Belmont Public Schools 5620

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Date

7/2/21

LEA

Belmont Public Schools

5620

Issue

(1) Student’s IEP was not implemented;

(2) District changed student’s placement to a substantially separate placement without consent;

(3) District failed to conduct evaluation within regulatory timeline;

(4) District scheduled an IEP meeting to discuss placement, COVID comp. services, and goal review but changed purpose to a full review and IEP development without informing of change;

(5) Not all required IEP team members were present for team meetings and district did not seek parents’ written permission for their excusal;

(6) District did not provide requested copies of evaluation summaries two days before meeting;

(7) District did not provide copies of proposed IEP

Finding

Noncompliance:

(1) The district failed to implement the IEP when student moved and enrolled in the district; even with complexities of the pandemic district still had an obligation to provide services when student enrolled special education services

(3) Academic Achievement assessment, OT assessment and SLP assessment were not conducted within 30 day timeline;

(5) District did not fully comply as it did not follow the process of utilizing a team member excusal form and obtaining the excusal in writing from parent;

(6) District acknowledged that FBA was conducted outside of regulatory timeline due to COVD but evaluation summaries were provided in time. DESE accepts district’s remedy of noncompliance;

(7) District’s practice of sending one copy of IEP does not ensure that parent has IEP and Placement page signed by all parties

Compliance:

(2) Student was placed in a comparable out-of-district placement upon enrollment in district;

(4) District provided notice to parent that included purpose of IEP meeting;

Corrective Action

District must develop comp. services plan with parents and submit signed documentation to DESE. Failure to agree on a plan by 9/6/21 will lead DESE to create one.

District must provide training to out-of-district coordinators to ensure compliance re: timely evaluations and submit documentation to DESE

District must provide a memo to staff responsible for provision of IEP and placement pages to parents and providing two copies of IEP to parent; and submit copy to DESE

District must review with IEP team chairpersons the team member excusal process and submit documentation to DESE