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
January 26, 2012
Dan Klatz, Education Coordinator
HilltownCooperativeCharterPublic School
132 Main Street
Haydenville, MA 01039
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Mr. Klatz:
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 February 13, 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
SusannahHowe, Chair, Board of Trustees
Dan Klatz, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REPORT
HilltownCooperativeCharterPublic School
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: December 13, 2011
Date of this Report: January 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 / 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 / PI / Student Record Review
Interview / Student record review and interview indicated that when a required IEP Team member cannot attend a meeting, the district does not secure a written agreement from a parent. The district indicated that it will develop an excusal form for parents to signwhen they agree that a team member’s attendance is not necessary because the member’s area of curriculum or related service is not being discussed; or when the parents agree that a required team member is excused from the meeting, but that member must provide written input into the development of the IEP to the parent and IEP Team prior to the meeting. / Provide training to relevant staff about the requirements for excusing IEP Team members from IEP Team meetingsincluding the district’s revised excusal form.
Conduct an administrative review of all IEP Team meetings held since implementing corrective actions to verify thatthe procedures for excusing IEP Team members is being followed and appropriately documented.
*Please note when conducting internal 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 a copy of the district’s revised excusal form and evidence that relevant staff were informed of the requirements, (meeting agenda, attendance sheet with name and role, copy of materials) by March 15, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of the administrative review of Team meetingsand include the number of meetings reviewed, the number in compliance, the root cause of any non-compliance and the corrective actions the district will take to remedy any non-compliance, by June 29, 2012.
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, and those students whose disability affects social skills development, or whose disability may make them more 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 seeTechnical Assistance Advisory SPED 2011-2: Bullying Prevention and Intervention
/ For those students whose records were identified by the Department, reconvene the IEP Teamsto 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 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). / 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 the pagewhere the additional information is recorded, byMarch 15, 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 district will take to remedy any non-compliance, by June 29, 2012.
SE 25
Parental consent / / Student Record Review
Interview / Student record review and interview indicated that no parent gave consent for special education services and then revoked consent to those services, during the period. The district reported that if a parent does give consent for special education services and then revokes consent, the district discontinues all special education services, consistent with federal regulation.
Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
January 26, 2012
Page 1 of 5
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: HilltownCooperativeCharterPublic 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.
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