The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be visiting schools, reviewing programs, and interviewing staff, parents, and students next month.

The state Department of Education will visit public schools the week of April 24 to review the Special Education, Civil Rights, and English Language Learners programs. Such reviews of school programming and services are routinely conducted to satisfy federal and state requirements.

As part of the state's Coordinated Program Review, the department team will review school district procedures, make its onsite visit, and prepare a report for Superintendent Bonny Gifford and the School Committee with detailed findings for each program.

During the onsite visit, the department team will review individual student records; interview administrators, teachers and paraprofessional staff; survey parents; and observe instructional spaces.

The state will rate each reviewed requirement using a scale ranging from “commendable” to “not implemented.” Where requirements are found not implemented or only partially implemented, the school district must propose corrective actions to bring those areas into compliance with statutes and regulations.

Districts are encouraged to incorporate the corrective action into their school improvement plans and professional development plan. The school district will be provided with technical assistance from the state in developing a corrective action plan.

Both the state's report and the corrective action plan are public information and will be available to the public upon request. Program Review Final Reports are also available on the Department’s Internet website at www.doe.mass.edu.

Members of the public may request to be interviewed by telephone by a member of the state's team. Those wishing to be interviewed can call the superintendent's office at (508) 997-3391, ext. 1110, no later than April 19, or they may call the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at (781) 338-3739.

A member of the visiting team will contact each person desiring an interview within two weeks after the completion of the onsite visit. If an individual is not comfortable communicating in English or requires some other accommodation, the state department will make arrangements to communicate appropriately with the individual.