Resources for Educators
Educator Resources
So, You Want to Run a Focus Group with Families?
Focus groups can provide rich insights that surveys alone often miss. They create opportunities for families to share experiences, ask ... read more
MASFEC & FCSN: Reflections from the Field
This spring, members of the MASFEC & FCSN team brought our work to panels, professional development sessions, and statewide ... read more
Federal Layoffs and Special Education: The Facts for Families
Recent federal layoffs have affected education offices that support students with disabilities. Learn what’s changing, what’s not, and how families can stay informed. read more
MA IEP Professional Development Resources
Welcome to our MA IEP Professional Learning Hub! This page brings together a collection of professional development resources ... read more
Creating a Culture of Attendance
One of the most effective ways to combat chronic absenteeism is by establishing what Attendance Works calls a culture of attendance. ... read more
Chronic Absenteeism and LGBTQIA+ Youth
Even before the pandemic, LGBTQIA+ students were more likely to be absent than their peers. This trend is attributable to a number of ... read more
Family Perspectives on Attendance: A Multilingual Lens on Barriers, Belonging, and Systemic Gaps
In the 2004-2025 school year, the Federation for Children with Special Needs conducted focus groups with families across five language ... read more
Data Collection: The First Step in Managing Chronic Absenteeism
Across the United States, chronic absenteeism (defined as missing ten or more days per school year) among K-12 students is at an ... read more
Creating Clear Attendance Policy
One of the reasons why chronic absenteeism is on the rise may be confusion about attendance policies. After strict health guidelines ... read more
Chronic Absenteeism and English Language Learners
English language learners (ELLs) have seen some of the most dramatic jumps in chronic absenteeism in the country. While pre-pandemic, ... read more
Chronic Absenteeism and Disability
Studies show that students with disabilities are about 1.5 times more likely to be chronically absent than their non-disabled peers. ... read more
Battling Chronic Absenteeism: The Basics
Post pandemic, across the nation, chronic absenteeism has reached unprecedented levels. As schools hone their approaches to improving ... read more
Addressing Chronic Absenteeism with Community Partnerships
According to a recent article in EdWeek, schools and districts that have successfully addressed chronic absenteeism have at least one ... read more
Why Attendance Awards Don’t Work
When a school faces chronic absenteeism, it may be tempting to incentivize students to attend school by giving out awards for perfect ... read more
Por Qué la Asistencia a la Escuela es Importante
{:en}If you are the parent or caregiver of a school age child, you may have heard that chronic absenteeism is on the rise. Students ... read more
IEP School Leadership Resources
School leaders, Below you will find resources to support your leadership in the IEP process. Additional resources will be added as ... read more
Working with Interpreters in Schools
Federal law requires that schools must communicate with parents and caregivers in a language that they understand. Guidance clarifies ... read more
National Report Spotlights APPLE
FCSN’s power‑sharing model is a case study in CPRL’s (Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University) ... read more
IEP Implementation Workbook
This digital workbook is used in our professional development sessions on implementing the new Massachusetts IEP form. It includes the ... read more
Building An ELPAC Community for Student Success: Watch the Webinar Recording!
Building a strong, engaged ELPAC community can lead to significant improvements for students. By fostering partnerships with ... read more
Resources: Immigration Enforcement and Schools
Preparing Families for Immigration Enforcement Actions: We have collected some suggestions for supporting families in ... read more
Hablar con los estudiantes y las familias sobre el aumento de la represión de la inmigración
{:en}To mitigate stress among students, encourage families to have open discussions with their children about the current situation. ... read more
New Partnership with National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages
As a program of the Federation for Children with Special Needs, MASFEC is connected to a wide range of healthcare and ... read more
Progressive Stacking for Better Discussions
At MASFEC and FCSN, we believe it's important to make sure everyone's voice is heard, especially when some voices are often ignored ... read more
Incorporating Play into Your Classroom: FAQs
Decades of research confirm that play is essential for children’s healthy development. Play does everything from creating connections ... read more
Transform Your School’s Communication with Our Welcoming Families Toolkit
Enhance Your School's Communication Practices with Proven Strategies and Templates This toolkit is designed to help ... read more
Family Guide for Students with Disabilities in Boston Public Schools
English | Español | العربية | Français | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Cabo-Verdiano | 中文 | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt | ... read more
Communication Strategies that Support Family Engagement
Explore Our Tip Sheet on Communication Strategies for Enhanced Family Engagement! read more
What is Co-design?
At FCSN and MASFEC, we use a co-design process whenever possible. We bring families, educators, and other stakeholders together to ... read more
What’s a Listening Session?
A listening session is a structured event or meeting designed to provide a platform for individuals or groups to express their ... read more
Exercising the Empathy Muscle
Danielle Hardin and Heidi Harris talk about Family Engagement Family Engagement involves ongoing efforts to build meaningful, ... read more
Better Together Family Engagement Summit
On October 28, nearly 500 people gathered to share, learn, and celebrate the impact of Family Engagement on children and youth. The ... read more
Strengthening Partnerships: Train the Trainers
2026 Train the Trainers Series Family Engagement is not a one person job. It is an equity-driven, coordinated program that builds ... read more
CTE Outreach Toolkit
Our Career and Technical Education outreach toolkit was developed in response to focus groups, interviews, and surveys of ... read more
A Queer Reading List for Middle Schoolers
During middle school, your child and their friends will more actively start exploring their sexuality. They may identify as ... read more
¿Qué es la evaluación “SEL”? – Hojas de consejos para las familias
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Data Literacy Tip Sheets
Data Literacy is the ability to read, understand, and talk about data. Data is simply information that you can use to help you ... read more
What did we learn? Needs assessment 2021
Each year MASFEC conducts a survey of families and educators in Massachusetts. Below, you will be able to access the full ... read more
We Need To Talk About Teacher Burnout
Have you ever felt mentally exhausted, dreaded going into work, and found your work troubles were negatively affecting your personal ... read more
Madres y padres fuertes
{:en}For Black History Month, I've been reading about the impact that African American parents and self-advocates have had on both ... read more
Measuring the Impact of Home Visits
Home visits are well established as a high-impact family engagement strategy. Research and direct experience confirm that visiting ... read more
Welcoming Newcomers: Advice for Middle School and Above
In the summer of 2021, the United States withdrew all of our troops from Afghanistan, where we had been an occupying force for twenty ... read more
Teaching Children to Welcome Newcomers
In 2021, the United States suddenly withdrew our troops from Afghanistan after two decades of occupation. The abruptness of America’s ... read more
Welcoming Your Afghan Students
Welcoming Newcomers Elementary and early childhood Middle school and high school Background Information ... read more
An Anti-Racist Reading List for Middle Schoolers
Adolescence is a time when many young people explore multiple aspects of their identity. Many start to view race and ethnicity through ... read more
A Reading List for Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year holiday is a great opportunity to learn more about Asian, and in particular, Chinese, cultures and traditions – ... read more
Concienciación sobre la formación profesional y técnica Perspectivas de familias hablantes de idiomas diversos
{:en}In October 2021, our parent organization, the Federation for Children with Special Needs spoke with nearly 500 parents and ... read more
Positive Solutions Train the Trainer
Overview Through a grant provided by the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education, the Federation for Children with ... read more
Best Practices in Meaningful Family & Student Engagement
A FREE Self Directed Course for Special Education Professionals The Federation for Children with Special Needs has partnered with the ... read more
Online Resources for Curious Kids
Rainy day? Too hot to be outside? But just because you’re indoors doesn’t mean you can’t explore the world around us! ... read more
Meeting Families Where They Are
Let's meet families where they are... not where we want them to be! read more
What is a Cultural Broker?
Cultural Brokering is a research-based practice that seeks to intervene and dismantle the power dynamic that families experience when ... read more
Tips for Communicating with Families
Ongoing communication with families is essential for building and sustaining positive relationships! read more
Family Engagement and the Special Education Evaluation Cycle
In the document below, you will find best practices for engaging families during the special education evaluation process. ... read more
National Review of Statewide Family Engagement Centers
Our partners at the National Association for Family, School, and Community Partnerships recently released a comprehensive review of ... read more
Initial Learnings, Still Time to Respond! 2021 Family Engagement Survey
We have begun exploring initial results, but there's still time to respond to the 2021 Statewide Family Engagement Survey! ... read more
Family Engagement and the American Rescue Plan
Within the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan, $123 billion in funding will support K-12 education - including specific ... read more
Acceleration Roadmap: Pathway to an Equitable Recovery
On May 25, 2021, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the Acceleration Roadmap: Pathway to an Equitable ... read more
Summer Learning and Enrichment: Tips for Childcare Providers
As a summertime child care provider, you can help school-age children and their families make the most of the summer months and avoid ... read more
The Family Institute for Student Success (FISS) Graduations
One of MASFEC's initiatives is the Family Institute for Student Success (FISS), a program run by PIQE in collaboration with DESE and ... read more
May Family Literacy Calendar
Our family literacy calendars are designed to reinforce reading fundamentals and the love of reading. Flowers, gardening... and ... read more
Self-Regulation Activities for Young Children
{:en} Between the ages of 2 and 6, we humans undergo one of the most dramatic developmental shifts of our lifetimes, ... read more
Community Council Members Wanted
A new pilot program of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning, is working to ... read more
Cómo fomentar la empatía en los niños pequeños
{:en} Empathy, defined as feeling and acting out of compassion for others, is not an inherent human trait, but a skill that built ... read more
Keys to Building Positive Relationships with Families
Relationships nurture the partnerships that are needed for children to succeed in school. Positive relationships between families and ... read more
April Family Literacy Calendar
Our family literacy calendars are designed to reinforce reading fundamentals and the love of reading. They say that April showers ... read more
Las Targetas de Calificaciones del Distrito Escolar
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Novak: What is Universal Design?
MASFEC is pleased to unveil a new resource on family engagement, developed in partnership with Katie Novak, internationally recognized ... read more
Universal Design for Family Engagement
MASFEC is pleased to unveil a new resource on family engagement, developed in partnership with Katie Novak, internationally recognized ... read more
Learn and Have Fun with Mathu
This year, MASFEC has benefited from the creative and joyful approach of virtual educator-and-author-in-residence Mathangi ... read more
DESE Office of Student and Family Support
Family engagement is a key lever for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to contribute to ... read more
Ciencias con nieve para los preescolares
{:en} Winter means snow, cold temperatures – and science! The following activities are a great way to help children explore ... read more
COVID-19
{:en} The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has created these resources to help inform the public about the COVID-19 ... read more
What is Family Engagement? Jen’s View
I was an educator in multiple settings before becoming a parent and have experienced family engagement on both ends of the spectrum. I ... read more
Actividades nocturnas
{:en} Winter days are short, which means there is more time when children can see the night sky. This is particularly exciting ... read more
Talking to Children About Violence at the US Capitol
In the wake of the events of January 6th, 2021, many of our educators, families, and children will struggle in the coming weeks. As ... read more
Family, School, and Community Partnership Fundamentals
In June, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released Strengthening Partnerships: A Framework for Prenatal through ... read more
Curriculum: Tech Basics for ESOLs
MASFEC Partner English for New Bostonians has developed a new curriculum for teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages ... read more
Estrategias de autocuidado que no aumentarán su lista de cosas por hacer
{:en}Most articles about self-care try to convince you to do something: buy a product, exercise more, eat less, or otherwise add ... read more
Frameworks Institute Offers Strategies for Building a Culture of Family Engagement
If you are reading this, chances are you are already convinced that family engagement is a powerful catalyst for any number of ... read more
Niños pequeños, emociones fuertes
{:en} Between the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread financial struggles caused by quarantine and lockdown, drawn-out conflicts over ... read more
Google Classroom
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Help for IXL Learning
Are your children using IXL for remote learning? Do you need some help navigating IXL? Here are some useful resources: IXL Parent ... read more
Engaging Engagement?
Let's start by wondering who the families are that we serve and why families, schools and educators might want to partner. Seems like ... read more
Diwali: Llevar luz a la oscuridad
{:en} This year (2020), Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, falls on November 14. Whether you are a practicing Hindu, a parent ... read more
Family Engagement is Making Headlines
A number of education journals and news websites have focused on the subject of family engagement since hybrid and fully-remote ... read more
Actividades de educación financiera
{:en} Build your kids’ money skills! This site has games and activities that can help your children and young adults gain money ... read more
Lista de lecturas indígenas para el Día de Acción de Gracias
{:en} At Thanksgiving time, all over the country, children in the early grades will learn the story of the Mayflower. ... read more
Ciencia de otoño
{:en} Autumn means falling leaves, hot apple cider – and lots of opportunities for preschool science! Young children are natural ... read more
Lista de lectura sobre las elecciones
{:en} This November’s election is poised to be one of the most turbulent in recent memory. Even if you haven’t explicitly told your ... read more
What is Family Engagement? Sherri’s view
If you ask a roomful of people to define family engagement, you often get a roomful of answers! I’ve found many people have their own ... read more
Welcome to MASFEC!
Welcome to the Massachusetts Statewide Family Engagement Center (MASFEC)! MASFEC strengthens the capacity of educators, families, and ... read more
Introducing Mindful Mondays for Educators
Introducing Mindful Mondays! The school year has started, and many of us are feeling overwhelmed. Come join other educators from ... read more
School Reopening Resources for Teachers
Educators, we'd like to welcome you back to the school year with some strategies to build family engagement during remote and hybrid ... read more
Beyond Random Acts: Family, School, and Community Engagement as an Integral Part of Education Reform
Barriers to Parent-School Involvement for Early Elementary Students
The purpose of this report The purpose of this report is to describe basic descriptive statistics on barriers to parent-school ... read more