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
July 26, 2011
Christopher Hottel, Superintendent
North Andover Public Schools
1600 Osgood St.
North Andover, MA 01845
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Hottel:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the
onsite visit conducted in your district on April 29, 2011. During the 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: interviews, review of student records, examination of documentation, and classroom
observation(s).
The Department determined that one or more of the criteria monitored in your district was “Partially
Implemented” or “Not Implemented.” In all instances where noncompliance was 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 August 11, 2011.
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 Paul J. Aguiar at 781-338-3781.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Aguiar, 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
Dean Paolillo, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Stan Limpert, School Committee Chairperson
Joyce Laundre, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:
Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
1
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
NORTH ANDOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: April 29, 2011
Date of this Report: July 26, 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
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of
Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and
Timelines for Implementation
(NI)
SE 7
Transfer of
parental
rights at age
of majority
and student
participation
and consent
at the age of
majority
PI
Student
Records
Interviews
Student records
and interviews
indicate that the
district did not
always inform
the student and
the parent one
year before
reaching age 18
of his or her
right at age 18 to
make all
decisions in
Develop an internal oversight and
tracking system to ensure that parents
and students are informed one year prior
to the student reaching age 18 of the
student’s rights upon turning 18, as well
as the procedures once students turn 18.
The district must also ensure that the IEP
developed for the 17 year old students
includes a statement that the student and
parent have been informed of the
student’s rights upon reaching the age of
majority. The tracking system should
include supervisory oversight and
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 1 of 7
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
Submit a description of the
internal oversight and tracking
system and indicate the person(s)
responsible by November 1,
2011.
Provide evidence of training.
Include the agenda, signed
attendance sheets indicating the
title/role of the staff attending as
well as the name and title of the
presenter. This progress report is
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of
Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and
Timelines for Implementation
(NI)
relation to
special education
programs and
services.
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
periodic reviews to ensure compliance.
due by November 1, 2011.
Provide the staff responsible for the
implementation of the internal oversight
and tracking system with training on the
requirements of this standard. Please see
Administrative Advisory SPED 2011-1
issued on September 20, 2010 for
additional guidance. This may be found
at:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories
/11_1.html.
Submit the results of the review
of student records. Indicate the
number of student records
reviewed, the number of student
records in compliance, for all
records not in compliance with
this criterion, determine the root
cause(s) of the noncompliance
and provide the school’s plan to
remedy the noncompliance.
Please provide this progress
report by January 6, 2012.
Subsequent to the completion of all
corrective actions, conduct an internal
review of five records of students who
have recently turned 17 to ensure that the
school always informs the student and
the parents of the transfer of rights at the
age of majority and that it is documented.
Please ensure that the sample of selected
records examine activities that occurred
after the district completed its corrective
action activities.
* Please note when conducting internal
monitoring that school 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
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 2 of 7
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of
Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and
Timelines for Implementation
(NI)
reviewed; b) Date of the review; c)
Name of person(s) who conducted the
review, their role(s), and signature(s).
SE 52A
Registration
of
educational
interpreters

Document
Review
Interviews
The district
provided a
statement of
assurance
indicating that
there are no
students
currently
enrolled who
would require an
interpreter;
however, should
such students
enroll, the
district will
employ an
educational
interpreter
registered with
the
Massachusetts
Commission for
the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing.
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 3 of 7
(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
SE 4
Reports of
Assessment
Results
Criterion
Implemente
d

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

Method(s) of
Investigation
Student
Records
Interviews
SE 14
Review and
Revision of
IEPs
PI
Student
Records
Interviews
Basis of
Determination
about Criterion
Student records
and interviews
indicated that the
district provides
recommendations
defining in detail
and in
educationally
relevant and
common terms, the
student’s needs,
and offering
explicit means of
meeting them.
Student records
and interviews
indicated the
procedural misuse
of amendments for
the purpose of
extending a
student’s lapsed
IEP, specifically to
extend the three
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
The district must analyze the root
cause of the noncompliance, i.e.
why are amendments used to
extend a lapsed IEP and develop
the appropriate corrective action,
which should include an internal
oversight and tracking system to
ensure that amendments are used
appropriately by reviewing a
sample of amendments from the
Submit a detailed narrative
description of the root cause(s)
of the noncompliance and the
steps the district has taken to
address those issues including
timelines. Also, submit a
description of the oversight and
tracking system. Please
identify the person(s)
responsible for oversight of
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 4 of 7
Criterion
Criterion
Implemente
d

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
year re-evaluation
period.
past school year from each
building. The tracking system
should include supervisory
oversight and periodic reviews to
ensure compliance.
The district must provide training
to staff responsible for
implementation of the internal
oversight and tracking system, as
well as training on the appropriate
use of amendments.
The district must conduct an
internal review of records of five
students whose IEP’s had been
amended subsequent to the
district’s implementation of all
corrective action activities to
determine if it is compliant with
the requirements of this criterion.
Please note when conducting
internal monitoring that 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
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 5 of 7
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
these activities. This progress
report is due by November 1,
2011.
Provide evidence of training.
Include the agenda, signed
attendance sheets, indicating
title/role of staff and the name
and title of the presenter by
November 1, 2011.
Submit a report of the results
of the internal review of
student records. Indicate the
number of student records
reviewed, the number of
student records in compliance,
for all records not in
compliance, please identify the
root cause(s) of the
noncompliance and provide the
actions taken to remedy the
noncompliance. This progress
report is due by January 6,
2012.
Criterion
Criterion
Implemente
d

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
person(s) who conducted the
review, their role(s), and
signature(s).
SE 29
Communications are in
English and
Primary
Language of
the Home
SE 35
Assistive
Technology

Student
Records
Interviews
Document
Review

Document
Review
Interviews
Documents,
student record
reviews and
interviews
indicated that the
district has
procedures to
ensure that
communications
are provided to
parents in English
and the primary
language of the
home.
Documents and
interviews
indicated that there
is a district-wide
procedure for
ensuring that
assistive
technology is
considered for all
eligible students.
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 6 of 7
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
Criterion
SE 51
Appropriate
Special
Education
Teacher
Licensure
SE 54
Professional
Development
Regarding
Special
Education
SE 56
Special
Education
Programs and
Services are
Evaluated
Criterion
Implemente
d


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Document
Review
Interviews

Document
Review
Interviews

Document
Review
Basis of
Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
Documents and
interviews
indicated that
special education
teaching personnel
who design
instruction and/or
provide direct
special education
services described
in IEPs are
appropriately
licensed.
Documents and
interviews
confirmed that the
district provides
the required
training to regular
education and
special education
staff.
Documents
demonstrated that
the special
education
programs and
services are
regularly
evaluated.
North Andover Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
July 26, 2011
Page 7 of 7
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: NORTH ANDOVER PUBLIC 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