Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906
Telephone: (781) 338-3700
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
June 9, 2010
Dr. Carolyn Cragin
Superintendent
Harwich Public School District
81 Oak Street
Harwich, MA 02645
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Cragin:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report
based on the Mid-cycle Review conducted in your district in April 2010. In this Midcycle 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 June 28, 2010.
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 Susan
D. Nichols at (781) 338-3722.
Sincerely,
Susan D. Nichols, 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
Vani Rastogi-Kelly, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Polly Hemstock, School Committee Chairperson
Anthony Teso, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Harwich Public School District
Date of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: April 29, 2010
Date of this Report: June 9, 2010
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 3
Special
requirements for
the
determination of
a specific
learning
disability
Criterion
Implemented


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Student Records
Interviews
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
The district is appropriately
evaluating students suspected of
having a specific learning disability.
Written documentation was evident
in the records, including signed
statements of agreement of all IEP
Team members.
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 1 of 7
If Partially
Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due Date(s)
and Required
Elements
Criterion
SE 52A
Registration of
educational
interpreters
Criterion
Implemented


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Interviews
Documentation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Providers of interpreting services for
students who are deaf or hard of
hearing are registered with the
Massachusetts Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 2 of 7
If Partially
Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due Date(s)
and Required
Elements
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
Criterion
Implemented

SE 4
Reports of
assessment
results

SE 7
Transfer of
parental rights at
age of majority

SE 9
Timelines for
determination of
eligibility and

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Student Records
Interviews
Student Records
Interviews
Student Records
Interviews
Basis of Determination about Criterion
The district consistently ensures that
summaries of assessments are made
available to parents at least two days in
advance of the Team meeting.
IEP Teams discuss the transfer of parental
rights at the age of majority no later than
one year prior to the student reaching age
18. When the student reaches age 18,
Teams are documenting the student’s
decision with regard to decision-making
authority when the student chooses to
delegate continued decision-making to a
parent or other willing adult and when the
student decides to share decision-making
authority with the parent or other willing
adult.
The district is providing parents with the
IEP, proposed placement and required
notice immediately following the
development of the IEP. In cases where the
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 3 of 7
If Partially
Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about Criterion
student is found not eligible, the district is
providing written notification within ten
days of the Team meeting.
provision of
documentation to
parents
SE 11
School district
response to
parental request
for independent
educational
evaluation

SE 18B
Determination of
placement;
provision of IEP
to parent

SE 24
Notice to parent
regarding
proposal or
refusal to initiate
or change the
identification,
evaluation, or
educational
placement of the
student or the
provision of
FAPE

Student Records
Interviews
Student Records
The district has procedures in place for
responding to parental requests for
independent educational evaluations that
include offering parents the option of
participating in an income eligibility
program.
See SE 9.
Interviews
Student Records
Interviews
The district consistently provides the
Notice of Proposed School District Action
(N1) and the Notice of School District
Refusal to Act (N2) as required.
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 4 of 7
If Partially
Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
SE 29
Communications
are in English
and primary
language of the
home
SE 32
Parent advisory
council for
special education
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about Criterion
Student Records
The school district provides
communications to parents in both English
and the primary language of the home. The
district has translated information into the
major languages spoken in the district.
Interviews
Documentation
PI
Interviews
Documentation
The school district does not have a special
education parent advisory council (PAC),
although there is one parent who has been
assisting the district in providing
workshops and training sessions for
parents. However, currently there are no
PAC officers, no established by-laws and
the PAC is not advising the district on
matters that pertain to the education and
safety of students with disabilities or
meeting regularly with school officials to
participate in the planning, development
and evaluation of the school district’s
special education programs.
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 5 of 7
If Partially
Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
Develop a plan to
establish a special
education PAC that
will include officers,
by-laws and meeting
regularly with the
PAC regarding the
education and safety
of students with
disabilities and
including the PAC in
the planning,
development and
evaluation of the
district’s special
education programs.
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
By October 15,
2010, submit the
plan for
establishing the
PAC.
By February 15,
2011, submit the
list of PAC
meeting dates,
officer list, bylaws 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.
Documentation
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
may include PAC
and school
committee
meeting agendas
and minutes.
SE 34
Continuum of
alternative
services and
placements

SE 54
Professional
development

SE 55
Special education
facilities and
classrooms
Interviews
Documentation
Interviews
Documentation
NI
Interviews
Documentation
School Building
Observation
The district has a continuum of alternative
services and placements that includes
behavioral interventions and life skills
programming in grades K-8.
The school district provides professional
development on methods of collaboration
and analyzing and accommodating diverse
learning styles of all students in the general
education classroom.
While the district submitted progress
reports indicating compliance, observations
indicate that the district did not remedy the
previous non-compliance noted in the
Coordinated Program Review report of
2007. The district still does not provide
adequate resource room space at the
elementary level or at the high school. The
spaces are not equal in all physical respects
to the average standards of general
education facilities and classrooms. The
rooms are significantly smaller in
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 6 of 7
Relocate the
classrooms in
accordance with the
district’s plan.
Subject to on-site
verification to be
conducted by
October 15, 2010.
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
comparison for the number of students in
the resource rooms at one time.
During the Mid-cycle Review, the school
district submitted a revised plan of action to
remedy the size and location of these
resource rooms.
SE 56
Special education
programs and
services are
evaluated
NI
Interviews
The district does not regularly evaluate the
special education programs and services.
Documentation
Harwich Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 9, 2010
Page 7 of 7
Develop a plan to
regularly evaluate
the district’s special
education programs
and services.
By October 15,
2010, submit a
plan to evaluate
the special
education
programs and
services.
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Harwich Public School 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.
(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