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
May 26, 2010
E. Jahn Hart, Superintendent
Longmeadow Schools
127 Grassy Gutter Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Hart:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report
based on the Mid-cycle Review conducted in your district in March 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 14, 2010.
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 Tom
Hidalgo at (413) 858-4591.
Sincerely,
1
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
D. Beth Lopez, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Mary Vogel, Chair, Longmeadow School Committee.
Susan Bertrand, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Longmeadow Schools
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: March 26, 2010
Date of this Report: May 26, 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 specific
learning
disability
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemen
ted (PI) or
Not
Implemen
ted (NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
PI
Student records,
Interview
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
A review of student records
and interview indicated that the
district is not consistently
using mandated forms to
determine eligibility. Some
required documentation forms
were missing from the student
files, not all forms were signed,
and there was confusion about
the requirement for all
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
Conduct training with appropriate
personnel on the use of the
mandated forms for the
determination of specific learning
disability. (The Memorandum on
Specific Learning Disability can be
found on the Department website
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/
sld.)
 Conduct an administrative
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 1 of 6
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
By September
30, 2010 submit
an agenda, signin sheets and
materials used
for the training
on the
documentation
requirements for
specific learning
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemen
ted (PI) or
Not
Implemen
ted (NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
members of the Team to sign
the form when all members are
agreed, or in the event of
disagreement as to the
determination, the requirement
that one or more Team
members document their
disagreement, as well.
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
review of all SLD
determinations held post
training for evidence that the
documentation requirements
are being met.
The district must maintain the
following documentation and
make it available to the
Department upon request: a) List
of student names, school
buildings, and grade levels of the
records reviewed: b) Date of the
review; c) Names of the person(s)
who conducted the review, their
role(s) and their signature(s).
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 2 of 6
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
disability.
By December
15, 2010
please submit:
1) The number
of student
records and
grade levels
reviewed;
2) The number
of student
records in
compliance;
3) For all
records not in
compliance with
this criterion,
determine the
root cause(s) of
the noncompliance; and
4) The district’s
plan to remedy
the noncompliance.
Criterion
SE 52A
Registration of
educational
interpreters
Criterion
Implemented

Yes
Criterion
Partially
Implemen
ted (PI) or
Not
Implemen
ted (NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Interview,
Documentation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
The district provided the
names of three interpreters
who are registered with the
Massachusetts Commission for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 3 of 6
(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

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
SE 9
Timeline for
Determination of
eligibility and
provision of
documentation
to parent
Yes
Document
review
Document review indicated that
the district determines eligibility
within forty-five school working
days after receipt of the parent’s
written consent to an initial
evaluation or a re-evaluation.
SE 10
End of school
year evaluations
Yes
Student
records,
Documentation
Record reviews and
documentation indicated that for
requests for an evaluation
between 30 and 45 days before
the end of the school year, the
district held team meetings in
order to provide a proposed IEP
or written notice of the finding
that the student is not eligible no
later than 14 days after the end
of the school year.
SE 24
Notice to parent
regarding
Yes
Student
records,
Documentation
Record reviews and
documentation indicated that the
school district conducted all
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 4 of 6
(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
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
initial evaluations requested by
the parent, or referred by staff,
based on the suspicion of a
disability or concern about a
student’s development during
the past school year. There was
no indication that the district
refused to conduct an initial
evaluation.
proposal or
refusal to initiate
or change the
identification ,
evaluation, or
educational
placement of the
child or the
provision of
FAPE
SE 29
Communications
are in English
and the primary
language of the
home
Yes
Interview,
Document
review
Document review and interview
indicated that the district does
translate documents into the
primary language of the home.
Currently, the district has no
families that require
documentation in a language
other than English.
SE 42
Programs for
young children
three and four
years of age
Yes
Interview,
Document
review
Document review and interview
indicated that where appropriate,
the district allows a child to
remain in the program designed
for three and four year old
children for the duration of the
school year in which the child
turns five years old.
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 5 of 6
(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
SE 53
Use of
Paraprofessionals
Yes
Interview,
Document
review
Document review and interview
indicated that paraprofessionals
do not design instruction for
students with disabilities.
Paraprofessionals implement
instruction under the supervision
of a certified professional.
SE 55
Special
Education
facilities and
classrooms
Yes
Tour, Floor
plans
A building tour and examination
of building floor plans indicated
that facilities and classrooms for
special education students are
equal in all physical aspects to
the average standards of general
education facilities and
classrooms.
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
Longmeadow Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
May 26, 2010
Page 6 of 6
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Longmeadow Schools
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