COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Charter School or District: Easton Public Schools
MCR Onsite Date: 03/01/2013
Program Area: Special Education
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
MID-CYCLE REPORT
SE Criterion # 1 - Assessments are appropriately selected and
interpreted for students referred for evaluation
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that assessments are appropriately selected and
interpreted, and are administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate
information on the student's skills and developmental, academic, and functional abilities.
SE Criterion # 2 - Required and optional assessments
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that Educational Assessment A, including a history of the
student's educational progress in the general curriculum, is consistently completed.
SE Criterion # 3 - Special requirements for determination of specific
learning disability
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that the IEP Team's written determination as to whether
or not the student has a specific learning disability is signed by all Team members, including
the parents.
SE Criterion # 7 - Transfer of parental rights at age of majority and
student participation and consent at the age of majority
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records and interviews indicate that one year prior to the student reaching
age 18, the district informs the student and parent/guardian of the rights that will transfer from
the parent/guardian to the student upon the student's 18th birthday. Notice is provided to
both the student and the parent/guardian and explicitly states that all rights accorded to
parents under special education law will transfer to the 18 year old student. Upon reaching
the age of majority, students are signing their IEPs.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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SE Criterion # 8 - IEP Team composition and attendance
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records and interviews indicate that required members of the Team are
present at IEP Team meetings. Members of the Team attend IEP Team meetings unless:


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; or
The district and 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 IEP Team prior to the meeting.
SE Criterion # 9 - Timeline for determination of eligibility and provision
of documentation to parent
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that the district complies with the timelines for
determination of eligibility and provision of documentation to parents. Within 45 school
working days of receiving the parent's written consent to evaluate, the district determines
whether the student is eligible for special education and provides either the proposed IEP and
placement or a written explanation of the finding of no eligibility to the parent.
SE Criterion # 12 - Frequency of re-evaluation
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that the district conducts re-evaluations every three
years, as required.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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SE Criterion # 13 - Progress Reports and content
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records from across grade levels indicates that progress reports are not
consistently maintained in the records; therefore, there is no indication that progress reports
are sent to parents at least as often as parents are informed of the progress of non-disabled
students. Progress reports that were reviewed in the records do not consistently include
written information on the student's progress towards reaching the annual goals set forth in
the IEP.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Provide training to special education staff responsible for completing progress reports on
writing reports that address the student's progress towards the annual IEP goals, issuing
reports at least as often as parents are informed of the progress of non-disabled students and
maintaining reports in the student records.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system for ensuring that progress reports are
issued consistently, maintained in the student record and contain information on the student's
progress towards the annual IEP goals. The oversight and tracking system should include
periodic reviews by the Director of Special Education to ensure ongoing compliance.
Develop a report of the results of an internal review of student records, in which progress
reports were written subsequent to implementation of all corrective actions, to ensure
appropriate completion and inclusion in the student record.
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 the student names and grade levels for the records reviewed; b) Date of the review;
c) Name of person(s) who conducted the review, their role(s), and signature(s).
Required Elements of Progress Reports:
Submit the training information, including the agenda and sign-in sheet, by October 15, 2013.
Submit a description of the internal oversight and tracking system with periodic reviews, along
with the name and role of the designated person by October 15, 2013.
Submit the results of the review of student records and include the following:
 The number of records reviewed;
 The number of records in compliance;
 For any records not in compliance, determine the root cause; and
 The specific corrective actions taken to remedy the non-compliance.
Please submit the above information by January 9, 2014.
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/15/2013
01/09/2014
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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SE Criterion # 14 - Review and revision of IEPs
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that Team meetings are consistently held on or before
the anniversary date of the IEP.
SE Criterion # 18A - IEP development and content
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that IEP Teams consider and specifically address the
skills and proficiencies needed to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing when
a student is identified with a disability that affects social skills development, when the
disability makes him or her vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing, or when the
student is identified with a disability on the autism spectrum. The district documents this
information in the IEP under Additional Information, and, if applicable, IEP goals are identified.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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SE Criterion # 24 - Notice to parent regarding proposal or refusal to
initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement
of the child or the provision of FAPE
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of student records from across all grade levels indicates that when the district is
proposing an evaluation or an IEP, the information included in the narrative description of the
Notice of Proposed School District Action (N1) does not meet all of the federal content
requirements, as not all questions on page 2 of the N1 form are always addressed.
Specifically, the notice does not indicate the evaluation procedure or assessments that have
been recommended, why the evaluation is being recommended, any rejected options that
have been considered, and the next steps.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Provide training to special education staff responsible for completing the N1 form on
responding to all questions on page 2 of the N1 form.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system for ensuring that N1 forms consistently
include responses to all questions on page 2 of the form. The tracking system should include
supervisory oversight prior to sending the N1 form to the parent and periodic reviews to
ensure compliance.
Develop a report of the results of an internal review of student records from all grades in
which an N1 form was written, since the implementation of all of the district's corrective
actions, for evidence of compliance with responding to all of the questions on page 2 of the
N1 form.
*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).
Required Elements of Progress Reports:
Submit the training information, including the agenda and sign-in sheet, by October 15, 2013.
Submit a description of the internal oversight and tracking system with periodic reviews, along
with the name and role of the designated person by October 15, 2013.
Submit a report of the results of an internal review of records and include the following:
 Number of records reviewed;
 Number of records in compliance;
 For any records not in compliance, determine the root cause; and
 Specific corrective actions taken by the district to remedy any non-compliance.
Submit the report by January 9, 2014.
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/15/2013
01/09/2014
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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SE Criterion # 25 - Parental consent
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
While the district does not have a parent who has revoked consent to a student's special
education services, document review and staff interviews indicate that the district has
appropriate procedures in place regarding the revocation of consent. According to the
district's procedures, if a parent revokes consent in writing, the district will act promptly to
provide written notice to the parent of the district's proposal to discontinue services based on
the written revocation of consent. The procedures indicate that the district will provide this
notice a reasonable time before it intends to discontinue the student's services. The district
will also provide information on how the parent can obtain a copy of the procedural
safeguards.
SE Criterion # 26 - Parent participation in meetings
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
The district provided its special education student roster as required by the Department.
SE Criterion # 29 - Communications are in English and primary language
of home
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records indicates that there are no students receiving or requiring special
education whose primary language is not English, or whose parents require translated
documents or oral translation for meetings. Documentation and interviews indicate that
district staff have been trained to identify the need for translation services and are aware that
the district contracts with Legal Language Services, whose staff are knowledgeable regarding
special education procedures, programs and services, to provide communications in English
and the primary language of the home.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
Page 7 of 9
SE Criterion # 32 - Parent advisory council for special education
Rating:
Not Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Interviews indicate that the district does not currently have a parent advisory council (PAC).
While some informal meetings with parents have occurred this school year with the special
education director, there are no PAC officers, operational procedures or by-laws. The district
has not provided an annual workshop on the rights of students and their parents and
guardians. As a result, there is also no established means for parents to advise the district on
matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities or meet regularly
with school officials in order to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the
district's special education programs.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Establish a special education PAC that includes officers, by-laws and operational procedures.
Develop a plan for the PAC to meet regularly with the district to advise the district on matters
pertaining to the education and safety of students with disabilities, as well as meeting with
school officials to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the district's
special education programs.
Conduct, in cooperation with the parent advisory council, at least one workshop annually on
the rights of students and their parents and guardians under state and federal special
education laws.
Required Elements of Progress Reports:
Submit the plan for establishing the PAC by October 15, 2013.
Submit the list of PAC meeting dates, officers, by-laws, operational procedures and
documentation evidencing the steps taken thus far to ensure PAC participation in the
planning, development and evaluation of the district's special education programs, as well as
advising the district on matters pertaining to the education and safety of students with
disabilities. Submit this information by January 9, 2014.
Submit evidence of the annual parents' rights workshop by January 9, 2014.
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/15/2013
01/09/2014
SE Criterion # 37 - Procedures for approved and unapproved out-ofdistrict placements
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of documentation indicates that the district maintains contracts for all students in outof-district placements.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
Page 8 of 9
SE Criterion # 41 - Age span requirements
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Interviews and documentation indicate that an age span waiver was applied for in the 20122013 school year for the Project Opportunity program at Oliver Ames High School. The waiver
has been approved.
SE Criterion # 51 - Appropriate special education teacher licensure
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of documentation indicates that all special education teaching staff are appropriately
licensed.
SE Criterion # 52 - Appropriate certifications/licenses or other
credentials -- related service providers
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of documentation indicates that the waiver for the school psychologist at the middle
school has expired and the school psychologist does not hold updated licensure.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Obtain updated licensure or an approved waiver for the school psychologist.
Required Elements of Progress Reports:
Submit a copy of the updated licensure or approved waiver for the school psychologist by
October 15, 2013.
Progress Report Due Date(s):
10/15/2013
SE Criterion # 55 - Special education facilities and classrooms
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Observations at the Center School, HH Richardson School, Easton Middle School and Oliver
Ames High School indicate that there are no issues with signage that might stigmatize
students.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Easton Public Schools Mid-Cycle Report - June 18, 2013
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