COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Charter School or District: Norfolk
MCR Onsite Dates: 12/08/2011
Program Area: Special Education
C
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Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
MID-CYCLE REPORT
SE Criterion # 2 - Required and optional assessments
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of the student records indicated that an educational assessment by a
representative of the school district, including a history of the student´s
educational progress in the general curriculum, was not always completed.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Complete the missing consented-to educational assessments for those individual
students identified by the Department. Reconvene the IEP Teams to review the
results of the assessments and to determine whether the individual student's
current IEP is appropriate.
Review the student records in which an evaluation was conducted this past school
year and analyze the information pertaining to the educational assessments, in
particular identify which staff members are responsible for completing educational
assessments and the frequency of this non-compliance. Based on the analysis,
indicate the specific corrective actions to be taken to remedy the non-compliance.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system to ensure that educational
assessments are appropriately completed by a representative of the school
district for all initial evaluations and re-evaluations. The tracking system should
include supervisory oversight and periodic reviews to ensure compliance.
Develop a report of the results of an internal review of student records for initial
or re-evaluations conducted since implementation of all of the district's corrective
actions for evidence of compliance with completing educational assessments.
* 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 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:
Provide copies of the educational assessments completed for the individual
students identified by the Department, as well as copies of the Team Meeting
Invitation (N3) and Team Meeting Attendance Sheet (N3A) as evidence that IEP
Teams reconvened to review the assessment results.
Describe the outcomes of the root cause analysis with the specific corrective
actions taken to remedy the non-compliance.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
Page 2 of 7
SE Criterion # 2 - Required and optional assessments
Submit a description of the internal oversight and tracking system, and identify
the person(s) responsible for oversight.
Submit the information indicated above by April 2, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of an internal review of student records and include
the following:
1. Number of records reviewed;
2. Number of records in which an educational assessment was completed;
3. Results of the root cause analysis of any records not in compliance; and
4. Specific corrective actions taken by the district to remedy any non-compliance.
Submit this report by June 22, 2012.
SE Criterion # 4 - Reports of assessment results
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of the student records indicated that not all reports of assessment
results defined in detail and in educationally relevant and common terms, the
student's needs, offering explicit means of meeting those needs.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Identify the staff responsible for writing reports of assessment results and provide
training to these staff members on the required content.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system to ensure that reports of
assessment results include the required information pertaining to the student's
needs. The tracking system should include supervisory oversight and periodic
reviews to ensure compliance.
Develop a report of the results of an internal review of student records in which
reports of assessment results were written since implementation of all of the
district's corrective actions for evidence of compliance with the required content.
* 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 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 evidence of staff training, including the agenda, training materials and
signed attendance sheets (indicating role of staff). Submit a description of the
internal oversight and tracking system and identify the person(s) responsible for
the oversight. Submit this information by April 2, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of an internal review of student records and include
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
Page 3 of 7
SE Criterion # 4 - Reports of assessment results
the following:
1. Number of records reviewed;
2. Number of records that included appropriately written reports of assessment
results;
3. Results of the root cause analysis of any records not in compliance; and
4. Specific actions taken by the district to remedy any noncompliance.
Submit this report by June 22, 2012.
SE Criterion # 7 - Transfer of parental rights at age of majority and
student participation and consent at the age of majority
Rating:
Not Applicable
Basis for Findings:
The Norfolk School District serves students in preschool through grade 6 only.
SE Criterion # 8 - IEP Team composition and attendance
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of students records and interviews indicated that all required members
of the Team attend IEP Team meetings unless:
1. The district and 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
2. 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 # 14 - Review and revision of IEPs
Rating:
Partially Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of student records indicated that not all IEP Team meetings were held
on or before the anniversary date of the IEP.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Review the dates of the annual reviews that have been conducted this past school
year and analyze this data to establish the root cause(s) for the non-compliance.
Based on this root cause analysis, indicate the specific corrective actions taken to
remedy the non-compliance.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system to ensure that the annual
review takes place on or before the anniversary date of the IEP. The tracking
system should include supervisory oversight and periodic reviews to ensure
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
Page 4 of 7
SE Criterion # 14 - Review and revision of IEPs
compliance.
Develop a report of the results of an internal review of student records from all
grades in which an annual review was conducted since the implementation of all
of the district's corrective actions for evidence of compliance with annual reviews
being conducted before the anniversary date of the IEP.
*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:
Provide the outcomes of the root cause analysis with the specific proposal(s) for
remedying the non-compliance. Submit a description of the internal oversight
and tracking system and identify the person(s) responsible for the oversight.
Submit this information by April 2, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of an internal review of student records and include
the following:
1. Number of records reviewed;
2. Number of records in which a Team meeting was held on or before the
anniversary date of the IEP;
3. Results of the root cause analysis of any records not in compliance;
4. Specific corrective actions taken by the district to remedy any non-compliance.
Submit the report by June 22, 2012.
SE Criterion # 18A - IEP development and content
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
A review of student records indicated 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.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
Page 5 of 7
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 the student records indicated 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.
Department Order of Corrective Action:
Review the N1 forms that have been written this past school year and analyze the
information included in these N1 forms to establish the root cause(s) for the noncompliance. Based on this root cause analysis, indicate the specific corrective
actions taken to remedy the non-compliance.
Develop an internal oversight and tracking system to ensure that page 2 of the
N1 form is appropriately completed. 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:
Provide the outcomes of the root cause analysis with the specific proposal(s) for
remedying the non-compliance. Submit a description of the internal oversight and
tracking system and identify the person(s) responsible for the oversight. Submit
this information by April 2, 2012.
Submit a report of the results of an internal review of records. Include the
following:
1. Number of records reviewed;
2. Number of records in which the district responded to all of the questions on
page 2 of the N1 form;
3. Results of the root cause analysis of any records not in compliance;
4. Specific corrective actions taken by the district to remedy any non-compliance.
Submit the report by June 22, 2012.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
Page 6 of 7
SE Criterion # 25 - Parental consent
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
Review of student records and interviews indicated that when a parent revokes
consent in writing, to special education services, the district is providing written
notice to the parent of the district's proposal to discontinue services based on the
revocation of consent, as well as information on how the parent can obtain a copy
of his/her right to procedural safeguards. The district is providing notice within a
reasonable time before it intends to discontinue services. District staff are aware
that they may not use mediation or request a due process hearing to obtain
agreement or a ruling for continuation of services.
SE Criterion # 26 - Parent participation in meetings
Rating:
Implemented
Basis for Findings:
An interview and a review of student records indicated that IEP Team meetings
are scheduled at mutually convenient times for parents, and the district ensures
that one or both parents are members of the IEP Team making decisions on the
educational placement and services for the student.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Program Quality Assurance Services
Norfolk Mid-Cycle Report - 02/21/2012
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