Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906
Telephone: (781) 338-3700
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
February 23, 2009
Patricia Ansay
Superintendent of Schools
Norton Public Schools
64 West Main Street
Norton, MA 02766
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Ansay:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report
based on the Mid-cycle Review conducted in your district on January 20, 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 March 16, 2009.
Your staff's cooperation throughout this Mid-cycle Review is appreciated. If you have
1
questions about this letter or the enclosed report, please do not hesitate to contact Ann
Marie John at 781-338-3708.
Sincerely,
Ann Marie John, 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
Vani Rastogi-Kelly, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Jeanne Sullivan, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Norton Public Schools
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: January 20, 2009
Date of this Report: February 23, 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
***SE 15
Outreach by the
School District
(Child Find)
***SE 20
Least restrictive
program selected
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

Method(s) of
Investigation
Student records
and interviews
PI
Student records
and
documentation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
Documentation and interviews
indicate that the district uses a variety
of methods and conducts continuous
outreach to identify students in need
of special education services.
A review of student records at the
elementary and middle school levels
indicates that the nonparticipation
justification statements include the
required information. However, the
nonparticipation justification
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
Train high school staff
responsible for writing IEPs on
the requirements of
nonparticipation justification
statements.
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
Page 1 of 6
(b) Progress Report
Due Date(s) and
Required
Elements
By April 30, 2009,
submit the following:
1. A copy of the training
agenda and signed
attendance sheet from
training at the high
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
statements of the high school student
records reviewed did not state why
removal of the student from the
general education curriculum was
critical to the student’s program.
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
Develop an internal oversight and
tracking system for reviewing
nonparticipation justification
statements of the high school
student records.
(b) Progress Report
Due Date(s) and
Required
Elements
school on writing
nonparticipation
justification
statements.
2. A description of the
internal oversight and
tracking system,
including person(s)
responsible for the
oversight.
By October 26, 2009,
submit a copy of the
internal monitoring
report to the Department
with the following
information included:
 Number of records
reviewed at the high
school
 Rate of compliance for
this criterion
 Specific corrective
action taken to remedy
any noncompliance
found
***SE 22
IEP
implementation

Interviews and
documentation
Documentation and interviews
indicate that teachers and service
providers are informed of their
specific responsibilities related to the
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
Page 2 of 6
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
and availability
***SE 25
Parental consent
***SE 29
Communications
are in English
and primary
language of home


Interviews and
student records
Interviews and
documentation
***SE 33
Involvement in
the general
curriculum

Student records
and interviews
***SE 37
Procedures for
approved and
unapproved outof-district

Student records
and interviews
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
implementation of the student’s IEP
and the specific accommodations,
modifications and supports that must
be provided for the student under it.
Student records and interviews
indicate that the school district obtains
written parental consent before
conducting initial evaluations and
reevaluations.
Interviews and documentation
indicate that the district uses the
services of the foreign language
teachers as well as staff and students
at Wheaton College for translation of
documents. The district currently has
a contract with the North River
Collaborative for the translation of
documents.
Student records and interviews
indicate that at least one member of an
IEP Team is familiar with the general
curriculum and is able to discuss an
eligible student’s access to the general
curriculum.
Student records and interviews
indicate that the school district
monitors the provision of services to,
and the programs of, individual
students placed in public and private
out-of-district programs.
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
Page 3 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
placements
***SE 46
Procedures for
suspension of
students with
disabilities when
suspensions
exceed 10
consecutive
school days

Documentation
and interviews
***SE 48
Equal
opportunity to
participate in
educational,
nonacademic,
extracurricular
and ancillary
programs, as well
as participation in
regular education

Documentation
and interviews
***SE 52A
Registration of
educational
interpreters

Documentation
and interviews
The district student handbooks meet
IDEA 2004 requirements and include
discipline procedures for special
education students.
Documentation and interviews
indicate that all students receiving
special education have an equal
opportunity to participate in
educational, nonacademic, prevocational, work-study and
employment opportunities, as well as
recess and physical education,
including adapted physical education.
Documentation and interviews
indicate that the district does not
currently employ or utilize any
educational interpreters. However, the
school provided a copy of a signed
contract with the R.E.A.D.S
Collaborative for the use of
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
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
***SE 53
Use of
paraprofessionals

Documentation
and interviews
***SE 55
Special education
facilities and
classrooms

Observations
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
educational interpreters for the 20082009 school year; the educational
interpreters are registered with the
Massachusetts Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Documentation and interviews
indicate that paraprofessionals
received training in co-teaching
methods and collaboration with
teaching staff.
A visit to the LG Nourse Elementary
School and the middle school
indicates that the district made
changes to both facilities to maximize
the inclusion of special education
students into the life of the school.
Although the SPOKE Collaborative
program at the middle school is in the
same area of the building as a
resource room, adjustment counselor’s
office and a nurse’s office, the
SPOKE Collaborative classroom is
structurally designed to meet the
needs of the students in that program.
In order to maximize the integration
of the special education students into
the life of the school, one of the
resource rooms was relocated to the
second floor. Additionally, through
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
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
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
scheduling changes the school has
ensured that students in this program
have specials with the regular
education students.
Norton Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
February 23, 2009
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: Norton 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
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148-5023