Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

advertisement

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

January 28, 2011

Mary Jo Santoro, Superintendent

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

250 Pawtucket Blvd

Tyngsborough, MA 01879

Re: Mid-cycle Report

Dear Superintendent Santoro :

Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the Mid-cycle Review conducted in your district in December 2010. In this

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: staff interviews, review of student records, examination of documentation, and/or classroom observation.

The Department found one or more of the criteria monitored in your district to be

“Partially Implemented” or “Not Implemented.”

In all instances where noncompliance has been 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 14, 2011.

1

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 Betsy

Holcombe at (781) 338-3717.

Sincerely,

Betsy Holcombe, 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

David C. Laferriere, School Committee Chairperson

Jill Davis, Local Program Review Coordinator

Encs: Mid-cycle Report

Mid-cycle Progress Report form

2

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: December 3, 2010

Date of this Report: January 28, 2011

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

SE 7

Age of

Majority

Criterion

Implemented

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

MID-CYCLE REPORT

Criterion

Partially

Implemented

(PI) or Not

Implemented

(NI)

Partially

Implemented

Method(s) of

Investigation

Basis of Determination about Criterion

If Partially Implemented or Not

Implemented:

(a) Required Corrective

Action and

Timelines for

Implementation

Interviews

Student Records

Documentation

A review of student records and interviews indicate that one year prior to a student reaching age 18; the district informs the students of their right upon turning 18 to make decisions related to special education. However the district is also at the same time securing written student

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report

January 28, 2011

Page 1 of 5

The district is informing students of their rights one year prior to the age 18, however the district must not implement the procedures to obtain written consent prior to the student attaining the age of majority. The district must review and update their procedures related to the transfer of parental rights for students who have reached the age

(b) Progress

Report Due

Date(s) and

Required

Elements

The district will submit the updated procedures related to transfer of parental rights and evidence of staff training, which will include but not be limited to a

Criterion Criterion

Implemented

Criterion

Partially

Implemented

(PI) or Not

Implemented

(NI)

Method(s) of

Investigation

Basis of Determination about Criterion consent at age 17.

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report

January 28, 2011

Page 2 of 5

If Partially Implemented or Not

(a)

Implemented:

Required Corrective

Action and

Timelines for

Implementation of majority and provide training to appropriate staff on these requirements.

Further the district must conduct internal monitoring of student records to insure that students approaching the age of majority are informed of their rights and that procedures for obtaining consent are initiated once the student has reached age 18.

Please note when conducting internal monitoring that the district must maintain the following documentation and make it available to the

Department upon request: a) List of the student names and grade level for the records reviewed; b) Date of the review; c) Name of person(s) who conducted the review, their role(s), and signature(s ).

(b) Progress

Report Due

Date(s) and

Required

Elements training agenda, attendance sheet and copies of the materials presented. Please submit this to the

Department on or before April 15,

2011.

Submit the results of an administrative review of those records for students who have reached the age of majority subsequent to staff training to ensure that students were informed of their rights prior to turning 18 and that consent is not made prior to turning 18.

Indicate the number of records

Criterion

SE 52A

Registration of educational interpreters

Criterion

Implemented

Criterion

Partially

Implemented

(PI) or Not

Implemented

(NI)

Method(s) of

Investigation

Basis of Determination about Criterion

Documentation

Interviews

Student Records

The district has a deaf or hard of hearing student who requires educational interpreting. The district does currently employ a staff member who is registered with Massachusetts

Commission for the Deaf and

Hard of Hearing.

If Partially Implemented or Not

Implemented:

(a) Required Corrective

Action and

Timelines for

Implementation

(b) Progress

Report Due

Date(s) and

Required

Elements reviewed, the number found to be compliant, an explanation of the root cause for any continued noncompliance and a description of additional corrective actions to be taken by the district to address any identified noncompliance.

Please submit this to the Department on or before

September 15,

2011.

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report

January 28, 2011

Page 3 of 5

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

SE 2

Required

Assessments

Criterion

Implemented

Criterion

Partially

Implemented

(PI) or Not

Implemented

(NI)

Method(s) of

Investigation

Interviews

Student Records

Documentation

Student Records

Basis of Determination about

Criterion

Review of records showed that written education histories are evident and are used for the assessment of suspected disability.

If Partially Implemented or Not

Implemented:

(a) Required Corrective Action and Timelines for

Implementation

SE 4

Assessment

Results

SE 20

Least Restrictive

Program

 Student Records

Documentation

Observation

Review of records showed that assessments contain educational findings and recommendations

pertinent to the student’s educational and social needs.

Review of records show that at

Greater Lowell Tech, students in the TOP program, consistent with the district's entrance and exit policies and LRE, are individually reviewed for consideration in the first year

“Exploratory” program.

The students in the TOP program participate in other vocational and academic programs.

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report

January 28, 2011

Page 4 of 5

(b) Progress

Report Due

Date(s) and

Required

Elements

Criterion

SE 48

Equal

Participation

SE 21

School Day and

Year

SE 24

Notice to Parent

Criterion

Implemented

Criterion

Partially

Implemented

(PI) or Not

Implemented

(NI)

Method(s) of

Investigation

Interviews

Student Records

Documentation

Documentation

Student Records

Interviews

 Interviews

Documentation

Student Records

Basis of Determination about

Criterion

Review of records and staff interviews show that at Team meetings the individual need for extended year services is considered

Review of records showed that the Notice of Proposed School

District Action (N1) contains specific district actions and the reasons for those actions based on the needs of the individual student.

Review of records show that at

Greater Lowell Tech, students in the TOP program, consistent with the district's entrance and exit policies and LRE, are individually reviewed for consideration in the first year

“Exploratory” program.

The students in the TOP program participate in other vocational and academic programs.

If Partially Implemented or Not

Implemented:

(a) Required Corrective Action and Timelines for

Implementation

(b) Progress

Report Due

Date(s) and

Required

Elements

Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School

Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report

January 28, 2011

Page 5 of 5

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

MID-CYCLE REVIEW

School District: Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High 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

Download