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).
Since July 2008 we have worked with DESE to coordinate and deliver special education services to students in the care of the Department of Youth Services (DYS), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Public Health (DPH), and the County Houses of Correction (CHC).
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.
Student success drives our work
Across the state at SEIS sites, our commitment to students’ social, emotional, and academic success at the forefront of our work.
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.
Our approach to this work also depends on strong relationships. With host agencies and programs, sending districts, DESE, and DYS General Education teachers and leaders, we’ve cultivated these relationships for the 13 years we have held this contract.
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. We also work to provide significant technology support with Chromebooks; fast response tech support delivered statewide, and quick implementation on needed changes and enhancements.
Program Locations
- Department of Youth Services (DYS) provides youth in residential care with a comprehensive general education program, and SEIS provides special education services to eligible youth.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
