SEIS - Collaborative for Educational Services

Special Education in Institutional Settings (SEIS)

The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is the Contracted Provider for Special Education in Institutional Settings (SEIS), a program of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Home E Children/Youth/Families E SEIS

Providing Special Education Services Statewide

SEIS Mission

The SEIS mission is to provide high quality special education services within a statewide education program in an interagency context, that will support SEIS students to transition from the host agency settings to the community, and facilitate student success in postsecondary pathways.

Overview

As the contracted Education Provider for the SEIS Program, CES recruits, hires and trains special education teachers; collaborates with host agency leaders in educational program improvement; designs and implements a statewide web-based student information system; supports coordinated technology development and curriculum integration; and monitors compliance with federal and state special education regulations.

Through the SEIS Program, CES ensures that special education services are provided to eligible students residing in host agency facilities. To the extent that resources allow, SEIS provides the special education services designated on the students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The school districts responsible for the students must provide any special education services that SEIS does not provide. The students’ school districts retain sole responsibility for evaluating, developing, and issuing an IEP and providing the notices associated with the mandated procedural safeguards. Additionally, in certain DMH and DPH facilities, SEIS provides a full day general education program to students.

Adult student works with teacher on a tablet.

Our Approach

Student success drives our work.

Across the state at SEIS programs, our commitment to students’ social, emotional, and academic success is at the forefront of our work.

Our approach to this work also depends on strong relationships and collaboration. We’ve cultivated relationships with host agencies and programs, sending districts, DESE, and DYS General Education teachers and leaders over the years we have held this contract.

There are over 310 special education students in more than 56 institutional settings across Massachusetts, all of whom have the right to a quality education. These students range from students with serious medical conditions, who may reside at the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children until they reach 22 years of age, to transitional age students in the CHC or DMH Adult programs who have self-identified as needing special education services, to students who have been placed into the care of DYS, or DMH.

Leadership and CES support for our front line educators is key.

We bring strong knowledge of and experience with special education programming, laws and regulations; and we care deeply about the work and each other. The program’s approach also focuses on clear goals for educator development and ways of measuring our progress, a strong supervision model, and extensive PD opportunities. The SEIS Professional Development and Curriculum department, in collaboration with the CES Professional Development Department, provides structured professional development (PD) to support educators to help their students learn to the best of their ability. Within the Host Agencies we work with a diverse population of students with varying degrees of need. This requires the educators to have a toolkit of strategies to be able to make the curriculum accessible and to reach all learners.

CES also enhances education through robust technology support with tools like Chromebooks, iPads, and assistive technology, along with rapid tech support and seamless updates. Our comprehensive technology plan under the SEIS contract focuses on cutting-edge instructional strategies, data protection, and IT quality assurance to ensure a secure and effective learning environment. By integrating innovative technologies and stakeholder input, CES aims to advance personalized learning and prepare students for future needs while maintaining a secure educational infrastructure.

SEIS Program Locations

Department of Youth Services (DYS)

DYS provides youth in residential care with a comprehensive general education program, and SEIS provides special education services to eligible youth.
DYS’s general education services are extensively coordinated with the SEIS program to facilitate an integrated and inclusive approach that permits educational access to all students, with a focus on college and career readiness and successful transitions to the community.
The following are types of DYS programs in which SEIS provides services:

Pre-trial Detention Programs
Assessment Programs
Long Term Secure Treatment Programs
Short Term Secure Treatment Programs

Department of Mental Health (DMH)

SEIS provides special education services for eligible students in 18 designated DMH residential facilities, 6 of which serve children and adolescents and 10 of which serve adults.
In the child/adolescent DMH programs, SEIS provides special education services and a full day academic program.
SEIS works with the local school district to enable the student to receive academic credit from the school district for course work completed while in the DMH site.
In adult facilities, students receive clinical services from DMH staff during the day, while SEIS provides special education services and academic programming integrated with these services as permitted by each DMH site and coordinated with students’ individual clinical schedule needs.
The following are DMH program types in which SEIS provides services:

Intensive Residential Treatment (IRTP)
Clinically Intensive Residential Treatment (CIRT)
Inpatient Care Units
Adult Units

County Houses of Correction (CHC)

SEIS provides special education services to eligible students with disabilities up to age 22 who are incarcerated in thirteen of the Commonwealth’s County Houses of Correction.
CHCs are operated under the jurisdiction of a sheriff, and house individuals who are awaiting trial, as well as those who have sentences up to two and one-half years.
SEIS educators provide special education services tailored to meet the student’s needs on the IEP and delivered through one-to-one and group instruction.
CHCs provide their own in-house educational services that may include high school equivalency test (HiSET) preparation, Title I, Adult Basic Education, vocational training and other rehabilitation services.

Department of Public Health (DPH)

SEIS provides special education services to students ages 6 through 21 at the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children (PRHC), a center for rehabilitation services for children located in Canton and operated by the Department of Public Health (DPH).
Students are eligible for admission to PRHC if they have special health care needs and require a medically based program.
Admission to PRHC is determined by the Admissions Committee and based upon whether the child or young adult meets the hospital criteria for medical/rehabilitative management.
DPH provides medical, clinical, therapeutic and recreational services at PRHC, while SEIS provides content-based instruction and special education services.