DESE's Educational Vision and the federal IDEA act emphasize the importance of providing all students, regardless of ability, opportunities and access to high-quality learning experiences in all content areas. DESE offers a variety of programming and resources to support this expectation.
DESE, in collaboration with Academic Discoveries, Inc., offers professional learning for district leadership teams through the Science Curriculum Adaptations Project for special Educators (SCAPE) Institute. The institute is a year-long professional learning experience for teams of science content leads along with special education leads. It is open to schools throughout the Commonwealth. Beginning with a 2-day in person kickoff, participants will experience a "train the trainer" institute that provides learning modules around best practices for science education, requirements for special education in all classrooms, universal design for learning, and assistive & adaptive technologies. The institute also provides facilitated strategic planning and networking for leadership teams to identify key goals for students with disabilities in their contexts. After the 2-day kickoff, participants attend three mandatory virtual check-ins throughout the year and may opt in to additional voluntary support sessions and technical support. Participating districts may also apply for a small amount of funding to support in-district professional learning, assistive technology purchases, or other relevant purchases.
The in-person institute will run on September 30–October 1, 2025 in Southborough, MA.
The application for the 2025-2026 SCAPE Institute is now OPEN! Applications close on June 6, 2025.
The office of Special Education Policy & Planning (SEPP) sponsors training available to educators around the state. View their training webpage for more information.
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) offers several resources specifically for science educators around making the science classroom accessible for all. Visit the Disabilities Resources page at NSTA.
Last Updated: June 2, 2025