Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4096
Telephone: (781) 338-3700
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
March 7, 2011
Peter Kurzberg, Superintendent
Braintree Public Schools
348 Pond Street
Braintree, MA 02184
Re: Mid-cycle Report
Dear Superintendent Kurzberg:
Enclosed is the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Mid-cycle Report
based on the onsite visit conducted in your district in January 2011. During the Mid-cycle
Review the Department monitored selected special education criteria to determine your
district’s compliance with special education laws and regulations. The review consisted
of information gathered from one or more of the following activities: interviews, review
of student records, examination of documentation, and classroom observation(s).
The Department determined that one or more of the criteria monitored in your district
was “Partially Implemented” or “Not Implemented.” In all instances where
noncompliance was found, the Department has prescribed corrective action for the
district. This corrective action must be implemented as soon as possible, but in no case
later than a year from the date of this report. You will find these requirements for
corrective action included in the enclosed report, along with requirements for submitting
progress reports using the enclosed form.
Please provide the Department with your written assurance that all of the required
corrective action will be implemented by your district within the timelines specified in
the report. You must submit your statement of assurance to Darlene Lynch, Director,
Program Quality Assurance Services, by March 23, 2011.
Your staff's cooperation throughout this Mid-cycle Review is appreciated. If you have
1
questions about this letter or the enclosed report, please do not hesitate to contact Susan
D. Nichols at 781-338-3722.
Sincerely,
Susan D. Nichols, Mid-cycle Review Chairperson
Program Quality Assurance Services
Darlene A. Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
cc:
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Vani Rastogi-Kelly, Supervisor, Program Quality Assurance Services
David Cunningham, School Committee Chairperson
Robert Belmont, Local Program Review Coordinator
Encs: Mid-cycle Report
Mid-cycle Progress Report Form
2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REPORT
Braintree Public School District
Date of the Mid-cycle Review Onsite: January 25, 2011
Date of this Report: March 7, 2011
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REPORT IS IN TWO SECTIONS.
Required Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at
http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion
SE 7
Transfer of
parental rights at
age of majority
and student
participation and
consent at the age
of majority
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Student records

Interviews
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and
Timelines for
Implementation
A review of student records
and interviews indicate that
the district follows
appropriate procedures for the
transfer of parental rights at
the age of majority and
student participation and
consent at the age of majority.
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 1
(b) Progress Report
Due Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
SE 52A
Registration of
educational
interpreters
Criterion
Implemented


Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Documentation
Interviews
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented
or Not Implemented:
(a) Required
Corrective Action
and
Timelines for
Implementation
The school district submitted
the name of the educational
interpreter who the district
has contracted with and a
copy of the educational
interpreter’s registration with
the Massachusetts
Commission for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing.
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 2
(b) Progress Report
Due Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Additional Special Education Criteria Monitored in this Mid-cycle Review
Current special education criteria available by scrolling down to the special education instrument at
http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/default.html
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

SE 2
Required and
optional
assessments

SE 8
IEP Team
composition and
attendance

SE 12
Frequency of reevaluation

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
Student records
A review of student records
and interviews indicated that
the district is completing the
educational history and
teacher assessments
(Educational Assessment Part
A and B), as well as
conducting observations
when consented-to by the
parent.
Interviews
Student records
Interviews
Student records
Interviews
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and Timelines for
Implementation
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicated that all Team
members are present at IEP
Team meetings and Team
chairpersons have full
authority to commit the
resources of the district.
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicated that re-evaluations
are conducted every three
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 3
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and Timelines for
Implementation
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
years unless the parent and
district agree that it is
unnecessary.
SE 13
Progress reports
and content
PI
Student records
A review of student records
indicated that progress reports
do not consistently include
written information on the
student’s progress towards the
annual goals in the IEP.
Train special education staff and
related service providers on
writing progress reports that
address the annual goals of the
IEP.
Develop an internal oversight and
tracking system to ensure that all
progress reports include written
information on the student’s
progress towards the annual goals
in the IEP.
Subsequent to the staff training
and implementation of the
tracking system, conduct an
internal review of progress reports
issued since the district’s
corrective actions for student
progress towards the annual goals
of the IEP.
*Please note when conducting
internal monitoring that the
district must maintain the
following documentation and
make it available to the
Department upon request:
a) List of the student names and
grade levels for the records
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 4
By May 2, 2011,
submit an agenda,
signed attendance
sheets, and materials
used for the training
conducted on
writing progress
reports that address
the annual goals of
the IEP. Also
submit the
description of the
internal oversight
and tracking system.
By June 24, 2011,
submit a report of
an internal review of
a random sample of
progress reports
from all buildings,
issued after the
training was
conducted. Include
the following
information:
 Number of
records reviewed;
 Number of
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and Timelines for
Implementation
reviewed; b) Date of the review;
c) Name of person(s) who
conducted the review, their
role(s), and signature(s).
SE 14
Review and
revision of IEPs

SE 18B
Determination of
placement;
provision of IEP to
parent

Student records
Interviews
Student records
Interviews
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicate that annual review
Team meetings are conducted
prior to the expiration of the
students’ IEPs.
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicated that summaries of
the decisions and agreements
reached at the IEP Team
meetings are provided to
parents at the end of the Team
meeting, and IEPs are
provided to parents within
required timelines.
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 5
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
records with
progress reports
that address the
annual goals;
 Description of
the root causes
for any
noncompliance
found; and
 Specific actions
taken by the
district to remedy
any
noncompliance.
Criterion
Criterion
Implemented

Criterion
Partially
Implemented
(PI) or Not
Implemented
(NI)
Method(s) of
Investigation
Basis of Determination
about Criterion
SE 19
Extended
evaluation

SE 37
Procedures for
approved and
unapproved out-ofdistrict placements

SE 40
Instructional
grouping
requirements for
students aged five
and older

Documentation
A review of the
documentation submitted
indicated that the instructional
groupings at the East Middle
School and the Braintree
High School meet regulatory
requirements.
SE 41
Age span
requirements

Documentation
A review of the
documentation submitted
indicated that the age spans of
the instructional groupings at
Braintree High School meet
regulatory requirements.
Student records
Interviews
Student records
Interviews
If Partially Implemented or
Not Implemented:
(a) Required Corrective
Action and Timelines for
Implementation
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicated that the district is
conducting extended
evaluations appropriately.
A review of the student
records and interviews
indicated that monitoring
plans for students placed in
out-of-district programs are
completed and included in the
student records.
Braintree Public School District Coordinated Program Review Mid-cycle Report
March 7, 2011
Page 6
(b) Progress
Report Due
Date(s) and
Required
Elements
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
MID-CYCLE REVIEW
School District: Braintree Public School District
M I D – CY C L E P R O G R E S S R E P O R T
Date Prepared: ____________________________________
Prepared by: __________________________________________________________________
(name and title)
Criterion: _______________________
Topic: ________________________________________________________________________
For each criterion for which you prepare a progress report, please



make a copy of this cover page,
fill in the information requested above, and
attach a complete description of the corrective action taken and any accompanying documentation.
(Description of corrective action for each criterion and any accompanying documentation should include all of the
“Progress Report Required Elements” for that criterion in the Mid-cycle Report.)
Send the whole set of completed progress reports to:
Darlene Lynch, Director
Program Quality Assurance Services
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02148-4906