The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is pleased to offer seven intensive professional development Academies designed to aid school and district teams with the implementation of tiered systems of instruction and support. Any district may apply for these MTSS Academies. However, please note that first priority will be given to districts with at least one school identified as 'Requiring Assistance' by the Massachusetts accountability system (in particular districts with schools that are in percentiles 1-10, have one or more specific student groups identified as "low performing", and/or has a high school with low graduation rates). Additional teams will be accepted for participation based on availability, readiness, and relative need.
MTSS Academy webinar, 05/04/2022
These Academies below have reached full capacity. If you'd like to be added to the waitlist, please email mtss@mass.gov with name of the program.
The MTSS Academies are being offered as part of a portfolio of DESE-sponsored opportunities for districts to receive targeted support during the 2022-2023 school year. Information and applications for all opportunities can be found in the newly developed Center for School and District Partnership (CSDP) Targeted Partnership Program Catalog.
Use this application form to apply for one or more programs in the catalog. You can apply as a single school or as a district team. Districts applying for the MTSS Academies are encouraged to apply for school and/or district teams that are ready and committed to participate in a rigorous, multi-year professional development opportunity. For questions, please reach out to Rebecca Shor .
When applying to one of the MTSS Academies, please also be aware of the following information:
Culturally Responsive Practice Leadership Academy (District Focus): BlackPrint Consulting will offer a multi-year academy targeted toward groups of influential and strategic district leaders. The CRPL Academy aims to support district leadership in building internal local capacity to weave culturally responsive practices and a racial equity lens throughout their pedagogy, policies, structures, and systems. To this end, we will support leaders as they learn the foundational content of equity and eventually create strategic goals to embed culturally responsive and equitable practices across their districts. We will examine content on the intersection of race, culture, class, and schooling, accompanied by personalized consulting and guidance towards the adoption of a districtwide framework and the construction of goals.
Goals:
During the 2022-2023 School year we will:
To learn more about the district-focused CRPL Academy, please read this flyer or the Academy-At-A-Glance summary.
The Culturally Responsive Teaching Academy, led by AdaptiveX, is focused on building school-level leadership, knowledge, and expertise in culturally responsive teaching. Schools select teams of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) Leaders to be trained in research-based "Promising Practices." These leaders support teachers on-site through a dynamic peer learning cycle consisting of six modules.
During this 3-year Academy:
To learn more about the school-focused CRT Academy, please read this flyer or the Academy-At-A-Glance summary.
Join internationally recognized leaders in the field, led by Novak Education Consulting, for a 3-year Inclusive Instruction Academy! Research shows that outcomes for students are improved when they are educated in inclusive environments that meet their needs. Our main goal is to provide customized support to effectively include students with diverse learning needs in their general education settings with a focus on universal design for learning. Below are the main Academy goals:
Each year during this 3 year Academy, participating teams will receive:
You can learn more about this by reviewing our overview flyer , reviewing our Academy-At-A Glance summary or by contacting Kristan Rodriguez, Academy Manager.
This three-year Tiered Literacy Academy is dedicated to evidence-based literacy and acceleration practices in tier 1. The Academy will also focus on targeted and intensive literacy support for students in tiers 2 and 3. In addition, the Academy will work with teams to design schools that have high quality instructional materials, evidence-based instructional and intervention practices, and robust assessments. Finally, the Academy also will provide support for staffing, scheduling, and data models designed for effective tiered systems.
The Tiered Literacy Academy goals include:
Each year during this 3 year Academy, participants will receive:
DESE, in collaboration with US Math Recovery Council, is pleased to offer an intensive multi-year professional development and technical support experience designed to collaborate with school and district teams to develop and implement a tiered system of mathematics support.
The content of the Tiered Mathematics Academy coursework and meetings will focus on:
Massachusetts Tiered Math Academy Timeline:
MR Intervention Specialist:Intensive year-long course (for an interventionist, a special educator and/or a math coach)
(Highly recommended for serving students grades K–2)
Add+VantageMR Champion Course:Leadership course for facilitating AVMR Course 1 & 2 in-district (Prerequisites of MRSp1 and AVMR C1 & C2)
Implementation & Support
Technical support focuses on Math Leadership Team:
If needed, Add+VantageMR Champion Course:Leadership course for facilitating AVMR Course 1 & 2 in-district (Prerequisites of MRSp1 and AVMR C1 & C2)
Technical support:
Add+VantageMR (AVMR) Course 1 and 2:
Or Add+VantageMR Fractions
Add+VantageMR (AVMR) Course 1 and 2
Or
Add+VantageMR Fractions
Technical Support:
*A 4th year of support may be provided depending on need and available funding.
To learn more, feel free to read this flyer or the Academy-At-A-Glance summary, or view this informational video.
A strong system of social, emotional, and behavioral supports—across all three MTSS tiers has been shown to lead to positive outcomes for students including academic success and positive mental health. The Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Academy, led by Education Development Center, will support districts in building evidence-based, data-driven, and culturally responsive systems of support using two research-based frameworks: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
In year 1, participating district and school teams will select one of two tracks—SEL or PBIS, and receive focused professional development and coaching to build local capacity to implement programs, practices, and policies organized around either of these two frameworks. Throughout the three-year journey, teams will participate in academy-wide events directed at the integration of social, emotional, and behavioral supports.
Over the course of three years, teams will work closely with academy subject matter experts on the following:
To learn more, feel free to read this flyer or the Academy-At-A-Glance summary.
What is the Academy?
The Systemic Student Support (S3) Academy is co-facilitated by the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy and Boston College Lynch School of Education's Center for Thriving Children. We partner with schools to reimagine student support to focus on the holistic development of every child. A strengths-based, preventative approach to student support will become part of the foundational structure of each participating school, ensuring that every child receives the support they need at the time they need it.
How do we do this?
Research from Boston College's Center for Thriving Children shows evidence that when schools address the individual and holistic needs of each and every child through an integrated student support model, student outcomes are positively affected. Research further shows that taking a whole child, every child approach to student support leads to:
Last Updated: September 19, 2022
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