Current Professional Development Opportunities
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Integrating Digital Tools to Support Students with Disabilities and Unique Learning Styles
Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each student has an individual style of learning. Not all students in a classroom learn a subject in the same way or share the same level of ability. Technology Integration, which supports differentiated instruction, is a method of designing and delivering instruction to best reach each student.
Beyond Behavior: Supporting Today’s Youth Through Intentional Learning Environment Design
This course helps teachers reframe classroom challenges through a skill-development lens and provides practical, teacher-controlled strategies for designing learning environments that support today’s learners, without adding new programs or workload.
By the end of this course, teachers will leave with a clear, actionable system for addressing student behavior through instructional design, reducing frustration, increasing engagement, and improving classroom outcomes without adding workload.
Project-Based Learning for English Language Learners
Project-Based Learning (PBL) engages students in exploring real-world problems and challenges through sustained inquiry, collaboration, and authentic learning experiences. In this course, educators will examine PBL through the lens of English Learners (ELs), focusing on how project-based experiences can promote both content learning and language acquisition. Using Suzie Boss’s Project Based Teaching as a foundation, participants will explore key elements of PBL, including challenging questions, sustained inquiry, authenticity, student voice and choice, reflection, critique and revision, and public products. Educators will also explore the benefits of PBL for ELs and practical strategies for supporting language development across all four domains—listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Leading Integrated SEI MTSS Systems: A Professional Development Course for Massachusetts School Administrators
Massachusetts school administrators bear direct legal, programmatic, and instructional accountability for the English language development of Multilingual Learners (MLLs). Yet in most Massachusetts schools, the Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework operate as parallel systems — and the students who most need coherent, integrated support fall through the gap between them.
Co-Teaching to Maximize Student Learning
This workshop is designed to support educators in strengthening effective co-teaching practices, and purposeful differentiation to meet the needs of diverse learners. Using Anne Beninghof’s research-based books as mentor texts, participants will explore practical, classroom-ready strategies that align with inclusive practices and high-impact instruction. This session is ideal for general education teachers, special education teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators seeking to strengthen inclusive instruction and collaborative teaching models.
Providing Reading Intervention for Students PreK-3
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.
Providing Reading Intervention for Students Grades 4-9
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.
Science of Reading
This course provides a strong foundation in the best practices of literacy instruction. Essential areas of reading instruction are addressed: understanding the science of reading, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, vocabulary development, fluency, and comprehension.
Literacy Foundations for English Learners
This course serves as a foundation in the methods, materials and approaches for teaching foundational literacy to English learners in grades PK-4. Educators will be provided a scaffolded opportunity to learn more from foundational documents and key components of the Mass Literacy site as well as supplemental scholarly literature, tools, and activities that help to strengthen pedagogical practices and accelerate the outcomes of all English Learners.
Executive Functioning and Reading Comprehension
This graduate course explores the critical connection between executive functioning skills and reading comprehension. Participants will examine how cognitive processes such as working memory, attention, self-regulation, and flexible thinking influence a student’s ability to construct meaning from text.
Student Centered Instructional Coaching
This graduate course examines how instructional coaching can dramatically improve educational outcomes through an intentional, student-centered approach. Grounded in Student-Centered Coaching by Diane Sweeney, participants will explore evidence-based coaching practices that shift the focus from teacher behavior to student learning. Coursework emphasizes fostering collaborative partnerships with educators, using data to drive instructional decision-making, and building sustainable systems for literacy improvement.
Designing Inclusive Schools through Leadership
This 15 PDP asynchronous course is designed for educators seeking to build inclusive school systems that support the academic, social, and emotional success of all learners. Participants will explore leadership practices that foster equitable access, collaborative instruction, and a culture of belonging for students across diverse learning needs and backgrounds. The course emphasizes practical strategies for creating sustainable systems.
Professional Development for Speech & Language Pathologists
Participants can choose to participate in individual sessions or sign up for both sessions.
Morning Session 9am – 11am: Assessing The Pre-verbal Skills That Facilitate Speech and Language Development in Children
A lot of things happen in a child’s brain before they can learn to talk. Yet we often view speech and language development beginning with sound production via babbling and vocal play. In reality, there are many other developmental skills that must be acquired before a child can become a successful verbal communicator. This presentation will focus on the idea that we should start communication training at the child’s level of pre-linguistic skills, rather than their chronological age. An assessment of pre-linguistic skills should be included in any early intervention or early preschool assessment if the child is minimally verbal or preverbal. These pre-linguistic skills will be developmentally identified and discussed. Participants will also receive examples of readily available assessment tools for evaluation purposes.
Afternoon Session 12pm – 2pm: Motor Speech Development in Children ~ Exploring the Differences Between Childhood Apraxia of Speech and Autism Spectrum Disorder
We all have these children on our caseloads – the kids who experience developmental delays in the acquisition of expected early speech development. More often than not, we struggle to answer the parental question “why is my child not talking”? So many variables to consider, but today we will focus on two of the most challenging reasons – oral/speech apraxia versus developmental speech delay and how it differs in children who are and are not, on the autism spectrum. The speaker will present a treatment protocol and activities designed to maximize the potential for a student’s development of verbal communication.
Professional Development Series for School Counselors and School Adjustment Counselors
Participants can choose to participate in individual sessions or sign up for the entire series over the school year.
Session 1: The Counselor’s Compass
Friday, October 9th, 12pm – 2pm
A working session on professional direction. Counselors clarify the values that guide their decisions, examine where the day-to-day role has drifted from those values, and map concrete next steps — so the position they hold matches the professional they’ve become.
Session 2: New Tools, Same Ethics: AI and the School Counselor
Friday, January 15th, 12pm – 2pm
AI has arrived in students’ lives and counselors’ workflows ahead of the guidance. This workshop applies the ethical standards counselors already know to new terrain: student confidentiality and data privacy, appropriate use of AI in counseling tasks, college essays and recommendations, and how to talk with students about the AI in their lives.
Session 3: Unmasking Self-Doubt
Wednesday, April 7th, 12pm – 2pm
Imposter feelings are common among skilled, experienced counselors — and rarely discussed. This workshop names the pattern, examines where it shows up in counseling work, and offers grounded strategies for meeting self-doubt with evidence rather than avoidance.
Session 4: You Are More Than Your To-Do List
Friday, May 21st, 12pm – 2pm
School counselors carry caseloads, crises, and everyone else’s priorities. This workshop helps counselors step back from the task list, reconnect with the purpose that brought them to the work, and leave with practical tools — including a brief mindfulness practice — for staying grounded during the busiest weeks of the year.
SEI Teacher Endorsement Course
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.
Transition Planning for Success
This workshop is designed to support educators, administrators, related service providers, and transition specialists in developing high-quality transition plans. Participants will deepen their understanding of state and federal requirements with a focus on effective transition planning. They will explore best practices for creating plans aligned with students’ strengths, interests, and preferences. Participants will learn how to use age-appropriate transition assessments, engage students and families as active partners, and coordinate with community agencies. Through practical examples, case studies, and interactive activities, attendees will gain tools and strategies to improve compliance, strengthen IEP transition components, and promote equitable, student-centered planning.
Data-Based Decision Making and MTSS
Unlock the power of data to enhance student outcomes with our in-depth workshop on Data-Based Decision Making and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). This workshop is tailored for educators, school leaders, and support staff who are committed to leveraging data to drive instructional practices and support all students effectively.
School-Based Speech Pathology From A-Z: 26 Essential Lessons Learned
Does grad school teach us everything we need to know to be a successful Speech Pathologist – not likely. In any profession, on the job experience is where and how we become seasoned and respected professionals. The speaker will share with the audience the benefits of her experience including how her medical career made her a more effective school based SLP. These essential lessons will have relevance to any SLP practicing in a school environment and will include our roles in assessment, therapy, advocacy, documentation and team building. Join us for a relaxing and insightful conversation on how to become our best professional selves.
McKinney-Vento Mandated Liaison Training for Massachusetts Educators
This session will be tailored to Massachusetts educators. Session topics include every stage of McKinney-Vento implementation: identification, enrollment, eligibility, school selection, transportation, dispute resolution, data collection, and liaison responsibilities. Facilitators also share practical strategies for balancing these duties alongside other professional responsibilities, with dedicated time for self-care and peer connection.
Each cohort is uniquely shaped by its members. Participants engage in scenario-based learning, real-world problem-solving, and open dialogue. Before sessions begin, members complete a brief survey to help guide focus areas and establish shared group goals and norms, ensuring every cohort experience is relevant, collaborative, and supportive.
The Massachusetts Liaison Pro Registration includes:
- One user account on the Mckinney-Vento.org Data Tool
- Access to the 6-hour comprehensive liaison training course and the next level liaison course: Pathways to Mastery: Advanced Practices for McKinney-Vento Liaisons
- Access to the liaison resource library
- 6-week live group training sessions with MV expert advisors (weekly meetings)
- Access to monthly discussions, data tool tips & tricks, networking, and strategy sessions
- Discount on Essential Staff training for districts