Access fully self-paced professional development whenever it is most convenient for you through the SABES Program Support OnDemand Library.
PSPD offers individual and program-based coaching for staff in any role who want to grow and strengthen their practice in our key priority areas: educational leadership and program management, advising, career pathways, digital literacy, and ADA coordination. We also offer individual coaching and support for those seeking a professional ABE license. If interested, please submit a Contact Us request.
For additional listings, visit the Event Listings and select “Program Support” or one of our priority areas.
All PD offerings are online and facilitated unless indicated otherwise.
Advising & Student Support Services
Art of Advising (Online Blended)
Art of Advising introduces practical tools, strategies, and approaches for staff whose primary responsibility is advising. Content and activities focus on effective practices aligned with Indicator of Program Quality #7 (IPQ7). IPQ7 addresses the equitable delivery of advising and support services to help students identify and make progress toward educational and career goals. While this offering is geared toward staff who are new to the advisor role, it can also benefit experienced advisors seeking to refresh their knowledge and skills. Note: There are limited seats remaining for this offering.
- September 21, 2026 | 9 a.m.
- September 29, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- October 1, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- October 6, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- October 8, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Digital Literacy
Build Your Digital Learning Plan
Whether you are looking to improve your own digital skills or those of your entire team, join this session to explore SABES’s newly released resources for staff digital skill building and create a customized plan to support your digital skill development.
- September 23, 2026 | 1–2:30 p.m.
From Prompt to Progress: Teaching Writing with EnGen’s Writing Helper
Discover how to use EnGen to empower learners to become more confident writers through personalized practice, instant feedback, and actionable insights.
- September 25, 2026 | 10–11 a.m.
Newsela Certified Educator Program (Self-Paced)
This three-session, self-paced course introduces the foundations of Newsela. The course is available monthly on the SABES calendar and can be completed on your own time and schedule.
Discovering Newsela Content and Features (Self-Paced)
In this self-paced course, you will explore the Newsela content most relevant to your subject area and students. You will learn how to use Newsela features to support student engagement and learning. This course is available monthly on the SABES calendar and can be completed on your own time and schedule.
Educational Leadership
Continuous Improvement Planning: Voices from the Field
Sustaining a high-quality program that serves adult learners effectively is an ongoing journey driven by a shared vision and powered by collective learning. Rather than focusing on quick fixes or compliance requirements, continuous improvement is a collaborative, growth-oriented process that brings staff and leaders together around common goals. This panel brings together two adult education directors who have integrated continuous improvement planning into the fabric of their programs. Panelists will share how they navigate data-informed decision-making, build shared ownership across their staff, and create the conditions for ongoing innovation and learning. Attendees will explore real-world examples of how continuous improvement moves beyond compliance to become an empowering, program-wide practice that supports staff and student success.
- September 18, 2026 | 9:30–11 a.m.
Continuous Improvement Planning (Online Blended)
Sustaining a high-quality program that serves adult learners effectively is an ongoing journey driven by a shared vision and powered by collective learning. Rather than focusing on quick fixes or compliance requirements, continuous improvement is a collaborative, growth-oriented process that brings staff and leaders together around common goals. Through this course, you and your team will gather and analyze meaningful data, engage key stakeholders, and identify opportunities for growth. Together, you will translate these insights into purposeful and achievable goals as you prepare to manage change and reflect on outcomes. At its core, this collaborative process helps programs foster a culture of shared ownership and innovation and create the conditions for staff and student success.
- September 28, 2026 | 9 a.m.
- October 9, 2026 | 9:30–11:30 a.m.
- October 23, 2026 | 9:30–11:30 a.m.
- November 13, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- April 23, 2027 | 9:30–11 a.m.
LACES
Adult diploma programs now have the option to use Carnegie units to report entry-level and progress information. This session offers an overview of how to manage Carnegie units in LACES to ensure that student progress and gains are accurately recorded.
- September 22, 2026 | 10–11 a.m.
This year, LACES has new changes that make entering MassSTEP gains and outcomes more efficient. Join us to learn more!
- September 23, 2026 | 10–11 a.m.
This two-part training provides an overview of how to use LACES–the statewide data management information system, or MIS–for student, class, and staff data.
- September 23, 2026 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
- September 24, 2026 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
This training reviews scheduled future services and their impact on your data.
- September 25, 2026 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This training covers requirements for MassSTEP enrollments, data entry, and credential tracking.
- October 2, 2026 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Collaboration Events
Thursday, October 1
Beyond the Checklist: Elevating Your Classroom Observation Experience (Online Blended)
As an adult education leader, you are responsible for creating the conditions in which teachers can thrive and students can succeed. Every day, you make decisions about instructional support, professional learning, and program priorities–but how often do you have the opportunity to see what is happening in classrooms and use that knowledge to guide your decisions? Classroom observations can provide that window. When designed as a collaborative and growth-focused process, observations become more than a compliance requirement–they become a powerful leadership tool for identifying effective practices, supporting teachers, and strengthening instruction across your program. This professional learning series will help you build an observation process that turns classroom visits into meaningful opportunities for learning and improvement. You will learn how to gather evidence of teaching and learning, provide feedback that leads to growth, and use observation findings to focus coaching, professional development, and program improvement efforts.
- October 1, 2026 | Course pre-work opens at 9 a.m.
- October 16, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- November 20, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- January 29, 2027 | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- February 5, 2027 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- April 9, 2027 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- April 15, 2027 | Course closes at 11:59 p.m.
