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
June 22, 2012
John Cowley, Superintendent
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School
100 Hemlock Road
Wakefield, MA 01880
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Cowley:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based
on the onsite visit conducted in your district in February 2012. 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 July 9, 2012.
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 Lynn A. Summerill at
781-338-3735.
Sincerely,
Lynn A. Summerill, Mid-cycle Review Chairperson
Program Quality Assurance Services
Darlene A. Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
c:
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Dean Paolillo, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Michael T. Wall, School Committee Chairperson
Dave DiBarri, Local Program Review Coordinator
Ends: Mid-Cycle Report
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: February 10, 2012
Date of this Report: June 22, 2012
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 7
Transfer of
parental
rights and
student
participation
and consent
at age of
majority
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
Student
Record
Review
One year prior to students
turning 18, the district’s
current practice is to only
inform parents and not the
student of the transfer of
rights that will occur when
the student obtains the age of
Please revise the district’s
transfer of parental rights and
consent at age of majority
procedures consistent with the
Administrative Advisory SPED
2011-1 which can be found at:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/
Please provide a
copy of the
revised
procedures and
evidence of staff
training,
including an
Document
Review
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 1 of 8
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
Interviews
majority.
advisories/11_1.html.
The notice provided to
parents does not explicitly
state that all rights accorded
to the parents under special
education law will
automatically transfer to the
student upon the student
obtaining the age of majority.
Please train the IEP Team
Chairpersons on the district’s
revised procedures for
informing parents and students
on the transfer of parental
rights and the procedures for
when a student delegates or
shares decision making at the
age of majority.
agenda, signed
attendance
sheets
(indicating the
name and role of
staff) and
training
materials.
The district also sends an
additional form to the parent
with the proposed IEP that
requires 17 year old students
to determine if they wish to
have decision making
authority, shared decision
making, or delegate decision
making. This form is
expected to be returned to the
school when the parent
returns the IEP.
Please develop a system of
monitoring that includes
supervisory oversight and
periodic reviews of the
provision of notice to the
parent and student at age 17.
Develop a system of
monitoring that includes
supervisory oversight and
periodic reviews for those
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 2 of 8
Please submit a
description of
the oversight
and tracking
system,
including
title/role(s) of
the person(s)
responsible and
the date of the
system’s
implementation.
This progress
report is due by
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
students who turn 18 and elect
to share or delegate their
decision making.
October 15,
2012.
Please select a sample of
records for students who
turned 17 years of age after all
other corrective actions have
been implemented to verify
that the records contain
evidence of compliance with
notifying the student and
parent of the transfer of rights.
Please select a sample of
records of students who turned
18 after all other corrective
actions have been
implemented to verify that the
records contain documentation
that the student’s decision to
share or delegate decisionmaking was witnessed by
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 3 of 8
Submit the
results of the
internal review
of records for
the two sample
groups and
report:
The number of
records
reviewed; the
number of
records in
compliance; for
all records not in
compliance with
this criterion,
provide the
results of a root
cause analysis
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
school personnel.
of the noncompliance; and
the specific
corrective
actions taken by
the district to
remedy any
identified
noncompliance.
*Please note that when
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 record review;
b) Date of the review; c)
Name of person(s) who
conducted the review, their
roles(s), and their
signature(s).
SE 8
IEP Team
composition
and
attendance

Student
Record
Review
Document
The district consistently has
all required IEP Team
members in attendance or
written excusals
documenting that the parent
agreed that attendance of the
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 4 of 8
Please submit
this progress
report by
January 15,
2013.
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Review
required IEP Team member
was not necessary.
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
Interviews
Absent required IEP Team
members provide written
input into the development of
the IEP to the parent and the
IEP Team prior to the
meeting.
Student
Record
Review
SE 18A
IEP
Development
and content

Document
Review
Interviews
IEP Teams consider and
specifically address the skills
and proficiencies needed to
avoid and respond to
bullying, harassment, or
teasing for students on the
autism spectrum or whose
disability makes him or her
vulnerable to bullying,
harassment, or teasing.
Information regarding
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 5 of 8
(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
bullying is documented in
the Notice of School District
Proposed Action (N1) and in
the IEP.
Document
Review

Interview
SE 25
Parental
consent
The district has not had any
parental requests to
discontinue services;
however, the school does
have procedures to address
this occurrence.
Upon receipt of a parent’s
request to discontinue
services, the district
immediately provides written
notice of the district’s
proposal to discontinue
services to the parent
consistent with federal
regulation.
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 6 of 8
(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

Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Document Review
Classroom instructors are
always informed of their
specific responsibilities in
implementing IEPs at the
beginning of the school year.
Interview
SE 22
IEP
Implementation
and availability
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

If Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and Timelines for
Implementation
The district added a
paraprofessional for each
shop area to assist in
communicating information
and implementing IEPs in the
vocational settings.
Informational binders for
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 7 of 8
(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
each teacher are made and
updated annually that include
the required IEP
accommodations and
information on each student.
In addition, the district has a
practice of sending letters to
parents informing parents of
their special education liaison
with the liaison’s contact
information.
Student Record
Review
SE 29
Communications
are in English
and primary
language of home

Document Review
Special Education documents
are consistently translated
into the primary language of
the home.
Interview
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 22, 2012
Page 8 of 8
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High 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 Midcycle 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
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 21, 2012