontinues all special education services, consistent with federal regulation.
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:
(b) Required Corrective Action and
Timelines for Implementation / (b) Progress Report Due Date(s) and Required
Elements /
SE 3
Special requirements for determination of specific learning disability / PI / Student Record Review
Interview
Document Review / Student record review and interview indicated that when a student suspected of having a specific learning disability is evaluated, the Team creates a written determination as to whether or not he or she has a SLD, but all members of the Team do not consistently sign it.
Please see Memorandum on Specific Learning Disability – Eligibility Process/Forms
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/sld/default.html / Review with appropriate staff information explaining the requirement that when a student suspected of having a specific learning disability is evaluated, the Team creates a written determination as to whether or not he or she has a SLD, which all members must sign.
Conduct an administrative review of SLD forms, completed since corrective action was implemented, for students suspected of having a specific learning disability to verify that the Team created a written determination as to whether or not the student has a SLD, and all members signed.
*Please note when conducting internal monitoring the charter school 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 that appropriate staff were informed of the requirement. Evidence should include a copy of the memo or agenda with handouts and list of recipients with name and role indicated. Submit by May 1, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of the administrative review of student records with completed SLD forms and include the number of records; the number in compliance, the root cause of any non-compliance and the corrective actions the charter school will take to remedy any non-compliance by October 30, 2012.
SE 18B
Determination of placement; provision of IEP to the parent / PI / Student Record Review
Interviews / Student record review and interviews indicated that the charter school did not always provide the parent with the proposed IEP within the required timelines. / Conduct an analysis of a cross section of IEPs (annuals, initials, re-evaluations conducted at all levels) from the past year to determine why parents are not routinely being provided with the proposed IEP and placement within the required timelines.
Based on the results of the analysis, provide the charter school’s determination of the root cause(s) of the noncompliance, along with the steps the charter school proposes to take to correct the root causes and a timeline for the implementation of those corrections.
Select a sample of student records for IEPs at the elementary and middle school levels and across all types of activity (annuals, initials, re-evaluations), conducted after the completion of the root cause analysis, and implementation of all corrective actions and review for compliance with timelines.
*Please note that when 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 record review; b) Date of the review; c) Name of persons who conducted the review, their roles and their signatures. / Submit a description of the root causes of the noncompliance, the steps the charter school will take to correct the root cause(s) and the proposed timeline for implementation of corrective action by May 1, 2012.
Submit the results of the internal review of student records, including the number of records reviewed; number of records in compliance; for all records not in compliance with this criterion, provide the results of a root cause analysis of the non-compliance and specific corrective actions taken by the charter school to remedy any non-compliance by October 30, 2012.
SE 22
IEP Implementation and availability / ü / Student Record Review
Interview
Document
Review / Student record review, interview and document review indicated that special education services listed on the service delivery grid of the IEPs are provided within the required timelines.
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 8, 2012
Page 9 of 9
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School
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