Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148
Telephone: (781) 338-3700
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
June 10, 2009
Dr. Edward Bouquillon, Superintendent
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
758 Marrett Road
Lexington, MA 02421
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Bouquillon:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the Midcycle Review conducted in your district on May 5 & 6, 2009. 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 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 that must be implemented without delay. 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 29, 2009.
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 Nancy Hicks at 781-338-3714.
Sincerely,
Nancy Hicks, 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
Jeffrey Stulin, School Committee Chairperson
Will Verbits, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:
Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
1
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: May 5-6, 2009
Date of this Report: June 10, 2009
Core Special Education Criteria Cited in CPR Report and Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
(These criteria are marked with a triple asterisk (***) in the Mid-cycle Review Information Package and in the School
District Information Package for Special Education.)
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 20
Least restrictive
program selected

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Interviews
and student
records
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Interviews and student records
indicate that the district has
worked towards providing
opportunities for students to
receive services in inclusion
classes. Training has been
provided to regular education
teachers and special education
teachers to ensure that teachers
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 1 of 8
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
collaborate effectively. Students
pulled out of regular education
classes are receiving specially
designed instruction in a skill
based academic support class,
rather than homework help as was
previously the case. Record review
and interviews indicate that IEP
goals are being addressed in the
academic support classes.
***SE 22
IEP
implementation
and availability
***SE 24
Notice to parent
regarding

Interviews
and student
records

Interviews
and student
Interviews indicate that the
program at Newton-Wellesley
Hospital has been phased out and
that students, who were previously
in the program, are in vocational
programs within the school.
Record review and interviews
indicate that the district has a
current IEP in effect for all eligible
students within its jurisdiction at
the beginning of each school year.
Team meetings are scheduled
throughout the year and parents
receive the IEP following the
Team meeting as required.
Record review and interviews
indicate that the district provides
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 2 of 8
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)
proposal or
refusal to initiate
or change the
identification,
evaluation, or
educational
placement of the
child or the
provision of
FAPE
***SE 25
Parental consent
PI
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
records
notice to parents for all actions
taken within a reasonable period of
time.
Interviews
and student
records
Record review indicates that the
district no longer includes on its
N1 form the statement that the
parent’s failure to return the N1A
will be interpreted as a decision
against testing and could lead to
extended delays in testing, as well
as significant demands on the
district’s testing resources.
Record review indicates that while
the district sends the evaluation
consent form to the parent multiple
times in order to obtain consent,
the district does not use a variety
of methods to secure consent, even
when the evaluation consent form
is not returned. Therefore,
reevaluations are frequently late
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 3 of 8
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
Develop procedures for staff to
follow in order to obtain parental
consent to an evaluation. The
procedures must include a variety of
methods which are documented by
the district. Train staff on the
implementation of the new
procedures.
Develop an internal oversight and
tracking system for ensuring that a
variety of methods are used to
obtain parental consent to an
evaluation.
Review a random sample of records
for which the evaluation consent
form was not returned in a timely
manner post-training to determine if
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Submit a copy
of the
procedures by
October 15,
2009.
Submit the
agenda and
sign-in sheet
from the
training by
October 15,
2009.
Submit a
description of
the oversight
and tracking
system and
include
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
because of the delay in the receipt
of consent from the parent.
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
the district used a variety of
methods to obtain consent.
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
person(s)
responsible for
the oversight,
by October
15, 2009.
Provide the
following
information to
the
Department by
March 10,
2009:
 Number of
records
reviewed.
 Number of
records
found to be
in
compliance
with this
matter.
 Specific
corrective
action
taken if
any non-
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 4 of 8
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
***SE 29
Communications
are in English
and primary
language of
home
PI
Method(s) of
Investigation
Interviews
and student
records
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
The school uses a home language
survey to identify students whose
home language is not English
and/or a parent who requires
translations or interpreting.
Special education staff indicate on
the Administrative Data Sheet of
the IEP the language of the home,
but interpreters or translations are
not always provided when
required. Interviews indicate that
parents may inform the school that
they do not need translated
documents, but this was not
always found in student records.
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 5 of 8
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
Train appropriate special education
staff on the procedures to follow for
providing translations and
interpreters for parents whose home
language is not English or to
document the parent’s agreement
that translations and interpreters
were not required.
Develop an internal oversight and
tracking system for ensuring that
communications with parents are in
the primary language of the home.
Review the records of all special
education students whose home
language is not English post-training
to determine if translated documents
are provided and interpreters were
present at Team meetings. If
translated documents are not in the
record, determine if there is
documentation of the parent’s
agreement that
translations/interpreters were not
required.
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
compliance
was found.
Submit the
agenda and
attendance
sheet from the
training by
October 15,
2009.
Submit a
description of
the oversight
and tracking
system,
including the
person(s)
responsible for
the oversight,
by October
15, 2009.
Submit the
following
information to
the
Department by
March 10,
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
 Number of
records
reviewed.
 Number of
records
found to be
in
compliance
with this
matter.
 Specific
corrective
action
taken if
any noncompliance
was found.
***SE 32
Parent advisory
council for
special education
Interviews

Interviews indicate that there is an
active parent advisory council
(PAC) for special education. The
PAC has by-laws and elected
officers. The PAC meets regularly
and the parents’ rights workshop
was held this year. The PAC has
had the opportunity to advise the
district on matters relating to the
education and safety of students
with disabilities.
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 6 of 8
Criterion
***SE 34
Continuum of
alternative
services and
placements
Criterion
Implemented


***SE 52A
Registration of
educational
interpreters
***SE 53
Use of
paraprofessionals
Method(s) of
Investigation
Interviews
and student
records
Interviews
***SE 48
Equal
opportunity to
participate in
educational,
nonacademic,
extracurricular
and ancillary
programs, as
well as
participation in
regular education
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

Interviews

Interviews

Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Interviews and student records
indicate that the district has a
range of programs and services to
meet the needs of the students.
There is no longer a substantially
separate vocational program, and
there are no students whose IEP
would require such a program.
Interviews indicate that special
education students who receive
double math and language arts
classes take physical education
and also have access to world
languages.
The district has no deaf or hard of
hearing students, but interviews
indicate that staff are aware that
providers of interpreting services
must be registered with the
Massachusetts Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Interviews indicate that
paraprofessionals do not design
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 7 of 8
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
instruction for students with
disabilities and that they are
supervised by a licensed teacher.
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School
Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 10, 2009
Page 8 of 8
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical 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