Winter and Spring Professional Development Courses
Audience | K – 12 BCBAs and All Educators |
Presenter Name(s) | Mary Young |
Presenter Bio(s) | |
Description | De-escalation covers the phases students go through when they become upset in the school environment. During this two hour session, participants will learn:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Virtual, Synchronous |
Location | Virtual via Zoom |
Dates & Times | Wednesday, December 4, 2024; 3:30pm – 5:30pm |
PDPs | 2 |
Credit | n/a |
Cost | $150 ACCEPT members/$180 non-members |
Registration Deadline | October 9, 2024 |
Audience | BCBAs |
Presenter Name(s) | Lisa Gurdin MS, BCBA, LABA |
Presenter Bio(s) | For over 20 years, Lisa Gurdin MS, BCBA, LABA, (she/her) has been working with students, families, and school-based professionals with students from preschool to age 22 with a range of special needs and complex profiles. Ms. Gurdin supports educational professionals through consultation, student evaluations, and staff training. She works collaboratively with parents and school professionals to facilitate integrated supports across settings thereby maximizing behavior change and skill development. Ms. Gurdin also provides parent coaching to help parents implement behavioral strategies to improve behavior, encourage independence, and build stronger family relationships. Prior to starting her own private practice, she worked as the Clinical Coordinator for LABBB Collaborative in Massachusetts. In this role, she supervised a team of BCBAs, provided clinical oversight, managed home-based programming, consulted with school teams on complex cases in area school districts, conducted staff training, and provided ongoing consultation to classrooms across the collaborative. Ms. Gurdin is also a Part-Time Lecturer at Northeastern University. Before becoming an ACE Provider, she was the ACE Coordinator for the BCBA Roundtable at EDCO Collaborative in Massachusetts. As an ACE Provider, she coordinates and presents continuing education workshops for local school-based behavior analysts. When she is not working, she is taking care of her three children, ages 19, 17, and 13, and two dogs. |
Description | Join us the first Friday of every month to explore cutting edge topics specifically designed for BCBAs. Topics will include:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Synchronous and Asynchronous |
Location | Live via Zoom and On Demand Options |
Dates & Times | Fridays, November 1, December 6, 2024; January 3, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2 and June 6, 2025 Sessions meet live via Zoom 12pm – 1:30pm with an optional Q & A from 1:30pm – 2:00pm All sessions are recorded and are available On Demand after the session |
PDPs | Participants can earn up to (14) CEs |
Credit | n/a |
Cost | $235 ACCEPT members/$285 non-members |
Registration Deadline | Rolling registration |
Additional Notes | Participants who enroll through ACCEPT will receive an email with additional details and a coupon code for accessing the courses and zoom links through Behavior Live. |
Audience | All Educators |
Presenter Name(s) | Friends Academy |
Presenter Bio(s) | |
Description | The 30-hour Orton-Gillingham Classroom Level training is for individuals who are looking for an introduction to the Orton-Gillingham approach. Participants include parents, administrators, and educators working in a classroom or with a small group. Topics include:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Live Sessions |
Location | Via Zoom |
Dates & Times | Tuesdays, February 4th, 11th and 25th and March 4th and 11th, 2025 ; 9am – 4pm |
PDPs | 30 PDPs |
Credits | n/a |
Cost | $1,000 ACCEPT members/$1,200 non-members |
Audience | K – 12 educators |
Presenter Name(s) | David Turo |
Presenter Bio(s) | David Turo is an English as a Foreign Language teacher with 25 years of successful experience with the Boston Public Schools. He regularly facilitates SEI Endorsement classes and is a firm believer that each student has something special that can be built upon. David also invests his time teaching ESOL classes to adults. |
Description | The ACCEPT Collaborative is a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved provider of the SEI Teacher Endorsement course. Participants who successfully complete the course and its requirements will be eligible to receive the SEI Endorsement. The Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Teacher Endorsement course is designed to help equip teachers to address the needs of a multilingual and multicultural student population by training teachers in research-proven practices for working with English Learners (ELs). During the course, teachers are expected to practice instructional strategies grounded in SEI research both in the endorsement course and in their classrooms. Teachers will also be encouraged to sustain and develop their SEI practices over time through a variety of professional growth opportunities. This course is designed to promote continuous improvement in educator practice and to build teachers’ confidence and familiarity with instructional methodology for working with English Learners. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Live Sessions |
Location | via Zoom |
Dates & Times | Dates & Times: Tuesdays, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1 & 4/8/25; 4pm – 7pm Capstone Presentations: 4/15/24; 4pm – 8pm Whole Class Make Up Sessions (if needed): Thursdays, 2/13 & 3/13; Friday, 4/4/25 |
PDPs | SEI endorsement and 67.5 PDPs |
Credits | Participants may choose to apply for (3) optional graduate credits for an additional fee of $375 payable to Worcester State University. |
Cost | $425 |
Registration Deadline | January 7, 2025 |
Audience | K – 12 PE and Health & Wellness Teachers |
Presenter Name(s) | Maria Melchionda and Mary Connolly |
Presenter Bio(s) | Maria Melchionda, MAHPERD Executive Director, PT Faculty Bridgewater State University Mary Connolly, Program Chair, Skills-Based Health/SEL at Cambridge College and Chair of the Higher Education Committee for MAHPERD. |
Description | Please join us for this half-day workshop focusing on how to use the new Health and Physical Education Framework to update your curriculum. We will start by examining the Framework and understanding how it is organized. Participants should bring their health/physical education curriculums as well as the scope and sequence for each discipline and we will compare similarities and differences and begin to think about how to proceed. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Live, Synchronous |
Location | ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick, MA |
Dates & Times | Tuesday, January 28, 2024; 8:30am – 11:30am |
PDPs | 3 |
Credits | N/A |
Cost | $200 ACCEPT members / $240 non-members |
Registration Deadline | January 14, 2025 |
Name | Science of Reading Course (5 Part Series) |
Audience | K-12 teachers and Specialists |
Presenter Name(s) | Kristin Osborne |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kristin Osborne is a former classroom teacher and literacy instructional coach who currently serves as a technical assistance provider for the Department of Education’s Inclusive Instruction and MTSS Tiered Literacy Academy in Massachusetts. Kristin has experience with professional learning workshops, book clubs, coaching, graduate courses, modeling, and planning support. She focuses on evidence-based comprehensive literacy instruction, inclusive of the science of reading. She has designed graduate courses on the science of reading, accelerating literacy, and literacy interventions. She has also created book guides and study group PLCs on topics such as the language of literacy, literacy block, and Overcoming Dyslexia. Kristin has also successfully led curriculum development projects in MA and has led multiple districts through a positive initial implementation process. |
Description | Elevate your literacy instruction with our comprehensive workshop on the Science of Reading. This workshop is designed for educators, literacy specialists, and coaches who are eager to harness the latest research to improve reading outcomes. Through this interactive session, participants will gain a thorough understanding of the Science of Reading and learn how to apply evidence-based strategies to support and enhance reading skills. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Virtual Live or Asynchronous (sessions recorded and emailed) & Asynchronous time online |
Location | Live and Recorded via Zoom; Online |
Dates & Times | Mondays & Tuesdays: 1/27, 9:30am – 11:30am 2/4, 12pm – 2pm 2/10, 9:30am – 11:30am 2/24, 9:30am – 11:30am 3/10, 9:30am – 11:30am |
PDPs | 10 PDPs |
Credit | n/a |
Cost | $300 ACCEPT members/$360 non-members |
Registration Deadline | January 13, 2025 |
Audience | K – 12 Art Teachers |
Presenter Name(s) | Kathryn Lobo, ESL Teacher, Brown Middle School, Newton |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kathy Lobo, ESL teacher at the Brown Middle School in Newton Massachusetts, holds Professional Massachusetts Teaching Licenses in Art and English as a Second Language. Since 2013 she has been a Department of Education Trainer for RETELL SEI Teacher Endorsement courses. She earned a BFA from the University of the Arts and a certificate in traditional Chinese Painting from the Tianjin Fine Art College. She has experience teaching in private and public schools in the US and in International Schools overseas. Her artwork has been displayed in galleries and is part of collections in museums and libraries. |
Description | Art teachers are in a unique position in working with English Language Learners (ELs). The art classroom provides a welcoming and safe environment for English Language Learners to be able to express themselves, and the creation of art can prompt important oral language skills. Additionally, as art teachers often work with students over multiple years, they can be a source of support for EL students as they adjust to new classes from year to year. This workshop will allow us to explore how we can take advantage of hands-on strategies and activities specific to the art classroom that are effective with ELs. This course will consist of five face-to-face meetings. There will be some reading, writing and art creating assignments in between sessions. This workshop will include 2D and 3D art making such as collage, assemblage and book arts. We will also discuss simple strategies to adapt what you already do with your students to make your lessons more “EL friendly”. Materials for art-making will be provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own favorite materials. Upon completion, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of effective methods for working with ELs, an assortment of activities to use in their classrooms, and examples of art works they may use in their classroom. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Live in Person |
Location | ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick, MA |
Dates & Times | Tuesdays, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/25 & 4/1/25; 4:00pm – 7:00pm Snow Date: 4/8/25 |
PDPs | 15 |
Credits | Participants may choose to apply for (1) optional graduate credit for an additional fee of $125 payable to Worcester State University. |
Cost | $295 ACCEPT members/ $355 non-members |
Registration Deadline | February 11, 2025 |
Audience | K-12 Educators |
Presenter Name(s) | Grace Kelemanik and Amy Lucenta |
Presenter Bio(s) | Amy Lucenta, M.Ed., has extensive K–12 mathematics education experience, which includes a focus on special populations. She is a coauthor of Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Classroom Mathematics and Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students. She is also a cofounder of Fostering Math Practices, an organization that provides resources, training, and collaboration opportunities for anyone interested in helping all students learn to “think like mathematicians.” Grace Kelemanik has more than 30 years of mathematics education experience. A frequent presenter at national conferences, her work focuses on urban education, special populations, and teacher training. She is a former urban high school mathematics teacher and Project Director at Education Development Center. Grace has also worked extensively with new and preservice teachers through the Boston Teacher Residency program. Most recently, Grace is the coauthor of Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students. She is also coauthor of The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit. She is a mathematics education consultant and professional development provider. |
Description | Are you an educator working with students who struggle to access grade-level math class content? If so, this course is tailored for you. The course is structured into three sessions, each focusing on concrete strategies and routines that can be used to help your students make sense of and master grade-level content. The facilitators will model these strategies and routines, allowing you to experience them firsthand. You will also have the opportunity to analyze classroom videos and discuss the practical aspects of implementation. By the end of the course, you will have practiced and planned to implement these strategies and routines in your classroom. You will be encouraged to apply the course ideas in your classroom and bring back artifacts to subsequent sessions for sharing and discussion. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Synchronous/In Person & Virtually |
Location | ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick & Live via Zoom; participants can choose to join in person or virtually. |
Dates & Times | Tuesdays, February 11th, February 25th & March 11th; 4:00pm – 7:00pm |
PDPs | 10 |
Credit | n/a |
Cost | $300 ACCEPT members/$360 non-members Discounted Team Rates Available |
Registration Deadline | January 28, 2025 |
Audience | K-12 Teachers, Coaches and Specialists |
Presenter Name(s) | Kristin Osborne |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kristin Osborne is a former classroom teacher and literacy instructional coach who currently serves as a technical assistance provider for the Department of Education’s Inclusive Instruction and MTSS Tiered Literacy Academy in Massachusetts. Kristin has experience with professional learning workshops, book clubs, coaching, graduate courses, modeling, and planning support. She focuses on evidence-based comprehensive literacy instruction, inclusive of the science of reading. She has designed graduate courses on the science of reading, accelerating literacy, and literacy interventions. She has also created book guides and study group PLCs on topics such as the language of literacy, literacy block, and Overcoming Dyslexia. Kristin has also successfully led curriculum development projects in MA and has led multiple districts through a positive initial implementation process. |
Description | Revitalize your classroom dynamics with this interactive workshop on Total Participation and Increasing Student Engagement. Designed for educators, instructional coaches, and school leaders, this workshop provides practical strategies to ensure every student is actively involved and invested in their learning. Explore techniques that foster a vibrant, inclusive classroom environment where every student’s voice is heard and valued. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Virtual Live or Asynchronous (sessions recorded and emailed) |
Location | Live and Recorded via Zoom |
Dates & Times | Mondays, 3/17 & 3/24, 9:30am – 11:30am |
PDPs | 4 PDPs |
Credit | n/a |
Cost | $150 ACCEPT members/$180 non-members |
Registration Deadline | March 3, 2025 |
Audience | PreK – 3 Teachers, Coaches and Specialists |
Presenter Name(s) | Kristin Osborne |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kristin Osborne is a former classroom teacher and literacy instructional coach who currently serves as a technical assistance provider for the Department of Education’s Inclusive Instruction and MTSS Tiered Literacy Academy in Massachusetts. Kristin has experience with professional learning workshops, book clubs, coaching, graduate courses, modeling, and planning support. She focuses on evidence-based comprehensive literacy instruction, inclusive of the science of reading. She has designed graduate courses on the science of reading, accelerating literacy, and literacy interventions. She has also created book guides and study group PLCs on topics such as the language of literacy, literacy block, and Overcoming Dyslexia. Kristin has also successfully led curriculum development projects in MA and has led multiple districts through a positive initial implementation process. |
Description | This graduate course will provide a scaffolded opportunity to learn more from foundational documents and key components of literacy as well as supplemental scholarly literature, tools, and activities that help to strengthen pedagogical practices and target interventions based on real live data. In addition to exploring resources on the site, learners will explore peer-reviewed research, critically examine their own literacy practice, reflect on the connections between identity, pedagogical practices, and new learning, and will design artifacts to leverage new learning using best practices in literacy, equity, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and MTSS.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes As a result of the learning experiences in the course, you will:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Virtual Live or Asynchronous (sessions recorded and emailed) & Asynchronous time online |
Location | Live and Recorded via Zoom; Online |
Dates & Times | Mondays & Tuesdays: Tuesday, 4/1; 12pm – 2pm Monday, 4/7; 9:30am – 11:30am Monday, 4/28; 9:30am – 11:30am Plus approximately (24) asynchronous hours |
PDPs | 30 PDPs |
Credit | Participants may choose to apply for 2 optional graduate credits |
Cost | $500 ACCEPT members/$600 non-members |
Registration Deadline | March 18, 2025 |
Audience | Grades 4 – 9 Teachers, Coaches and Specialists |
Presenter Name(s) | Kristin Osborne |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kristin Osborne is a former classroom teacher and literacy instructional coach who currently serves as a technical assistance provider for the Department of Education’s Inclusive Instruction and MTSS Tiered Literacy Academy in Massachusetts. Kristin has experience with professional learning workshops, book clubs, coaching, graduate courses, modeling, and planning support. She focuses on evidence-based comprehensive literacy instruction, inclusive of the science of reading. She has designed graduate courses on the science of reading, accelerating literacy, and literacy interventions. She has also created book guides and study group PLCs on topics such as the language of literacy, literacy block, and Overcoming Dyslexia. Kristin has also successfully led curriculum development projects in MA and has led multiple districts through a positive initial implementation process. |
Description | This graduate course will provide a scaffolded opportunity to learn more from foundational documents and key components of literacy as well as supplemental scholarly literature, tools, and activities that help to strengthen pedagogical practices and target interventions based on real live data. In addition to exploring resources on the site, learners will explore peer-reviewed research, critically examine their own literacy practice, reflect on the connections between identity, pedagogical practices, and new learning, and will design artifacts to leverage new learning using best practices in literacy, equity, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and MTSS. Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes As a result of the learning experiences in the course, you will:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Virtual Live or Asynchronous (sessions recorded and emailed) |
Location | Live and Recorded via Zoom; Online |
Dates & Times | Mondays, 5/5, 5/12 & 5/19; 9:30am – 11:30am Plus approximately (24) asynchronous hours |
PDPs | 30 PDPs |
Credit | Participants may choose to apply for 2 optional graduate credits |
Cost | $500 ACCEPT members/$600 non-members |
Registration Deadline | April 18, 2025 |
- Identify the current timelines related to the new IEP form to ensure proper implementation.
- Develop an understanding of the currently released IEP forms through direct exposure and practice scenarios.
- Understand the feedback related to the new IEP process and forms by the Early Adopter teams who piloted it early.
Price:
ACCEPT Member: $210
ACCEPT Non-Member: $250
Based on the popular work of master teacher mentors, Carol Pelletier (Mentoring in Action) and Lois Zachary (The Mentor’s Guide) and the MA DESE Mentoring Guidelines, this workshop is designed to provide practical and reflective principles and activities that help the teacher mentor maximize trust, collegiality, communication, reflection and personal growth with their mentee. The asynchronous format allows the mentor, to go at their own pace, while completing activities that will be useful in their mentoring journey.
This course focuses on the Effective Principles of Effective Mentoring as outlined in the work of Carol Pelletier in Mentoring in Action. This workshop lays the foundation for thoughtful, successful mentorship for either beginning teachers or teachers who are new to a district.
A second part of this course is being developed and will focus on the work of Lois Zachary (The Mentor’s Guide) and extends the 5 principles of effective mentoring into actionable practices for the mentor.
Pricing:
Member
- Single Registrant: $185
- District – 25 participants and below – $1560
- District – 26-100 participants – $1875
- District – 101-175 participants – $ 2030
- District – 176+ participants – $2340
Non-Member
- Single Registrant: $235
- District – 25 participants and below – $2600
- District – 26-100 participants – $3120
- District – 101-175 participants – $ 3510
- District – 176+ participants – $3900
This workshop is designed to help teachers and mentor teachers better understand the MA Teacher Evaluation System for the purpose of successful completion. The workshop is a step by step approach that allows participants to complete their own Educator Plan while completing the workshop.
The Four Focus Areas of the workshop include:
- Focus Area 1: Create a common understanding of the professional Standards for Educators and the Focus Indicators as defined by the DESE.
- Focus Area 2: Create strong student learning goals and action steps.
- Focus Area 3: Create strong professional practice goals and actions steps.
- Focus Area 4: Identify meaningful evidence and artifacts.
This course will take approximately 10 hours to complete.
Audience: Teachers who are unfamiliar with the Teacher Evaluation System or need a refresher, Mentor Teachers who are Assisting New Teachers through the Evaluation process.
Location: Online & Asynchronous
Earn: 10 PDPs
Pricing:
Member
- Single Registrant: $185
- District – 25 participants and below – $1560
- District – 26-100 participants – $1875
- District – 101-175 participants – $ 2030
- District – 176+ participants – $2340
Non-Member
- Single Registrant: $235
- District – 25 participants and below – $2600
- District – 26-100 participants – $3120
- District – 101-175 participants – $ 3510
- District – 176+ participants – $3900
In support of building instructional capacity and providing exemplary educational services for all students, ACCEPT has developed an affordable online paraprofessional training program. This program offers total flexibility, allowing participants to begin at any time during the year. Advanced tracking features also allow districts to see participants’ progress within each learning module to inform future professional development opportunities.
Each of the modules listed below requires approximately 2-3 hours to complete. They can be completed in any order. Our course utilizes the Blackboard online learning platform, one of the most widely used online course sites in higher education institutions. The ease-of-use and interactive features make this tool an invaluable resource to provide innovative professional development opportunities to your employees.
Pricing:
Member
- Less than 50 participants: $1460
- More than 50 participants: $1875
Non-Member
- Less than 50 participants: $2100
- More than 50 participants: $2600
Note: Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities: We want to provide the best learning experience for everyone in compliance of the ADA, should you require any accommodations to fully participate in this training please contact [email protected].