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 3, 2011
Jeanne Schultz, Director
River Valley Charter School
2 Perry Way
Newburyport, MA 01950
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Director Schultz:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the
onsite visit conducted in your district on April 13, 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 June 16, 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
Scott Jordan, Board of Trustees Executive Committee Chairperson
Lori Klucznik, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs:
Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
1
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
RIVER VALLEY CHARTER SCHOOL
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: April 13, 2011
Date of this Report: June 3, 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
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Not
Applicable
Documents
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
SE 7
Transfer of
parental
rights at age
of majority
and student
participation
and consent
at the age of
majority
The Charter School is a K-8 school
and does not have any students that
would require the charter school to
implement the procedures of this
criterion.
River Valley Charter School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 3, 2011
Page 1 of 4
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
SE 52A
Registration
of educational
interpreters
Criterion
Implemented


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Documents
Interviews
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for Implementation
The district provided a statement of
assurance 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.
River Valley Charter School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 3, 2011
Page 2 of 4
(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

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Not
Implemented
Interviews
SE 3
Determination
of specific
learning
disability
Student
Records
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action and
Timelines for Implementation
Student records and staff
interviews indicated that when the
district identified a student as
having a specific learning
disability, the IEP Team did not
create a written determination as to
whether the student has a specific
learning disability, which was
subsequently signed by all
members of the IEP Team.
Please provide appropriate staff with
training on the implementation of the
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
determination process and forms
consistent with the requirements of
this criterion.
Please submit a
copy of the agenda
and sign-in sheets
for the training by
September 20,
2011.
In addition, the district must conduct
internal monitoring of a sample of
student records of evaluations for
SLD conducted after the district
implemented corrective actions to
determine if the district is compliant
with the requirements of this
criterion.
Please conduct a
review of student
records for those
students identified
as SLD, subsequent
to the training, to
ensure the
completion of the
written certification
by the IEP Team.
Please submit the
results to include
the number of
* Please note when conducting
internal monitoring that district
must maintain the following
documentation and make it
River Valley Charter School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 3, 2011
Page 3 of 4
(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
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 person(s) who
conducted the review, their role(s),
and signature(s).
SE 9
Timeline for
determination
of eligibility
and provision
of
documentation
to parent

Interviews
Student
Records
Student records and interviews
indicated that the school has fully
adhered to the required timelines
for the provision of the proposed
IEP to the parent at the completion
of the IEP Team meeting.
River Valley Charter School Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
June 3, 2011
Page 4 of 4
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
records reviewed,
the name and role
of the reviewer, the
number of records
found to be
compliant, the root
cause of any
identified
noncompliance and
any additional steps
taken to address
continued
noncompliance.
This progress
report is due
December 5, 2011.
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: RIVER VALLEY CHARTER 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