Support for the NEW Massachusetts IEP
We want to support you in implementing the changes to the Massachusetts IEP!
The new Massachusetts IEP is much more student oriented and personalized, and classroom teachers will be more involved in informing the document and the process than in the past.
CES Specialists have developed a group of resources. Scroll down to see each of these, below.
- A new IEP Hotline Subscription service
- A free, downloadable IEP Toolkit
- A suite of on-site and online training for individuals, schools, and districts
CES also offers technical assistance to meet your specific needs, and transition assessments and planning for schools and districts across Massachusetts, supporting special education students ages 14-22 and their teams to develop their plan to transition to the community from school settings.
Resources and Training
CES IEP Hotline
This new service is for Massachusetts Special Education Directors and Education Team Leaders. Professionals can get their important and timely IEP questions answered! Subscribers to the IEP Hotline can submit their questions to our online, FERPA and HIPAA compliant Hotline ticketing system. Tickets submitted through the system will receive a response from CES’ expert specialists within 24 hours.
The advice and information offered by this Hotline does not constitute legal advice, nor should it be considered legal advice. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact an attorney.
Individual subscriptions to the Hotline are $350 per person for one year of unlimited access. District accounts may be available at special pricing. To explore district accounts, please contact Angela Burke at aburke@collaborative.org.
Massachusetts IEP Toolkit
Our IEP Toolkit is a series of free digital, downloadable resources to support teams for implementing the new Massachusetts IEP.
This online resource provides view-only access to the folder and subfolders – and visitors may make their own copies of forms and resources for their use, or download copies to their desktop. The IEP Toolkit has been created by CES Special Education Specialists for Special Education Directors, Education Team Leaders, Special and General Education Teachers, and Related Services Providers. Resources contained in the CES IEP Toolkit relate only to the Massachusetts IEP.
The CES IEP Toolkit is available under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND license. This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
Online, Asynchronous Training
Our new fully online, asynchronous course, Understanding and Navigating the New Massachusetts IEP, provides Special Education Team Leaders, Special Education Teachers, Classroom Teachers, and Building Administrators with the tools they need to effectively participate in and maximize the impact of Massachusetts’ new IEP process, and to engage with the new process and documentation. This course is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing all educators and providers to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. Through interactive modules, practical examples, and expert insights, they will be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to skillfully participate in the new IEP process
If your school or district needs to introduce the IEP requirements to a large number of staff members at once, track staff engagement and understanding via ongoing reports, and save on the staff capacity needed to develop high quality training content, CES offers cost effective volume pricing and high quality content. To learn more about volume pricing, please email Angela Burke at aburke@collaborative.org.
Bringing Training to You
CES specialists are available to provide on-site training and coaching for your administrators, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and related services providers. To schedule on-site training, please contact Angela Burke at aburke@collaborative.org.
Courses we have brought to districts:
- A Step by Step Approach to the 8 IEP Sections
- Writing IEP Goals
- Generating Student Profiles from Evaluations and Team Input
- Strategies for Including Student Voice
- Transition Planning
- Accommodations & Modifications
- Data-informed Current Performance Levels and Goals in the New MA IEP
- The New MA IEP for Administrators
- New MA IEP for Special Education Parent Advisory Council
- Inclusive Practices and the New IEP
- The New Massachusetts Draft IEP: Referral, Evaluation, & Eligibility Guidance
Meet the CES Team
Laurel Peltier
Laurel Peltier holds an Ed.D. in Special Education Leadership and C.A.G.S. in Special Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as well as a professional license as a Special Education Administrator in Massachusetts. She has over 25 years of experience in transition assessment, planning and service delivery, and has provided leadership for transition in public schools and at the college level. Prior to joining the team at CES, Laurel developed and led public and private secondary school programs for students with disabilities, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in special education and writing, and acted as a consultant and professional development provider for more than 20 school districts in Massachusetts. Her most recent post was with the Amherst Pelham Regional High School. In addition to her professional experience, Laurel brings experience as the parent of a child with autism and intellectual disabilities.
Position: Curriculum and Instructional Specialist in Special Education
Email: lpeltier@collaborative.org
Mary Geiring
Mary A. Geiring is a CES Special Education Co – Teaching and Inclusion Specialist in the Professional Development Department. She holds a Special Education Ph.D. from the University of New Orleans in 2018, a Masters of Science in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Sacred Heart University. She is a member of the American Education Research Association, the National Association for Special Educators, the National Association for Multicultural Education, and the Council for Exceptional Children. Her major areas of research include teacher collaboration, teacher preparation, responsive classroom, teacher induction, and inclusion practices. Prior to joining CES, Mary was an LEA Facilitator at Muscogee County Schools in Columbus, GA. Her previous experience includes Program Director of the Special Education and Habilitative Services Department at the University of New Orleans, and over nine years of experience as a special education instructor in school settings.
Position: Curriculum and Instructional Specialist
Email: mgeiring@collaborative.org
Sharon Jones, M.Ed.
Sharon Jones worked in public school districts for 34 years prior to joining the Collaborative for Educational Services, including nine years of service as Administrator of Special Education in the Pioneer Valley Regional School District. She has worked as both a special education and general education teacher; assistant principal; educational diagnostician/consultant; and inclusion specialist. Sharon has taught courses on inclusion for the University of Massachusetts. Sharon is widely known for her expertise in helping schools and teachers adopt the structures, dispositions and skills for effective co-teaching. Sharon coaches co-teachers across the State of Massachusetts, and provides mentorship and guidance for educational leaders. She conducts Professional Development for schools and districts on the topics of inclusion, co-teaching, paraprofessional instructional improvement, differentiation, UDL, disability awareness and ableism. Several times a year, Sharon conducts thorough and in depth inclusion studies for individual schools or school districts which include multiple-year improvement plans. Sharon also co-facilitates the Special Education Team Leader Institute which is a year long training program designed to meet the specific needs of Educational Team Leaders.
Position: Curriculum and Instructional Specialist in Special Education
Email: sjones@collaborative.org
Faye Brady Ed.D.
Dr. Faye Brady has been working with young people and their families for more than 40 years. She has worked as a preschool teacher, a therapist, an Education Team Leader and for the past 15 years worked in central office as a Director of Student Services. Faye has worked closely with teachers, related service providers, and school administrators to develop high quality services and programs to address the needs of diverse learners.
Faye received a B.A. in Human Services from Antioch College, her M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from University of Maryland, and her Doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.D.) from Seton Hall University. She maintains her license as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work (L.I.C.S.W) in MA as well as licensure in MA as a Special Education Administrator. Faye has found that her clinical background and experience has helped support her work with students and families as a school administrator.
