Current Available Professional Development Courses
- Superintendent
- Administrator of Special Education, All Levels
- Principal/Assistant Principal, levels PK-6, 5-8, 9-12
- Teacher of Moderate Disabilities, levels PK-5, 5-8, 9-12
- SEI Endorsed
- Have a deeper understanding of how different disabilities impact access to curriculum and how to more effectively plan lessons and their end goals.
- Fully understand the language and information provided in IEPs.
- Make meaning from student academic and psychological evaluations to provide better instruction.
- Describe special education processes in Massachusetts.
- Describe different special education programs and how they support students.
- The background of dyslexia
- The history of the Orton-Gillingham approach
- Phonological and phonemic awareness
- Phonics and spelling rules
- Strategies for multi-sensory instruction
- Spelling and phonics rules
- Types of syllables
- Syllable division
- Orton-Gillingham lesson planning
- Design lessons using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which offer a wide range of ways in ELs can participate and meet the lesson’s goals
- Understand the different levels and abilities of ELs and how to communicate with them
- Have useful information about modifying communication methods and resources available to help with meeting the needs of their ELs
- Recognize the need for incorporating culturally responsive teaching practices and racial diversity into classroom curriculum
- Prevalence, Contributing Factors, and Implications
- The Impact of Trauma on Student Performance
- The impact of Anxiety and Depression on Student Engagement
- The Impact of ADHD and Other Behavioral Disorders on Student Engagement
- Promoting Wellness, Utilizing Resources, and Building Resilience
Audience | K – 12 Art Teachers |
Presenter Name(s) | Kathryn Lobo, ESL Teacher, Brown Middle School, Newton |
Presenter Bio(s) | |
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 |
Dates & Times | Wednesdays, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27 & 4/27/24; 4:00pm – 7:00pm |
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 16, 2023 |
Audience: All Educators
Presenter: Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo
Bio: Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo is an educational consultant and the founder and CEO of Empower ED School Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in special education and inclusion. Dr. Rufo currently provides professional development on inclusive practices and related topics to school districts, organizations, and families in 15 states and Australia. She also serves as a consultant to the United States Department of Justice on special education-related matters.
Dr. Rufo is the co-author of Reimagining Special Education: Using Inclusion As a Framework To Build Equity and Support All Students, and The Way to Inclusion: Creating Schools Where Every Student Belongs. Prior to her consulting work, Dr. Rufo served as a special education teacher, inclusion facilitator, policy specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Education, Special Education Director, and Assistant Superintendent. She was inspired to enter the field of education by her sister Nina, who has multiple disabilities and complex support needs. Dr. Rufo views education as her calling and is passionate about creating an equitable school system for ALL learners.
Description: This workshop provides an introduction to the UDL framework. Strategies for “designing from the start” and reducing predictable barriers are reviewed. The UDL principles of providing multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement are broken down into actionable strategies that can be implemented in classrooms. The modeling of effective instructional and engagement strategies are utilized throughout this participant-centered workshop.
Location: Live In-person at ACCEPT Education Collaborative
Dates & Times: Friday, March 8, 2024; 8:30am – 11:30am
PDPs: 3
Cost: $150 ACCEPT members/ $180 non-members
Registration Deadline: March 1, 2024
Name | Including Students with Complex Needs in General Education |
Audience | All Educators |
Presenter Name(s) | Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo |
Presenter Bio(s) | Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo is an educational consultant and the founder and CEO of Empower ED School Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in special education and inclusion. Dr. Rufo currently provides professional development on inclusive practices and related topics to school districts, organizations, and families in 15 states and Australia. She also serves as a consultant to the United States Department of Justice on special education-related matters.
Dr. Rufo is the co-author of Reimagining Special Education: Using Inclusion As a Framework To Build Equity and Support All Students, and The Way to Inclusion: Creating Schools Where Every Student Belongs. Prior to her consulting work, Dr. Rufo served as a special education teacher, inclusion facilitator, policy specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Education, Special Education Director, and Assistant Superintendent. She was inspired to enter the field of education by her sister Nina, who has multiple disabilities and complex support needs. Dr. Rufo views education as her calling and is passionate about creating an equitable school system for ALL learners. |
Description | Educators often become “stuck” when thinking about how to include students with the most complex needs in general education. In this workshop, we review the importance of meaningful and authentic inclusion for students with complex needs and educate teachers on ways to break down complex topics in accessible ways. The concept of “essentialization,” or identifying the most essential components of the curriculum and developing access points for students with significant disabilities, is introduced. Participants will have an opportunity to view examples in practice and then engage in the essentialization process themselves. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Live In Person |
Location | ACCEPT Collaborative, 4 Tech Circle, Natick |
Dates & Times | Friday, March 8, 2024; 12:30pm – 3:30pm |
PDPs | 3 |
Credits | n/a |
Cost | $150 ACCEPT members/ $180 non-members |
Registration Deadline | March 1, 2024 |
Audience | K – 12 Librarians |
Presenter Name(s) | Barbara Fecteau |
Presenter Bio(s) | Barbara Fecteau has been the Library Media Specialist at Beverly High School since 2005. She is a senior visiting instructor of library media at Salem State University. She has been involved with the Massachusetts School Library Association and the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award and really needs to rein in her desire to do all the Massachusetts library things! When not librarianing, she enjoys swimming and watching soothing half-hour comedies. And reading, of course. |
Description | This course fulfills the requirement for 15 hours in English Language Teaching & Learning required for recertification. This professional development course, specifically created for School Librarians, focuses on the English language/multilingual learner experience, EL/ML law, teaching all learners, connecting with families and EL/ML teachers and ways to make our space and resources more welcoming to EL/ML students. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Hybrid – Two live sessions with asynchronous time in between |
Location | Live via Zoom and online |
Dates & Times | Live Zoom Sessions: Saturdays, March 9th & March 30th, 2024; 9:00am – 12:00pm; approximately 9 asynchronous hours online in between sessions |
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 26, 2024 |
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 | March 20th & 27th; April 3rd, 10th & 24th; 4pm – 7pm May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th; June 5th & 12th; 4pm – 7pm Capstone Presentations: Monday, June 17, 2024; 4:00pm – 8:00pm Whole Class Make Up Sessions (if needed): Fridays, May 10th, May 31st & June 21st |
PDPs | SEI endorsement and 67.5 PDPs |
Credits | Participants may choose to apply for (3) optional graduate credits for an additional fee of $225 payable to Worcester State University. |
Cost | $425 |
Registration Deadline | March 6, 2024 |
Audience | Grade K-12 Teachers, Counselors, Social Workers and Administrators |
Presenter Name(s) | Kelly Mertens, M.Ed., CAGS |
Presenter Bio(s) | Kelly Mertens, M.Ed., CAGS, has worked in special education for the past eighteen years. She is currently a Supervisor of Special Education for Stoneham Public Schools. Previous to this position, she was a Special Education Administrator for Lexington Public Schools. Kelly is also an adjunct faculty member at Boston University (where she focuses on student teacher programs that include teachers at the Landmark School in Beverly), Salem State University and a consultant for EDCO Collaborative. She has provided extensive PD for districts across the state. Kelly was a special education teacher at both the middle and high school level.
Kelly earned her Bachelor’s degree from Union College, a Master’s degree in Special Education from Salem State University and a C.A.G.S. in School Leadership and Administration from American International College.
Kelly is an approved independent PDP provider through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Massachusetts and holds the following licenses:
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Description | This workshop satisfies the requirement for 15 PDPs in Special Education for recertification. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview about the special education process. This course will help staff to understand, instruct, and assess students with varying disabilities, as well as collaborate to employ strategies that ultimately help all students access curriculum. Staff enrolled in this course will learn the ins and outs of special education in the state of Massachusetts that include the referral and eligibility process as well as the development and implementation of the IEP. Together, we will “unpack” both an academic and a psychological evaluation to further understand how these results can inform teachers when planning to ensure they are reaching all students. A variety of teaching methods will be modeled, and the course lessons will be presented using presentations, videos and current articles and publications. Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:
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Synchronous / Asynchronous | Asynchronous |
Location | Online |
Dates & Times | January 22 – March 11, 2024 |
PDPs | 15 |
Credit | 1 optional graduate credit available for an additional fee of $125 payable to Worcester State University |
Cost | $295 ACCEPT members/$355 non-members |
Registration Deadline | January 8, 2024 |
This two part series will include (2) three hour asynchronous workshops that will guide all SPED, General Ed teachers & administrators through the new proposed IEP process and forms currently being developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
These workshops have been developed by current Early Adopters from school districts who have piloted the new form.
Workshop 1: Introduction: The First 4 Sections of the New Form
Objectives for this workshop will include:
- 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 provided by the Early Adopter teams as it relates to anticipated changes.
A second workshop, Implementation & Guidance to the Finalized IEP Process and Forms, will be available once DESE has finalized the rollout date.
The objectives for Part II of this workshop will focus on providing strategies for full implementation and continued guidance once the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has finalized the new IEP process and forms.
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.
REGISTER
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
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.
Audience | Educators and Paraprofessionals |
Presenter Name(s) | Anne Donovan, M.Ed, BCBA, LABA |
Presenter Bio(s) | Anne Donovan, M.Ed, BCBA, LABA, has been serving as the Director of ACCEPT Education Collaborative’s School Consultation & Assessment Services for over 10 years. She received a Masters Degree in Education and is a licensed Special Education Administrator and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Anne has extensive experience working with public school districts and Collaboratives to develop a range of special education programs and services and provide professional development opportunities to build districts’ capacity to meet the needs of diverse student populations. She has presented at numerous conferences and workshops on a variety of topics in the field of Special Education, and she also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Bridgewater State University and Framingham State University where she teaches graduate level courses. Anne’s interests include special education program development and improvement based on systemic evaluation. She has an advanced certification in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) and works to apply these principles in the program evaluations she conducts in order to help administrative teams determine strengths and areas for improvement within their school district’s special education programs. She has also participated in several initiatives with the Massachusetts DESE, including being a trained strategic planning facilitator using the Planning for Success (PfS) framework. |
Description | This course will introduce participants to basic concepts and principles of behavior analysis as they relate to children and adolescents, with an emphasis on students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and related developmental disabilities. Participants will become knowledgeable about evidence-based interventions, based on basic principles of behavior, for intervening on behalf of children and adolescents in educational settings. This is a fully asynchronous course that includes both face-to-face meetings and online learning modules that meet the requirements set forth by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board® for the 40-hour training program based on the RBT Task List. Participants are required to complete a Competencies Assessment administered by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst following the training in order to be eligible to apply for RBTcertification.* RBT exam study-guide materials will also be provided to participants who wish to pursue RBT certification following the training. * Participants will be required to secure a Board Certified Behavior Analyst to administer the Competencies Assessment on their own, as this service is not included as part of the 40-hour training program. ACCEPT Education Collaborative does not guarantee that participants will pass all portions of the Competencies Assessment following the training program or guarantee that individuals will be approved for Registered Behavior TechnicianTM status by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. This training program is based on the Registered Behavior Technician Task List and is designed to meet the 40-hour training requirement for the RBT credential. The program is offered independent of the BACB. |
Synchronous / Asynchronous | Asynchronous |
Location | Online |
Dates & Times | Online January 19, 2024 – March 10, 2024 |
PDPs | 40 |
Credit | 3 optional graduate credits may be available for an additional fee |
Cost | Individual Rate: $480 ACCEPT members / $550 non-members Group Rate: 3 or more Participants (ACCEPT members) $455 / $525 (non-members) |
Registration Deadline | January 5, 2024 |