Dear Reading Public School Community,

During the week of January 6, 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of the Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Reading Public Schools. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations.  During this cycle, the Reading Public Schools will be reviewed under the Group A Universal Standards category, which includes

• Student identification
• IEP development
• Programming and support services
• Equal opportunity

In addition, because of the work that we have done in this area, the Reading Public Schools has been identified as a Tier 1 school district (out of 4 tiers), which is a designation by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to be determined to have no or low risk for compliance and performance outcomes.  As a result, our process focuses on self-directed improvement because there are no concerns on compliance and performance outcomes.

Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.

In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring has sent to all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program.  If you are parent of a student with disabilities and you have not received your survey, please contact Andrew Mackenzie at the DESE Office of Public School Monitoring at amackenzie@doe.mass.edu.  Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the two members of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Board. Other onsite activities will include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.

Parents and other individuals who have questions or would like a hard copy of the survey may call Andrew Mackenzie, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at (781) 338-3761.

Within approximately 60 Business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the district with a report with information about areas in which the district meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the district requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/default.html.

Sincerely,

John Doherty, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

Jennifer Stys, Ed.D., Director of Student Services