For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 18, 2019

Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier to Host Office of Public School Monitoring for Triennial Visit

HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch reports that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Office of Public School Monitoring  (PSM) will visit Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School this December.

During the Monday, Dec. 9 visit, PSM will conduct a tiered focused monitoring review of the school, a mandatory process every district and charter school undergoes every three years to ensure compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations.

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. During the visit, PSM officials will also review areas regarding civil rights at the school including bullying, student discipline, physical restraint and equal access to school programs for all students.

During the onsite review, PSM will interview the chairperson of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), and the visit may also include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records and onsite observations. 

The review process will also include parent outreach, and the PSM review chairperson will send all parents and guardians of Whittier students with disabilities an online survey that will examine key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to a report PSM will create following the review.

Parents, guardians and other individuals may call PSM Chairman Andrew McKenzie at 781-338-3761 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as a translation, to participate in an interview, the department will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide Whittier with a report with information about areas in which the school meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the school requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report by clicking here.

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