Parents' input sought in review of Beverly schools
Mar. 8—BEVERLY — The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will conduct a regular review of the Beverly Public Schools during the week of March 29.
The state conducts reviews of school districts and charter schools every three years to make sure they are complying with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations, according to a press release from the Beverly schools.
In addition to an onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. Parents and other individuals may contact Erin VandeVeer, the public school monitoring chairperson, at 781-338-3735 or erin.vandeveer@mass.gov to request a telephone interview as part of the review.
Areas of review related to special education will include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation.
The civil rights review includes areas such as bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.
The state will send all parents of students with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child's special education program. The onsite review will include interviews with the chairperson of the district's Special Education Parent Advisory Council. It may also include interviews of staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations.
The state will provide the school district with a report within 60 days of the onsite visit. The report will be available to the public at www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.
