The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring is in the process of conducting an Integrated Monitoring Review of Holyoke Public Schools.
Each school district, charter school, vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every three years. The areas addressed during an Integrated Monitoring Review are organized into two groups, known as Group A Universal Standards and Group B Universal Standards.
Holyoke Public Schools is undergoing a Group A monitoring review that focuses on special education student identification and special education eligibility timelines; Individualized Education Program (IEP) development; programming and support services; procedural requirements for suspensions and equal opportunity. For additional information, please also see Integrated Monitoring Parent and Family Orientation.
The process includes interviews with district staff and administrators, a review of student records, policies and procedures, and school building visits. The process may also include parent/caregiver, student and teacher focus group meetings to gather additional information. Interpretation will be provided, if needed.
DESE will also send a parent survey, in multiple languages and formats, as needed, to parents/guardians of special education students to gather key information on the special education processes and procedures.
Parents/guardians and other stakeholders may email Monitoring Review Chairperson Heather Cuthbertson or call (413)-314-6708 to request an interview. If anyone requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide HPS with a report that includes information on further actions that may be required. The report will be accessible online when available.