Transition-age – when students prepare to exit the school system and begin adult services – is a critical period for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, there are few professional development opportunities available to teachers focused on transition. A new Northeast Arc program will now fill that gap for Massachusetts educators.
In March 2025, Northeast Arc’s Community Resource Center launched the Northeast Transition Collaborative Network (NTCN), with the goal of unifying resources, providing training, and creating a collaborative space for everyone involved in the person-centered transition process from school to adult services in the Northeast region of Massachusetts. NeArc just received accreditation from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, so teachers participating in NTCN can now receive Professional Development Points (PDPs) towards renewing their Massachusetts Educators License.
Three times throughout the school year, NTCN holds day-long in-person professional development opportunities where educators can earn PDPs specific to Special Education – Transition. Although the NTCN is based in the Northeast region of Massachusetts, educators from anywhere in the state can attend.
“This program is in response to over 260 teaching professionals in the Northeast Region advocating for more transition specific professional development, particular training that would also provide PDP’s.” said Kristy Aparo, Family Services Division Director at Northeast Arc. “The goal is to give teachers learning strategies around person-centered transition that they can immediately take back to the classroom.”
Supporting transition-aged students effectively involves centering student voice, connecting learning to real-life experiences, and working collaboratively with families and community partners. Educators benefit from opportunities to deepen their understanding of adult services and to design meaningful community and work-based learning experiences that reflect each student’s strengths and goals. These themes will be a key focus of NTCN’s upcoming March professional development event, “Empowering Student Voice: Practical Strategies for Transition IEPs,” which will offer practical tools educators can apply directly in their transition planning.
In addition to supporting educators, NTCN provides resources to parents and individuals. The group hosts monthly virtual sessions about adult services and opportunities in the community.
Since launching in March 2025, NTCN has hosted eight virtual events for more than 550 participants and two day-long in-person professional development trainings for more than 120 teaching professionals including paraprofessionals, transition teachers, special education teachers, principals, and administrators.
“NTCN has quickly grown to more than 950 members,” said Matthew Ataya, Director of Guided Personal Supports and Community Resources. “With this initiative, we have been able to maximize collaboration and connect the people we serve to local community resources- bridging gaps, building inclusion, and amplifying engagement in everyday community life.”
For more information about NTCN professional development opportunities, contact Northeast Arc’s Community Resource Center at CommunityResourceCenter@ne-arc.org. You can also click here to register for NTCN’s March event for educators.
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