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
August 11, 2011
John E. O’Connor, Superintendent
Tewksbury School District
139 Pleasant Street
Tewksbury, MA 01876
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent O’Connor:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report based on the
onsite visit conducted in your district on February 24, 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 29,
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 Joan Brinckerhoff at 781-338-3715.
1
Sincerely,
Joan Brinckerhoff, Ph.D., 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
Jean Jonker, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
Michael P. Kelley, School Committee Chairperson
Jan Fuller, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
TEWKSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: February 24, 2011
Date of this Report: August 11, 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
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
Student
Records
A review of records and
staff interviews
demonstrated that the
district informs students
and their parents of the
transfer of rights
requirements when the
student is 17 years of
age. The district
documents the student’s
choice on the IEP.
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

Document
Review
Staff
Interviews
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 1 of 8
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

SE 52A
Registration
of
educational
interpreters

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
Document
Review
The district has no
students that require the
services of an
educational interpreter at
the present time. The
procedures to ensure
registration with the
Massachusetts
Commission for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing are
in place.
Staff
Interviews
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and
Timelines for Implementation
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 2 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
SE 3
Specific
Learning
Disability
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
PI
Student
Records
The review of student
records indicated that the
district does not
consistently complete the
required Specific Learning
Disabilities (SLD) forms
(Components 1-3 and the
Determination form) when
a student with a specific
learning disability is found
eligible.
Provide Team Chairs and
appropriate special education staff
with training on completing the
SLD forms for students with a
specific learning disability. Please
see
Staff
Interviews
(http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/sl
d/).
Submit evidence of staff
training, to include but not
be limited to a training
agenda, attendance sheet
with staff names and titles
and copies of the materials
presented by September
30, 2011.
Conduct an administrative review
of those records for students who
were evaluated for a specific
learning disability subsequent to
staff training to ensure that the
district has completed all the
required component forms and
placed the determination results in
the student record.
Submit the results of the
administrative review of
student records. Indicate
the number of records
reviewed, the number
found to be compliant, an
explanation of the root
cause for any continued
noncompliance and a
description of additional
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 3 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
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
person(s) who conducted the
review, their role(s), and
signature(s).
SE 9
Timeline for
determination
of eligibility
SE 12
Frequency of
re-evaluation

Student
Records
Staff
Interviews
PI
Student
Records
Staff
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
corrective actions to be
taken by the district to
address any identified
noncompliance by
December 16, 2011.
At the time of the onsite
review, all student records
had data to substantiate
timelines with the
exception of one. The
district has subsequently
submitted information
indicating that a meeting
was held for the student
with timeline issues.
The district does conduct
reevaluations to determine
eligibility; however, some
are not conducted within
Examine a sample of student
records from each level (Pre K,
elementary, middle school, high
school and out of district) for the
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 4 of 8
Provide a description of the
outcome(s) of the root
cause analysis along with a
description of the corrective
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s)
of
Investigation
Interviews
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
the three-year timeline.
If Partially Implemented or Not
Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective Action
and Timelines for
Implementation
last two months of the 2010-2011
school year to determine the root
cause of noncompliance and the
district’s proposed corrective
actions to achieve full compliance
with the three year timeline for
reevaluation.
Develop a report of the results of
a comprehensive administrative
review of student records at all
levels (elementary, middle, high
and out-of-district) for reevaluations conducted subsequent
to the implementation of all
corrective actions for compliance
with the three-year timeline.
*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).
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 5 of 8
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
actions proposed and the
associated timelines by the
district to ensure
compliance by September
30, 2011.
Submit a report of the
results of the administrative
review of student records.
Indicate the number of
records reviewed by level,
the number found to be
compliant, an explanation
of the root cause for any
continued noncompliance,
and a description of
additional corrective
actions to be taken by the
district to address any
identified noncompliance
by December 16, 2011.
Criterion
SE 13
Progress
reports
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
PI
Student
Records
Review of student records
indicated that not all
students had progress
reports for all reporting
periods and some students
did not have progress
reports for all goals.
Review with all special education
and related services staff the
requirement that a progress report
is written for each goal on the
student’s IEP.
Staff
Interviews
Develop a tracking system for
administrative oversight of
progress reports that addresses all
IEP goals.
Develop a report of the results of
a comprehensive administrative
review of student records at all
levels, for IEP progress reports
issued to parents subsequent to the
district’s implementation of
corrective actions.
*Please note when conducting
administrative 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
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 6 of 8
(b) Progress Report Due
Date(s) and Required
Elements
Submit evidence of staff
training, to include but not
be limited to a training
agenda and attendance
sheet with staff names and
titles by September 30,
2011.
Provide a description of the
administrative oversight
and tracking system and
identify the person(s)
responsible by September
30, 2011.
Submit a report of the
results of the administrative
review of student records.
Indicate the number of
records reviewed by level,
the number found to be
compliant, an explanation
of the root cause for any
continued noncompliance,
and a description of
additional corrective
actions to be taken by the
district to address any
identified noncompliance
by December 16, 2011.
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
role(s) and signature(s).
SE 54
Professional
development
PI
Document
Review
Staff
Interviews
The district offers a wide
variety of training
opportunities; however the
mandatory special
education topics do not
appear to be required for
all special education and
general education staff.
The topics include:
 State and federal
special education
requirements and
related local special
education policies and
procedures:
 Analyzing and
accommodating diverse
learning styles of all
students in order to
achieve an objective of
inclusion in the general
education classroom of
students with diverse
learning styles;
 Methods of
collaboration among
teachers,
paraprofessionals and
teacher assistants to
Provide training to locally hired
and contracted transportation
providers of special education
students.
Provide a plan for professional
development for special education
and general education staff that
includes the three mandatory
topics: state and federal special
education requirements and local
policies and procedures;
accommodating diverse learning
styles of all students; and methods
of collaboration.
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
Page 7 of 8
Submit evidence (agenda,
attendance sheet with
names and titles) of inservice training to locally
hired and contracted
transportation providers of
special education students
and samples of information
provided on students’ needs
and problems and
appropriate emergency
measures by September
30, 2011.
Submit the plan for training
with associated timelines
for the required topics by
December 16, 2011.
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
accommodate diverse
learning styles of all
students in the general
education classroom.
Locally hired and
contracted transportation
providers of special
education students have
not been provided with inservice training on the
needs and appropriate
methods of meeting the
needs of those students and
on problems that may arise
and information on
appropriate emergency
measures. The last training
for transportation providers
was provided October 19,
2009.
SE 55
Special
education
facilities and
classrooms

Document
Review
Staff
interviews
The classroom and
facilities issues at the High
School and Trahan School
have been addressed
through reassignment to
spaces with doors for
distraction-free instruction.
Tewksbury School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
August 11, 2011
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: Tewksbury
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