Special Ed PD Slides
AB
ACTON-BOXBOROUGH
Regional School District • Student Services
Professional Development 2026
Collaboration in Action
Special Education, Privacy &
2026 Regulatory Compliance
Strengthening collaborative partnerships, protecting student records, and aligning our intervention procedures with updated Massachusetts laws.
Director of Special Education
Natalia Kierul
Assistant Director
Allison Leahy
1-Hour Interactive Session
August 24, 2026
Vision & Strategic Direction
Slide 2 of 18
District Special Education Goals
1. Inclusive & Collaborative Practices
Deepening partnerships between general educators, special educators, and paraprofessionals to support students seamlessly.
2. Effective IEP Meetings
Ensuring team meetings are structured, collaborative, supportive, and focused on student data and family partnership.
Vision of an AB Graduate
Our Special Education framework explicitly drives the district's core student outcomes:
- Collaboration: Working as a unified team.
- Integrity: Upholding student confidentiality.
- Communication: Clear, professional exchange.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Core Goals & Purpose
Special Education 101
Slide 3 of 18
Federal & State Pillars
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Act
Guarantees a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Special education is not a place; it is a set of services.
504 Section 504 (ADA)
Civil rights law ensuring accommodations that "level the playing field" to provide equal access to the physical and learning environments.
Visualizing LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)
The Inclusion Metaphor: Always start at the center
General Classroom Support (LRE Priority #1)
Resource & Learning Center Co-Teaching
Specialized Sub-Separate Classrooms
"We bring services to the student, not the student to a place."
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Federal Law & Local Foundations
ABRSD Specialized Program Guide
Slide 4 of 18
Preschool & Elementary (K-6)
- • Carol Huebner Early Childhood: Integrated and ASD preschool setting (Boardwalk Campus).
- • Learning Centers: Non-programmatic support across all five elementary buildings.
- • LAB (Language & Beyond): Language-based program grades 3-6 (Parker Damon).
- • Compass (Therapeutic): Clinical & self-regulation program (Parker Damon).
- • Connections & Pathways: Pragmatic, communication & intensive ABA models (Boardwalk).
- • STEP (Success Through Potential): Global needs and functional support (Blanchard).
Secondary & Transition (7-12+)
RJ Grey Junior High School (Grades 7-8)
Learning Centers • LAB • Compass • Connections • STEP (Secondary Transition) • Pathways
AB Regional High School (Grades 9-12)
Learning Centers • Compass • Connections • Pathways • ODP (Occupational Dev.) • Horizons
Transition Services (Ages 18-22)
• PACE: Practical Academics and Community Education program focused on vocational and community skills.
Preschool (Carol Huebner)
Elementary (K-6)
Secondary (7-12)
PACE (Transition 18-22)
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Program Continuum (PK-12+)
MA DESE Disability & Referral
Slide 5 of 18
MA DESE Disability Categories
Students must meet eligibility requirements under one or more of the following 10 state-defined categories:
• Autism
• Communication
• Developmental Delay
• Emotional
• Health Impairment
• Intellectual
• Neurological
• Physical
• Sensory (Vision/Hearing)
• Specific Learning Disability
ABRSD Referral pathways & MTSS Funnel
Tier 1: High Quality General Instruction (All Students)
Tier 2: Targeted Interventions (Some Students)
Tier 3: Intensive Support (Few Students)
Spec. Ed Referral
Pathway 1: Parents
May submit a formal request for an initial evaluation in writing.
Pathway 2: MTSS Team
Initiates request when Tier 3 data indicates suspicion of disability.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
DESE Eligibility & AB Procedures
603 CMR 28.00: Key Regulations
Slide 6 of 18
Eligibility Determination Timeline
5
School Days
Send consent form & evaluation plan to parent after referral.
30
School Days
Complete all diagnostic evaluations upon receiving consent.
45
School Days
Convene Team meeting, determine eligibility & propose IEP.
Gen Ed Presence: By law, a General Education teacher must attend all eligibility meetings.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Compliance & State Regulations
Interactive Session
Slide 7 of 18
3-Minute Think-Pair-Share
How Do We Build Inclusive Partners?
Turn to a colleague next to you and unpack this collaborative scenario:
"A paraprofessional (Special Education Assistant) is supporting three students inside a highly active 4th-grade ELA lesson. One student is refusing to engage with the modified writing prompt and is beginning to vocalize. The classroom teacher is currently leading a guided reading group."
A. Collaboration:
What proactive routines should the teacher and assistant have in place for this specific moment?
B. Practice:
How can we model our graduate competencies of Adaptability and Communication in real-time?
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Interactive: Active Discussion
The Role of the Paraprofessional
Slide 8 of 18
Guiding Principles for Inclusive Practice
The ultimate goal of paraprofessional support is to **foster student independence**, self-regulation, and successful peer interactions.
The Scaffolded Independence Spectrum:
Prompt Dependence
Scaffolded Fading
Autonomous Success
Always adjust proximity to let students work and speak independently.
Classroom Independence Checklist
- Wait Time: Wait 10-15 seconds before prompting to allow executive processing.
- Visual Prompts: Use visual schedules, quiet timers, or checklists instead of repeating verbal instructions.
- Positive Reinforcement: Praise the *effort* and the *use* of independent self-regulation tools.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Supporting Student Autonomy
Interactive Session
Slide 9 of 18
Case Study Analysis
Fostering Self-Regulation & Autonomy
Discuss this realistic classroom scenario with your table mates:
"An 8th-grade student with an IEP for executive functioning and slow processing speed is working on a social studies research project. The assistant notices that whenever the student gets stuck, they immediately stop writing, put their pencil down, and wait silently for the assistant to point to the screen and dictate the exact next sentence."
Discussion Prompt A:
How does immediate verbal dictation create "learned helplessness"? What alternative visual support could the paraprofessional offer first?
Discussion Prompt B:
How does wait-time and student-initiated progress monitoring align with the district's Intellectual Curiosity competency?
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Interactive: Autonomy & Support
Student Records & Confidentiality
Slide 10 of 18
Understanding FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) strictly protects the privacy of educational records and affords parents and eligible students (14+) specific access rights.
Crucial Warning: Email is a Public Record!
There is a massive rise in parental requests for full copies of all internal student records, specifically targeting internal staff emails containing their child’s name, initials, or descriptions.
Before You Hit Send:
"Never write or send an email that you would not feel comfortable being read out loud by a parent, advocate, or judge during a public hearing."
Relay **factual, objective** info only.
Avoid subjective commentary or opinions.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Student Privacy & Public Records (FOIA)
Privacy Exceptions & Rights
Slide 11 of 18
Who Can Access Student Records?
- Parents & Students 14+: Absolute, direct rights of review. Response required within 10 calendar days.
- Designated Personnel: Only staff who work *directly* with the child or whose clerical duties require it.
- Third Parties: Under no circumstances shared without specific, informed, written consent.
Non-Custodial Parent Request
Written request submitted. Notify custodial parent. Wait 21 days for legal blocks. Address and phone numbers must be redacted!
Sole Possession Records
Are private memory-aid notes exempt from parental access? **Yes, but only if they strictly meet every federal condition:**
1. Solely Personal Note
Created entirely by the individual possessing the note.
2. Personal Memory Aide Only
Used strictly to jog the writer's memory on observations.
3. NEVER Shared / Disclosed
Must never be shown or made accessible to any other person.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Sole Possession & Parent Access Rights
PD Case Study & Framework
Slide 12 of 18
Gossip vs.
Professional Sharing
Before discussing any student, force yourself to answer these **four filtering questions:**
1 WHAT is being discussed?
2 WHERE is it occurring?
3 WHO might overhear?
4 WHY is it taking place?
Tricky Scenario
The Teachers' Lounge Dialogue
"During common prep, an assistant says in front of grade-level teachers: 'I can't believe Bobby had another massive blow-up during gym today. His parents really need to adjust his medication because he's completely out of control.'"
Reflective Prompts for Your Table Group:
- Analyze this statement under the four questions.
- What privacy elements were compromised?
- How would you politely redirect this conversation?
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Collaborative Privacy & Best Practice
603 CMR 46.07: Regulatory Updates
Slide 13 of 18
Effective: August 17, 2026
Major Changes to
Time-Out & Seclusion
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has sharpened definitions, physical space standards, and emergency safeguards.
Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling. We are building a full preventative continuum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 strategies.
Exclusionary Time-Out (ETO)
A staff-directed support in an **unlocked setting** from which the student **is permitted to leave** at any time. Continuous observation required.
Seclusion (Restricted)
Involuntary confinement of a student **alone** in a room from which they are **not permitted to leave**. Prohibited except under narrow emergency exception.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
DESE Regulatory Mandate 2026
Exclusionary Time-Out in Practice
Slide 14 of 18
Behavior Reference Criteria
LOW
Off-Task, Restless, Minor Refusal
Generally **NO** Time-Out. Redirect in class, utilize sensory breaks first.
MOD
Emotional Dysregulation, Disruption
**MAYBE** Time-Out. Follow BIP parameters. Student must be permitted to leave.
HIGH
Verbal/Physical Aggression, Safety Risk
**YES** Time-Out. Direct immediately if safe; involve behavioral support.
Operational Protocols
1
Always Supervised: Staff must be with the student or immediately available at all times.
2
Pacing Cap: Capped at **30 minutes**. Going beyond requires written approval from the Principal.
3
Frequent Use Rule: 3+ visits in a single week signals that the student needs an FBA/BIP update, not continued time-out.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Tier 2 Protocols & Oversight
Emergency Seclusion Safeguards
Slide 15 of 18
1
BEFORE
- Imminent Threat: Only for serious risk of physical injury.
- Alternatives Fail: All less-restrictive strategies exhausted.
- Legal Packet: Active parent consent and physician clearance on file.
2
DURING
- Continuous View: Student must be observable in all areas of the room.
- Never Punishment: No deprivation of food/bathroom, never punitive.
- Immediate Release: Must end immediately once the threat has subsided.
3
AFTER
- Parent Notice: Verbal within **24 hours**, written within **3 school days**.
- Principal Report: Written incident log submitted by next school day.
- DESE Portal: Incidents must be uploaded and certified by June 30 annually.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Three-Phase Compliance Gate
The "Why" Behind Our Support
Slide 16 of 18
Accommodating for True Participation
EQUALITY
Box
Box
Box
Everyone gets the **exact same** resource, regardless of individual barriers.
EQUITY
Box
Box
Box
Everyone gets the **specific tools** they need to successfully access the learning.
Reflective "Why" Questions for Staff
Accommodations aren't a shortcut, an "unfair advantage," or a procedural checklist—they are a civil right and the bridge to independence.
Is our support helping or hovering?
Are we setting up student environments to allow them to take healthy risks, develop problem-solving skills, and self-advocate?
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
The Inclusive Mission
Fostering Lifelong Autonomy
Slide 17 of 18
The Independence Summit
True special education support is scaffolded. We build scaffolds not to keep them up forever, but to systematically fade them as the student learns to fly.
The ultimate goal:
"The measure of our success is not how much a student needs us, but how confidently they can succeed without us."
4. Graduation & Active Adulthood
3. Self-Advocacy & Self-Regulation
2. Scaffolded Classroom Autonomy
1. Direct Adult Care & Modeling
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Active Fading & Autonomy Summit
Required District Logs & Forms
Slide 18 of 18
Time Out/Strategy Space Log
For any exclusionary time-out, staff **must** immediately fill out the district's standardized log tracking these mandatory columns:
• Student or Staff Initiated
• Behavior Cause
• De-escalation Used
• Door Held Shut? (Y/N)
• Total Room Duration
• Principal Approval (>30m)
Room Inspections & Clearances
Weekly Space Inspections
Every room or designated space used for ETO or seclusion must be inspected **weekly** under 603 CMR 46.07(2). Must confirm: Clean, safe, ventilated, code compliant, and no dangerous fixtures.
Emergency Seclusion Packets
Must contain 3 elements on file **before any use**: Parent Consent, Physician Clearance (no medical contraindications), and Mental Health Professional Statement.
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Standardized District Documentation
AB
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
Slide 18 of 18
PD Summary Checklist
Emails are Public: Write objective facts only. Bobby's initials are still Bobby's record!
No Locked Doors in ETO: ETO must be unlocked, and the student must be permitted to leave.
Log Every Instance: Standardized logs are non-negotiable for state compliance.
Partner in Collaboration: Inclusive classrooms require active daily communication.
Support & Resources
If you have questions about student records, custodial disputes, or behavioral logging, contact us immediately:
Natalia Kierul • Director
Allison Leahy • Assistant Director
Student Services Office • RJ Grey JHS
"Keeping the needs of the student at the center of everything we do!"
Acton-Boxborough Student Services
Thank you for your dedication!
