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
March 19, 2012
Matthew Ferron, Superintendent
Weymouth Public Schools
111 Middle Street
Weymouth, MA 02189
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Ferron:
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 April 3,
2012.
1
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 Susan Nichols at 781-338-3722.
Sincerely,
Susan Nichols, 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
Sean Guilfoyle, School Committee Chairperson
Theresa Skinner, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Weymouth Public School District
Date of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: February 17, 2012
Date of this Report: March 19, 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
Criterion
Implemented


SE 7
Transfer of
parental rights
and student
participation
and consent at
age of
majority
Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Student
Records
Interview
Document
Review
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
One year prior to the student reaching
age 18, the district informs the student
and the parent/guardian of the rights that
will transfer from the parent/guardian to
the student upon the student’s 18th
birthday. The notification provided to
both the student and the parent/guardian
states that all rights accorded to parents
under special education law will transfer
to the 18 year old student.
Upon reaching the age of 18, the district
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 1 of 7
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
(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
is consistently implementing procedures
to obtain consent from the student to
continue the student’s special education
program. The district is providing the
IEP and the Notice of Proposed School
District Action (N1) to the student in all
instances when the student has reached
the age of majority and has decisionmaking authority.
SE 8
IEP Team
composition
and
attendance


SE 18A
IEP
development
and content
Student
Records
All required IEP Team members are
present at IEP Team meetings.
Interview
The district has procedures for excusing
a required IEP Team member from
attendance at the IEP Team meetings.
Student
Records
Interview
IEP Teams consider and address the
skills and proficiencies needed to avoid
or respond to bullying, harassment, or
teasing for students identified with a
disability on the autism spectrum; for a
disability that affects social skills
development; or when the student’s
disability makes him or her vulnerable to
bullying, harassment or teasing.
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 2 of 7
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Student
Records
Interview
SE 25
Parental
consent
Basis of Determination about
Criterion
The district provides written notice to
the parent of its proposal to discontinue
services when a parent revokes consent
to special education services in writing
and also provides information on how
the parent can obtain a copy of the
procedural safeguards.
The district provides notice before it
discontinues services. Staff members
are aware that they may not use
mediation or request a due process
hearing to obtain agreement or a ruling
for continuation of services when the
parent revokes consent.
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 3 of 7
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and
Timelines for
Implementation
(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
SE 20
Least restrictive
program
selected
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)

Method(s) of
Investigation
Student
Records
Interview
PI
Student
Records
Document
Review
Interview
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
Assessment reports prepared by
related service providers define in
detail and in educationally relevant
and common terms, the student’s
needs, offering explicit means of
meeting them.
Students who are in the Life Skills
classrooms have opportunities to
have placements in less restrictive
settings. As indicated by their class
schedules, students in the Life Skills
program participate in many
integrated academic, non-academic
and vocational classes.
Please train special education
chairpersons on writing IEP
Non-participation Justification
statements that specifically
address why the removal from
the general education classroom
at any time is considered critical
to the student’s program.
IEP Non-Participation Justification
statements do not consistently
address why the removal of the
student is considered critical to the
Develop an internal oversight
and tracking system to ensure
that all non-participation
justification statements include
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 4 of 7
Please submit the
agenda, signed
attendance sheets
(name and role of
staff), and
materials used for
the training.
Please provide the
description of the
internal oversight
and tracking
system.
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
student’s program and the basis for
the IEP Team’s conclusion that the
education of the student in a less
restrictive environment, with the use
of supplementary aids and services,
could not be achieved satisfactorily.
this required information. Please
indicate the person(s)
responsible for monitoring the
tracking system by name and
title.
Subsequent to the district’s
corrective actions, please
provide a report of the results of
an internal review of students
records in which nonparticipation justification
statements were written since
implementation of the district’s
corrective actions for evidence
of compliance.
*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).
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 5 of 7
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Please submit this
information by
May 21, 2012.
Please submit a
report of the
results of an
internal review of
records and
include the
following:
 Number of
records
reviewed;
 Number of
records with
specific nonparticipation
justification
statements;
 Results of the
root cause
analysis of any
records not in
compliance;
 Specific actions
taken by the
district to
remedy any
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
noncompliance,
if necessary.
Please submit this
report by October
22, 2012.
SE 24
Notice to parent
regarding
proposal or
refusal to
initiate or
change the
identification,
evaluation, or
educational
placement of
the student or
the provision of
FAPE

SE 33
Involvement in
the general
curriculum

Student
Records
Interview
The district meets the content
requirements for the written Notice
of Proposed School District Action
(N1) as all questions of the N1 form
are consistently addressed.
In addition, the district is sending the
Notice of Proposed School District
Action (N1) to parents within five
school days after receiving a referral
for an evaluation.
Student
Records
Interview
The district is consistently
documenting the student’s
participation in the general
curriculum in the Present Levels of
Educational Performance (PLEP A)
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
Page 6 of 7
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
section of the IEP.
SE 48
Equal
opportunity to
participate in
educational,
nonacademic,
extracurricular,
and ancillary
programs, as
well as
participation in
general
education

Student
Records
Interview
Document
Review
Students in the Life Skills classes
have equal opportunities to
participate in the school district’s
vocational educational programs and
many take part in physical education
classes with general education
students.
Weymouth Public Schools Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 19, 2012
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: Weymouth Public School District
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