MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION MID-CYCLE REPORT NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS Dates of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: February 14-15, 2012 Date of this Report: July 27, 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 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: Required Corrective Action and Timelines for Implementation (b) Progress Report Due Date(s) and Required Elements SE 7 Transfer of parental rights and student participation and consent at age of majority Staff Interviews Student Record Review Interviews and the student record review confirmed that procedures were developed to ensure compliance regarding the notification to parents and students before students reach the age of majority. Based on a review of
attend IEP meetings. If a specific IEP Team member cannot attend a meeting, the district ensures that another specialist or teacher attends instead. According to interviews with IEP Team chairpersons, the district has an excusal process and forms if another service provider cannot be appropriately substituted. SE 18A IEP development and content Staff Interviews Student Record Review Staff interviews and student record data demonstrate that IEP Teams routinely discuss during IEP meetings whether bullying, harassment, or teasing is an issue for the student; this consideration is
Parental consent PI Document Review Staff Interviews Student Record Review When a parent revokes consent in writing, the district must respond promptly by sending the parent written notice of its proposal to discontinue services based on the revocation of consent as well as information about how the parent can obtain a copy of his/her right to procedural safeguards. The district’s process currently requires the educational to fill out and sign a district document, after already having notified the district in writing of their intention to revoke consent. The district must develop a notice that indicates when the district will stop special education services. This notice must also contain information about how the educational decision-maker can obtain a copy of the procedural safeguards. There is no basis in law or regulation for districts to require the educational decision-maker sign a document or affidavit after already having revoked consent in writing. Please review the administrative advisory 2010-1 that can be found at: for assistance in developing the district’s corrective action. Please provide training to the IEP Team chairpersons regarding the revised procedures for the revocation process. Please be sure to include any other personnel responsible for oversight of the requirements of the revocation of special education process. Please select a sample of records across the district’s schools for parents or students who have revoked consent for receiving special education services after the completion of the district’s corrective actions to ensure the district has used the revised procedure. Evidence Please provide a copy of the revised procedures for the revocation of special education services. Please provide evidence of training provided to IEP Team chairpersons, including the signed attendance sheet indicating staff name and role, the agenda, and training materials. This progress report is due November 5, 2012. Please submit the results of the review of student records. Indicate
There is no evidence that the district sends notice to document when the district intends to discontinue special education services so that the parents have time to consider the impact of their revocation of consent. Additionally, there is no evidence that the district provides the parent with information about how the parent can obtain a copy of his/her right to procedural safeguards. should demonstrate that 1) the district obtained the educational decision-makers’ revocation in writing, 2) the district included the district’s notice informing parents when services will discontinue, and 3) the decision is maintained in the student record. *Please note that 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 level 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). the number of student records reviewed, the number of student records in compliance, for all records not in compliance with this criterion, determine the root cause(s) of the noncompliance and provide the school’s plan to remedy the Please submit these results by January 21, 2013. compliance.
Additional Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at 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 SE 2 Required and Optional Assessments PI Staff Interviews Student Record Review The student record review determined that consented-to Educational Assessments A and B, the student’s educational history and current teacher assessment respectively, were not consistently found in student files. Additionally, consented-to observations were not consistently found in student files. Please provide the Educational Assessments A and B and observations for individual students identified by the Department in the Student Record Issues Worksheet and re-convene the IEP Teams to review the results for each student. Please conduct training for IEP Team chairpersons on the requirements to ensure Educational status assessments A and B and observations are completed for initial evaluations and Please develop an internal tracking and monitoring system to ensure that the Educational Assessments A and B and observations are available for IEP Teams and to Provide copies of the Notice of the School District Proposal to Act, and a Meeting Invitation for each individual student identified by the Department as evidence that IEP Teams reconvened to consider the Educational Assessments A/B and observations and whether a new or amended IEP was necessary. This
ensure that the assessments are placed in student files. Please identify personnel responsible for supervisory oversight and periodic reviews of this requirement. Select a sample of student records across all levels of the Norwood Public Schools for those evaluations that were consented to subsequent to the district’s implementation of all corrective actions. Evidence should demonstrate that 1) consented-to Educational Assessments A and B are completed and included in student records and 2) consented-to observations are completed and included in student records. *Please note that 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 level for the record review; b) Date of the review; c) Name of person(s) who conducted the review, their progress report is due by November 5, 2012. Please provide evidence of training provided to IEP Team chairpersons, including the signed attendance sheet indicating staff name and role, the agenda, and training materials. Please submit a description of the district’s internal tracking and monitoring system. Please be sure to include the names of the personnel responsible for
report is due January 21, 2013. SE 4 Assessment Reports PI Staff Interviews Student Record Review The student record review determined that achievement reports (Woodcock-Johnson III assessments) conducted as part of an initial evaluation or did not contain the assessor’s recommendations for meeting the student’s educational needs. Please provide training in the development of appropriate achievement assessment reports to any special education staff responsible for this testing; please specify training by group (e.g., IEP Team chairpersons, special education teachers, etc.). Please develop an internal tracking and monitoring system to ensure that evaluators are appropriately developing assessment reports that include the evaluators’ recommendations for meeting the student’s educational needs. Please identify personnel responsible for supervisory oversight and periodic reviews of this requirement. Select a sample of student records across levels of the district’s schools for students with initial evaluations and re-evaluations that were conducted after all corrective Please provide evidence of the training provided, including signed attendance sheets (with the name and roll of staff), agenda, and the training materials. Please submit a description of the district’s internal tracking and monitoring system. Please be sure to include the names of the personnel responsible for supervisory
actions have been implemented to review for completeness of achievement assessment reports. Evidence should demonstrate that the evaluator’s recommendations for meeting student educational needs are present in the report. *Please note that 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 level 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). oversight. This progress report is due November 5, 2012. Submit the results of the review of student records. Indicate the number of student records reviewed, the number of student records in compliance, for all records not in compliance with this criterion, determine the root cause(s) of the noncompliance and provide the school’s plan to remedy the compliance.
Please submit these results by January 21, 2013. SE 20 Least restrictive program selected PI Document Review Staff Interviews Student Record Review The document review, staff interviews and student records demonstrated that the district has considerably increased its inclusion opportunities for students with disabilities. Across the district, the number of co-taught classes has tripled (currently 26 classes at the high school level, 40 classes at the middle school, and 52 classes at the elementary school level). The district has provided professional development to both special and general education teachers and ensures that teachers have common planning time. However, student records indicated that the Nonparticipation Justification statements in student IEPs do not consistently state why or Please ensure that IEP Team chairpersons are trained in the appropriate development of Justification statements that answer why the students’ removal is considered critical to the student´s program and when the student is removed. Review a sample of student records for Non-participation Justification statements developed after all corrective actions have been implemented, to ensure that Justification statements answer why the students’ removal was considered critical to the student´s program when the student is removed from the general education classroom. *Please note that when conducting internal monitoring the district must maintain the Please provide evidence of training provided to IEP Team chairpersons, including the signed attendance sheet indicating staff name and role, the agenda, and training materials. Please describe the system of internal monitoring and periodic review and identify the staff responsible for the oversight. This progress
SE 29 Communication in English and other languages Staff Interviews Student Record Review Student records and staff interviews demonstrated that IEP Team meeting invitations, notices to propose an evaluation or an IEP, assessment reports, and progress reports for special education are translated into the primary language of the home. Staff interviews indicated that the district uses a local company to translate documents; principals and special education staff were familiar with the district’s process to obtain both translations and interpreters. The district has an online translator on its website. SE 34 Continuum of alternative services and placements PI Document Review Staff Interviews Student Record Review Document review, staff interviews, and student records demonstrated that the district has not increased its counseling support for students with emotional and behavioral issues since its last Coordinated Program Review (CPR). The 2009 CPR report cited the district for limited support and Please develop a detailed plan to address the lack of school adjustment counseling and other supports for students with significant behavioral and emotional disabilities, particularly at the middle and high school levels. Please submit the district’s detailed plan to address the need for counseling services and behavioral supports and any evidence to support this plan
tests in the classroom, which puts the total number of students beyond the maximum of 12; Students are sent back to the TASC when they are experiencing behavioral issues in their inclusion classes, which puts the total number of students beyond the maximum of 12; The special education teacher will accompany a student to an inclusion class and remain with the student, which leaves the classroom aide with more than 8 students. SE 46 Procedures for suspension of students with disabilities when suspensions PI Document Review Student Record Review The district’s high school handbook contains confusing and inaccurate language regarding the suspension of students with IEPs up to and beyond 10 days (pages 50-51). Revise the district’s high school handbook text to conform to the federal requirements for the discipline of students with disabilities as outlined in 34 CFR §300.530-537. Provide a copy of the revised text for the district’s high school handbook on disciplining students with