Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
350 Main Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-5023
338-3700
Telephone: (781)
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
April 7, 2008
Dr. Robert Couture, Interim Superintendent
Dover-Sherborn Regional School District
157 Farm Street
Dover, MA 02030
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Couture:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report. This
report contains findings based on onsite monitoring the Department conducted to determine the
effectiveness of corrective action it approved or ordered to address noncompliance identified in
your district’s last Coordinated Program Review Report, dated June 22, 2005. The Mid-cycle
Report also contains findings based on onsite monitoring of special education compliance criteria
that have been created or substantially changed in response to IDEA 2004.
While the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education found your district to have
resolved certain noncompliance issues, others were partially corrected or not addressed at all, or
the Department’s onsite team identified new issues of noncompliance, including but not limited to
noncompliance with special education criteria added or substantially changed in response to
IDEA 2004. Where the district has failed to implement its Coordinated Program Review
Corrective Action Plan, the Department views these findings to be serious. The Office of Special
Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires
that all special education noncompliance be corrected as soon as possible, but in no case later
than one year from the time of identification; where the district has failed to implement its CPR
Corrective Action Plan, this one-year period has long since passed.
In all instances where noncompliance has been found, the Department has prescribed corrective
action for the district that must be implemented without delay. (In the case of new findings of
noncompliance, this corrective action must be corrected 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 progress reporting. Please provide
the Department with your written assurance that all of the Department's requirements for
corrective action will be implemented by your district within the timelines specified in the report.
You must submit your statement of assurance to me by April 25, 2008.
1
Your staff's cooperation throughout this Mid-cycle Review is appreciated. Should you like
clarification of any part of our report, please do not hesitate to contact me at 781-338-3947.
Sincerely,
Jean E. Jonker, Mid-cycle Review Chairperson
Program Quality Assurance Services
Darlene A. Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
c:
Jeffrey Nellhaus, Acting Commissioner of Education
Robert Springett, Dover School Committee Chairperson
Heather Peck, Sherborn School Committee Chairperson
Shelley Paulsen, Dover-Sherborn School Committee Chairperson
Sally Winslow, Dover District Program Review Follow-up Coordinator
Nancy Tarulli, Sherborn District Program Review Follow-up Coordinator
Pam Travers, Dover-Sherborn District Program Review Follow-up Coordinator
Encl.: Mid-cycle Report
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Dover Public School District, Sherborn Public School District, Dover-Sherborn Regional School District
Date of Coordinated Program Review (CPR) Final Report: May 27, 2005
Date Coordinated Program Review Corrective Action Approved or Ordered: September 12, 2005
Dates of Corrective Action Plan Progress Reports: March 21, 2006, August 11, 2006, January 5, 2007
Dates of this Mid-cycle Review Onsite Visit: March 10 – 11, 2008
Date of this Report: April 7, 2008
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REPORT IS IN SEVERAL SECTIONS.
Special Education Criteria Cited in CPR Report and Monitored in Mid-cycle
Current CPR criteria available by scrolling down to the monitoring instruments at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion
Number/
Topic
Approved
Corrective
Action
Implemented
and Effective
Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Corrective
Action was Implemented and has been
Effective

SE 4
Reports of
Assessment
Results

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
Corrective
Action Not
Implemented,
Not Effective,
New Issues
Identified

Basis of Determination
that Implementation of
Corrective Action was
Incomplete or
Ineffective or Basis of
Finding of New
Noncompliance
Evaluation reports consistently contain
assessment procedures, results, and diagnostic
impressions, as well as educationally relevant
recommendations.
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 1 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
Criterion
Number/
Topic
Approved
Corrective
Action
Implemented
and Effective
Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Corrective
Action was Implemented and has been
Effective
Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
All end of school year evaluations are
completed to allow the provision of notice and
if the student is found eligible, the IEP, no later
than 14 days after the end of the school year as
required by state and federal regulation.
Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The onsite activities of the Department
confirmed that once a Dover-Sherborn
Regional Public School student is determined
eligible for special education, the Team,
including the parent, develops an IEP at the
Team meeting using the evaluation data to
guide the development of the annual goals for
the student.
Once a Dover or Sherborn Public School
student is determined eligible for special
education, the Team, including the parent,
develops an IEP at the Team meeting using the
evaluation data to guide the development of the
annual goals for the student.

SE 10
End of
School Year
Evaluations
SE 18A
IEP
Development
and Content

Partial
Corrective
Action Not
Implemented,
Not Effective,
New Issues
Identified

Partial
Basis of Determination
that Implementation of
Corrective Action was
Incomplete or
Ineffective or Basis of
Finding of New
Noncompliance
Not all IEPs reviewed
from the Dover Public
School District contained
the required completed
Present Levels of
Education Performance
page A.
Not all IEPs reviewed
from the Sherborn
Public School District
contained the required
completed Present Level
of Education
Performance A and B
pages.
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
Conduct training to
appropriate Dover
Public School staff
on the completion of
the required Present
Level of Education
Performance A and
to appropriate
Sherborn Public
School staff on the
completion of
Present Level of
Education
Performance A and
B pages by April 30,
2008.
Submit copies of the
training agenda, and
attendance sheet to
the Department by
June 27, 2008.
Conduct, and submit
by June 27, 2008,
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 2 of 8
Criterion
Number/
Topic
Approved
Corrective
Action
Implemented
and Effective
Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Corrective
Action was Implemented and has been
Effective

Corrective
Action Not
Implemented,
Not Effective,
New Issues
Identified

Basis of Determination
that Implementation of
Corrective Action was
Incomplete or
Ineffective or Basis of
Finding of New
Noncompliance
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
the results of an
administrative
review of Dover
Public School and
Sherborn Public
School student
records, including
students placed outof-district, re. the
required completion
of Present Level of
Education
Performance pages.
Indicate the # of
records reviewed
from in- and out-of
district , the results,
and indicate the
actions taken by the
district to address
any issues.
SE 19
Extended
Evaluation

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
Extended evaluations, with parental consent,
are conducted when there is insufficient
information to develop a full or partial IEP.
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 3 of 8
Special Education Criteria Created or Revised in Response to IDEA-2004
Current CPR criteria available by scrolling down to the monitoring instruments at http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion
Number
and
Topic
Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Criterion was
Implemented

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The IEP Teams create a written determination
as to whether or not the student has a specific
learning disability, which is signed by all Team
members.
SE 6 ##1 - 3
Transition
Services

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The districts appropriately and annually plan
for transition activities for students with
disabilities. The transition plans are wellwritten and provide detailed plans for postsecondary activities.
SE 8
IEP Team
composition
and
attendance

Staff
interviews
and review
of student
records
The districts have all of the required members
at Team meetings and use a Team member
excusal form when appropriate.
SE 12
Frequency
of reevaluation

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The districts conduct re-evaluations consistent
with the requirements.
SE 3
Criterion
Implemented

Requirements
for Specific
Learning
Disability
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
or Not
Implemented

Basis of Determination
that Criterion was
Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 4 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
Criterion
Number
and
Topic
SE 13
Progress
Reports and
content
Criterion
Implemented

Partial
Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Criterion was
Implemented
Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
Progress reports for Dover and Dover-Sherborn
Regional School Districts are comprehensively
detailed with information regarding the
students’ progress towards attaining IEP goals
and objectives.
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
or Not
Implemented

Partial
Basis of Determination
that Criterion was
Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented
Sherborn Public School
District’s out-of district
students did not receive
progress reports
regarding their progress
towards attaining IEP
goals and objectives.
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 5 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
Review, by April 30,
2008, with the
Sherborn Public
School out—ofdistrict coordinator
the requirements
regarding the
issuance of progress
reports. Develop a
plan to provide
missing progress
reports from this
school year to
parents. Submit
evidence of the
review and the plan
by June 27, 2008.
Conduct, and submit
by June 27, 2008,
the results of an
administrative
review of Sherborn
Public School outof-district student
records regarding the
issuance of progress
reports and indicate
the number of
records reviewed,
number with missing
reports, and describe
additional actions
Criterion
Number
and
Topic
Criterion
Implemented

Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Criterion was
Implemented
SE 14
Review and
revision of
IEPs

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The districts adhere to the mandated timeline
for the conducting of an annual review, on or
before the implementation of the anniversary
date of the IEP.
SE 25B
Resolution
of disputes

Review of
student
records, staff
interviews
and district
documents
The districts follow an appropriate protocol
regarding resolution of disputes that is
consistent with the regulations.
SE 33
Involvement
in the
General
Curriculum

Review of
student
records and
documents
The districts’ personnel understand the rights of
students with disabilities to be full participants
in the general curriculum. The districts
document the student’s participation in the
general curriculum in the IEP.
SE 39A
Services to
eligible
private
school

Review of
student
records and
documents
The districts implement appropriate procedures
for services to eligible private school students
whose parents reside in the district. At the time
of this review, Dover Public School District
had eligible private school students whose
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
or Not
Implemented

Basis of Determination
that Criterion was
Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 6 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
taken by the district
to address any
issues.
Criterion
Number
and
Topic
Criterion
Implemented

Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Criterion was
Implemented
SE 39B
Services to
eligible
students in
private
schools in
the district
whose
parents
reside out of
state

Review of
student
records and
documents
The districts implement appropriate procedures
for services to eligible private school students
whose parents reside out of the district. At the
time of this review, there were no eligible
students in private schools in the district whose
parents reside out of state.
SE 46
Suspension
of students
with
disabilities
more than
10 days

Review of
student
records and
documents
The districts have procedures in place that meet
the requirements set forth in this criterion. The
procedures are being followed in practice.
SE 52

Documents
(Reviewed only with respect to providers of
interpreting services.)
-licenses/
credentials
– related
service
Basis of Determination
that Criterion was
Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented
parents reside in the district.
students
whose
parents
reside in the
district
Appropriate
certifications
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
or Not
Implemented

At the time of the review, the districts are not
currently employing or contracting with any
interpreters for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 7 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting
Criterion
Number
and
Topic
Criterion
Implemented

Method(s)
of
Verification
Basis of Determination that Criterion was
Implemented
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
or Not
Implemented

Basis of Determination
that Criterion was
Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented
providers
Dover. Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional School Districts Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
April 7, 2008
Page 8 of 8
Required
Corrective Action,
Timelines for
Implementation,
and Progress
Reporting