Welcome to SABES Program Support!

The SABES Program Support PD team offers professional development, technical assistance, and coaching across a wide range of topics that support program-wide collaboration, innovation, and planning. In each of our six priority areas (see below), we work with individual practitioners and program teams to strengthen practice, foster community, leverage data and resources, and plan for continuous improvement so that programs can better help learners identify and achieve their goals and all students have what they need to learn, grow, and thrive in adult education.

Upcoming Events

Our Priority Areas

The PSPDC offers professional development and coaching related to the following topics: 

• Educational Leadership & Program Management, including LACES and Professional Licensure Support
• Career Pathways, including Workforce Development
• Advising and Student Support Services
• Digital Literacy, including six online learning products sponsored by ACLS: Aztec and Aztec Spanish, BurlingtonEnglish, EnGen, KET, Newsela, and Northstar
• ADA Resources and Training and Disability Inclusion
• Connecting Adults with Adult Education Services, including the MA Adult Education Help Desk

For more information on assessment certification training (including MAPT, TABE, and BEST Plus), please see NRS Assessments.

What’s New?

Check for news under Program Support: What’s New. 

To receive updates on new offerings, resources, and news as they become available, create or update your SABES account. Click on “My Notifications” and check off “Program Support” and any sub-topics that are relevant to you.

PD Opportunities 

To see all currently-scheduled PD from the PSPDC, check the Event Listings or search the SABES PD Calendar. (You can filter both the Event Listings and the Calendar by “Program Support” or by a specific priority area.) For PD on your schedule, check out our on-demand offerings. 

Not seeing what you’re looking for? We’re here to help and happy to help you navigate resources and opportunities from SABES or our partners. We can also create customized PD or coaching for you or your program. Please reach out! 

PDPs

We are pleased to be authorized to issue Professional Development Points (PDPs) for completion of certain PD offerings. Instructors with a state license must complete PDPs each year.

Please contact alexandra_papagno@worlded.org to request PDPs for eligible offerings or for more information. 

Sharing Groups

In addition to facilitator-led PD, PSPDC offers role- and topic-specific communities of practice for practitioners to network and learn from each other. All are welcome to attend. Please bring your questions, challenges, promising practices, and resources! 

• Directors Sharing Group, organized by region
• Advisors Sharing Group, statewide
• Volunteer Coordinators Sharing Group, statewide
• MasSTEP Sharing Group, for practitioners leading and instructing in MassSTEP programs, statewide
• Remote Learning Sharing Group, for practitioners in any role who have a hand in planning or implementing remote learning, statewide
• Digital Literacy for Corrections Sharing Group, for practitioners in any role who are planning or implementing digital literacy opportunities in a corrections setting 
• Digital Literacy & Technology Support Staff Sharing Group, for instructors and support staff whose work includes digital skillbuilding for students and teachers, including (but not limited to) technology specialists, digital navigators, and instructors, statewide

Coaching/Program-Based PD

Coaching and program-based PD on any topic related to our priority areas are available to ACLS-funded programs and program staff on request. Contact us to find out more:

• For coaching and program-based PD related to Educational Leadership and Program Management, Digital Literacy, Connecting Adults to Available Services (including outreach, onboarding, and retention), or Professional Licensure, contact Alexandra Papagno (link)
• For coaching and program-based PD related to Career Pathways (including Workforce Development), Advising & Student Support Services, or ADA Coordination, contact Dani Scherer (link).
• For coaching and program-based PD related to LACES, contact Jane Brandt (link).
• For coaching and program-based PD related to third-party products supported by ACLS, contact Kathleen O’Connell (link).

Resources 

Find all PSPDC resources – including research, reports, and course materials – by going to the Resource Library. Filter for “Program Support” or a specific priority area under “PD Center,” or search by topic or keyword. For research and resources related to a specific priority area, check out the priority area pages (linked above).

Featured Resources: New Resources & Emerging Topics

• COABE MA State Membership Form and Free access to the COABE Journal
• Disability Inclusion & ADA: The Spring 2024 SABES Newsletter (Empowering Every Learner: Navigating Differences, Difficulties, and Disabilities in Education) includes extensive resources and support for working with students with disabilities. For more detailed guidance on accommodations and disability inclusion, see the Basic Disability Screening Tool for Adult Education. 
• Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI): Read our Spring 2023 report, Taking Action: Practical Models for DEI in Adult Education, for inspiration and ideas for fostering antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion within your practice and program.
• Student Leadership: Watch the Student Leadership: Leveraging the Power of Student Voice panel discussion with student leaders for ideas and inspiration to grow student leadership in your program.

Resource Collections 

• PSPDC DEI Resource Library and the SABES DEI Resource Library
• Career Planning and Job Search Resource Library
• MassSTEP Program Resources 

Please also check out the SABES Program Support PD Center On-Demand Website for all of our on-demand offerings and resources.

Contact Us

Need help? Have a question or idea? Reach out!

For general support (including registration and accessing PD), please contact Jane Brandt. 

For technical support (including program-based PD, coaching, and research requests), please reach out to our area leads:

• Educational Leadership and Program Management, Digital Literacy, and Connecting Adults with Adult Education Services: Alexandra Papagno
• Career Pathways, Advising and Student Support Services, and ADA Resources and Training: Dani Scherer
• LACES: Jane Brandt

Third-Party Products supported by DESE: Kathleen O’Connell.

Based at World Education in Boston, MA, the Program Support PD team serves adult education programs throughout Massachusetts.