Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

May 29, 2025

Case Number:

25-0506

Grade Level:

High school

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

Old Saybrook

Allegation(s):

• Issue 1: The Parent alleged that the Student’s three-year re-evaluation was not completed within the timeline. (34 CFR § 300.303)
• Issue 2: The Parent alleged that the District failed to include certain cognitive and autism specific assessments in the Student’s three-year re-evaluation which the Parent indicated were necessary to establish eligibility for post-school services for agencies such as Social Security and other State agencies. The allegation did not represent a potential violation of state or federal special education regulations and was not investigated.
• Issue 3: The Parent alleged that the Student’s Annual Review PPT meeting was not completed within the required timeline. (34 CFR § 300.324)
• Issue 4: The Parent alleged that the District failed to provide copies of evaluation reports and draft goals and objectives in a timely manner prior to PPT meetings (Note: the PPT meetings were not Initial Referral PPT meetings). The allegation did not represent a potential violation of state or federal special education regulations and was not investigation.
• Issue 5: The Parent alleged that based on a lack of job coach/staff interaction and availability to implement and monitor progress for the Student’s IEP the Student’s growth and progress on IEP goals and objectives was negatively affected. (34 CFR § 300.17(d))
• Issue 6: The Parent alleged that the District did not follow through with securing consistent job placements for the Student. (34 CFR § 300.17(d))
• Issue 7: The Student’s IEP requires that a report of progress toward meeting the annual goals and short-term objectives included in the IEP be provided to the Parent consistent with general education grade-level report cards. The Parent alleged that such reports of progress were not provided consistent with general education grade-level report cards. (34 CFR § 300.17(d))

Conclusion(s):

• Issue 1: It was concluded that the District did not conduct the Student’s three-year re-evaluation within the required timeline and was out of compliance with 34 CFR § 300.303 and corrective actions were issued. At the time the complaint findings were completed the three-year re-evaluation had been completed.
• Issue 2: not investigated
• Issue 3: It was concluded that the District did not conduct the Student’s annual review within the required timeline and was out of compliance with 34 CFR § 300.324 and corrective actions were issued. At the time the complaint report had been completed the annual review had been completed.
• Issue 4: not investigated
• Issue 5: The Student’s choice to significantly limit his time in-program also had the effect of significantly limiting his time available to program staff for interaction, coaching and other related activities. Given those parameters, the time staff committed to the Student was not unreasonable. Based on the Student’s IEP progress reports the Student made more than de minimis progress and there is no perceived negative impact on the Student’s growth and progress based on staff interaction. It was concluded that the District was not out of compliance with 34 CFR § 300.17(d) and no corrective actions were issued.
• Issue 6: Although the Student’s program participation was with only one work environment (i.e., Acton Library), the District had proposed ten additional settings for the Student’s consideration. It is clear that the District had made a good faith effort to secure additional work settings for the Student. It was concluded that the District is not out of compliance with 34 CFR § 300.17(d) and no corrective actions were issued.
• Issue 7: the Student is enrolled in a program which has a practice of issuing IEP Progress Reports only two times each school year. The Student’s IEP reflects a requirement for a different frequency of four time per year (as aligned with District report cards). It is concluded that the District was out of compliance with 34 CFR § 300.17(d) and corrective actions were issued.

Corrective Action(s):

1. The District shall provide appropriate staff with training related to monitoring upcoming required meetings (i.e., annual review PPT meetings, three-year re-evaluation PPT meetings), monitoring required task completion (e.g., evaluations, etc.) for such meetings, and ensuring that such meetings are scheduled and conducted in a timely manner.
   1. The District shall be given discretion to choose appropriate staff participants.
   2. The District shall be given discretion to choose the appropriate format of such training.
   3. Upon conclusion of the training, the District shall provide the State with an attestation that the training has taken place, a list of participants, and a copy of the training materials.
2. The District shall provide the Parent with an IEP Progress Report of all IEP goals and objectives and also provide the State with a copy of such progress report.