District Support Services

Shore’s Parent training services assist parents in helping their children make progress and meet their goals. Consistency across home and school settings are often essential for students with disabilities, but achieving that is harder than it seems. Children often behave differently at home and school because the people and settings are so different. Special Education Teachers and Therapists are professionally trained to teach students academic, life, social and self-regulation skills.

Shore’s Parent Training Staff work with parents to better understand their child’s disability and the strategies that school staff use to help them learn and develop. Parent trainers work with families in their homes to provide this link between home and school. Examples of the work Parent Trainers do with families are:

• Teach parents how and when to use communication devices so their children can practice and use language skills in both home and school settings.

• Set up picture schedules to help children transition through home routines with less behavior issues.
• Provide and teach parents to use the same adaptive equipment and steps that children are using and following at school to increase independence in dining skills (eating meals and snacks.)

Parent training services are written into students’ IEPs as related services at the frequency that the Team agrees is appropriate. In general, parent training services are provided weekly or biweekly.

For more information or to make a referral, contact us.

CONTACT

Shore’s CCFR services provide coaching and support services to young adults (ages 14 – 22) who are preparing for “life after high school.”  Students referred for this service are generally going to their community’s high school where they are working on transition skills and goals, along with completing other academic and educational goals. Shore’s CCFR services are provided after school or on weekends for those students who need more assistance and in the actual settings where their skills are needed.  Examples of activities that Shore Coaches do with students are:

• Assisting students to prepare for job interviews or college information meetings, and accompanying them to interviews or meetings to provide support.
• Working with students and families to match skills and interests with job opportunities.  Explore job opportunities by visiting workplaces or arranging to “shadow” employees who are working at jobs of interest.  
• Provide coaching on job-sites to assist students in learning new jobs or to problem solve ways to overcome specific obstacles students are experiencing at their jobs.

CCFR services are generally focused and short term, 24 hours, flexibly used and determined by the students and their specific needs.  Services can be extended if more time is needed to achieve the students’ intended goals.

For more information or to make a referral, contact us.

CONTACT

Shore’s Transition Team also works with School Special Education and Guidance departments to support and strengthen their transition services.  Examples of direct or consultative services provided are:

• Conduct Transition Assessments for Students – this may be particularly useful when IEP Team members (including the students) have diverse opinions of students’ strengths and transitioning planning goals.  School District Special Education Administrators may request that a Shore Transition Specialist conduct a transition assessment and make recommendations based on the student’s strengths and preferences.  
• Provide professional development and consultation to district educators and transition team members on transition requirements, resources, and connecting activities that will strengthen their services to students.
• Promote collaboration between school district staff to community employers, community colleges, work boards, and other school district staff to provide networking opportunities and strengthen resources for students.

We’ve been there.

At Shore Collaborative, our PR, Communications, and Engagement Services department knows what it takes to engage with families and community, amplify programs and events, celebrate staff and students, provide transparent communications, recruit and develop staff, be prepared for a crisis, and solve everyday challenges.

We also know you can’t do it alone.

With staffing shortages and limited resources nationwide, hiring a dedicated communications team member or expanding existing capacity may not be possible. That’s where we come in. Shore is a genuine partner dedicated to:

• Creating and supporting communications systems and practices,
• Defining a narrative through multimedia solutions and storytelling,
• Refining website content and management,
• Enhancing community participation,

Regardless of whether you have your own communication specialist, need full service, or need support with a short term project, Shore understands the unique needs that schools and educational institutions have. Through a personalized approach, Shore ensures that its services resonate perfectly with your needs. Because each need is different, customized service packages are created to fit your project and budget.

What we offer

Liz Polay-Wettengel, Director of Shore’s PR, Communications, and Engagement Services department, is an accomplished public relations and communications strategist with a rich history spanning over two decades. Liz’s professional journey spans diverse sectors and showcases her profound dedication to effective communication.

Liz’s career began in the music industry for EMI/Capitol Records before serving in various leadership roles in nonprofits in the Boston area. Through her visionary leadership, she established a thriving online community hub that provided a sense of belonging to Jewish families and young adults, transformed outdated branding and materials, created long-form and short-form videos to tell stories, and harnessed the power of social media to deliver modern, engaging educational content, captivating a widespread audience.

In 2019, on the brink of a global pandemic, Liz embraced a new challenge as Chief of Public Relations for an urban public school district outside of Boston. Serving on the district’s executive team, she swiftly implemented cutting-edge communication strategies that transcended linguistic barriers, modernized outdated systems, and established a transparent bridge of engagement with families.

She now brings this wealth of knowledge to Shore Educational Collaborative to support others with their growing communications needs.

“Our district and Salem, Massachusetts as a whole have been strengthened by the work Liz did to build connections, share information, and lift up our schools, our staff, and our kids.” – Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo

As a state agency, Shore Educational Collaborative is exempt from state procurement law (MGL Chapter 30B). Cities, towns, regions, and school districts may simply negotiate a scope of services and a price, saving both time and money. Similarly, Massachusetts state agencies may enter into Interagency Service Agreements with Shore.

CONTACT: Lpolaywettengel@shorecollaborative.org

Shore provides Assistive Technology assessments to students who are referred by their District Special Education staff.  Assistive technology assessments consider students’ skills, interests, disabilities, barriers in their environments, and recommend tools that can support students to more actively perform tasks and engage with others.  Subsequent or in addition to assessments, Shore Specialists can provide consultation or professional development to district staff on effectively using assistive technology tools.

For more information or to make a referral, contact us.

CONTACT

Shore convenes monthly meetings with Special Education Directors and with Special Education Team Chairs across its member districts.  Meetings function to provide information on changes in special education regulations, policies, advisories, and opportunities for professional development, collaboration, and networking.  

Shore professionals assist districts in a range of activities related to special education staff,  programs, and quality improvement.  Examples are:

• Coach Special Education Team Leaders or Related Service Providers, individually or small groups.
• Conduct program assessments of specific in-district classrooms or programs and based on these, make recommendations or providing ongoing consultation.
• Conduct Out-Of-District Monitoring of students IEP services whey they are in out-of-district placements, as required by DESE.
• Provide specific training or professional development to educators who are teaching students with disabilities.  

For more information or to make a referral, contact us.

CONTACT

Shore provides Medicaid billing services to Districts so they can receive reimbursement for eligible services provided at school to students covered by MassHealth (the Massachusetts Medicaid program.)  Districts who contract with Shore use the web-based software we have developed for school professionals to record the reimbursable services they provide to students.  Shore billers use this information to submit direct service and administrative activity claims to Medicaid on behalf of our district customers. Costs for these services are based on a percentage of the reimbursable services billed for each district/community. 

For more information, contact us.

CONTACT