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 17, 2012
Dr. Regina Nash, Superintendent
FrontierRegionalSchool District
219 Christian Lane
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Dr. Nash:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the onsite visit conducted in your district in November 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 3, 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
Robert Halla, School Committee Chairperson
Karen Ferrandino, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REPORT
FrontierRegionalSchool District
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: November 21, 2011
Date of this Report: January17, 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
Interview / Review of student records and interviews indicated that one year prior to the student reaching age 18, the district informs the student and the parent/guardian of the rights that will transfer from the parent/guardian to the student upon the student’s 18th birthday. Upon reaching 18, the district obtains consent from students to continue their special education program.
SE 8
IEP Team composition and attendance / / Student Records
Interview / Review of student records and interviews indicated that all required members of the Team are present at Team meetings. Also, the district does employ the use of written parental excusals for the absence of any Team member. When a Team member’s participation is required, the excused member provides written input for the development of the IEP prior to the scheduled meeting.
SE 18A
IEP Development and content / / Student Records
Interview / Review of student records and interviews indicated the IEP Team considers and addresses the skills and proficiencies needed to avoid and respond to bullying for students identified with a disability on the autism spectrum, or students whose disability makes him or her vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
SE 25
Parental consent / / Student Records
Interview / Review of student records and interviews indicated that the district obtained consent before initiating programs and services for students.
No parents revoked consent to the student’s special education services; however, the district is knowledgeable about the requirements regarding revocation of consent by the parent/guardian.
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:
(b)Required Corrective Action and
Timelines for Implementation / (b) Progress Report Due Date(s) and Required
Elements
SE 14
Review and revision of IEPs / / Student Records
Interview / Student record review and interviews indicated that the district holds a Team meeting to consider the student’s progress and to review, revise, or develop a new IEP or refer the student for a re-evaluation, as appropriate within one year of the anniversary date of the IEP.
SE 18 B
Determina-tion of placement;
Provision of IEP / Partially Implemented / Student Records
Interview / Student record review and interviews indicated that the district 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 district’s determination of the root cause(s) of the noncompliance, along with the steps the district 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 all levels (elementary, middle, and high school), and 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 personswho conducted the review, their roles and their signatures. / Submit a description of the root causes of the noncompliance, the steps the district will take to correct the root cause(s) and the proposed timeline for implementation of corrective action by March 16, 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 district to remedy any non-compliance, by June 15, 2012.
FrontierRegionalSchool District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
January 17, 2012
Page 1 of 6
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONMID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: FrontierRegionalSchool District
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, MA02148-4906
Rev. 6/30/08