Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Logo
Student and Family Support (SFS)

Educational Stability Office Hours and Training Resources


Office Hours

This forum is hosted by the Educational Stability Team for homeless liaisons, foster care points of contact, and DCF, district, provider staff to ask questions, discuss current issues and share best practices for supporting highly mobile students and their access to a public education. Offices Hours are encouraged. Registration Is Now Required to Receive Log-in.

Most office hour sessions will include a one-hour informational/best practices series webinar and a half hour for follow-up Q&A. Please see table below for training topics and registration.

TopicDate
(second Wednesday of every month unless specified)
TimeRegistration Link for Log-in
Special Education, LEA Assignment (New IEP form)November 13, 202410:00 to 11:30 amRegistration
Addressing BarriersDecember 11, 2024
Family Engagement to Support Educational StabilityJanuary 8, 2025
Connection to ResourcesFebruary 12, 2025
Transportation Guidelines and PracticesMarch 12, 2025
EnrollmentApril 9, 2025
Best Interest Determinations for Foster Care StudentsMay 14, 2025

Training Resources

Educational Stability Training Modules

Developed in-house by the Team these modules are each 30 to 60 minutes long, topic focused and Massachusetts specific. Feel free to use them for your own reference or as part of staff training. The Team will be adding modules on an ongoing basis to cover the Nuts and Bolts as well as Hot Topics. We hope you find these helpful. If you have any questions, join us for Office Hours (see above) or contact us at achievement@mass.gov .

Orientations to Educational Stability

Join us for full-day, in-person training sessions to gain an overview and basic understanding of ensuring access to public school education for students who are homeless, in foster care, or from migratory or military-connected families. The training will cover federal and state educational rights, student needs, and best practices for providing support. These sessions are designed for homeless education liaisons, foster care points of contact, family engagement specialists, district staff, and administrators who support highly mobile students. State and local service providers, DCF social workers, and staff are welcome to attend.

Dates and locations:

  • October 10, 2024, DESE, 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149.
  • October 8, 2024, Worcester Technical High School, 1 Officer Manny Familia Way, Worcester, MA 01605.
  • October 17, 2024, Fort Taber Community Center, 1000 S Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02744.

All dates/locations follow the same agenda and run from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The agenda includes a lunch break on your own.

To join the Educational Stability Team at one of these sessions, registration is required as space is limited. Please note that registration is now at capacity for all the orientation sessions. Please continue to check back for updates for the possibility of any future sessions that may be offered later in the year, as well as checking office hours for training sessions.

Additional DESE Resources and Events that Support Educational Stability

National and Other Resources

Last Updated: October 10, 2024

 
Contact Us

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149

Voice: (781) 338-3000
TTY: (800) 439-2370

Directions

Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.