Helping Schools to Create Stronger, More Inclusive Curricula
Our Approach
We situate curriculum and instruction design, revision, and implementation within the larger context of social justice, equity, and trauma-engaged practice, in order to respond to learners’ and families’ lived experience. CES consultants listen to schools’ and educators’ needs; learn about their current initiatives; and then tailor services that respond to needs and leverage initiatives.
Experience
Districts and schools strive to comply with DESE mandates regarding program design, implementation and evaluation. CES has supported district curriculum directors and school-based curriculum and instruction specialists and coaches to assess current practice, identify strengths, and recommend improvements. For instance, CES supported the Chelsea Public Schools with professional development, technical assistance and coaching for leaders, teachers and instructional coaches in the district’s three middle schools to improve student outcomes. This project’s year one success in one middle school inspired an expansion to serve all three middle schools in the second year.
Services
Developing District-wide/School-wide Frameworks for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Including considerations of curricular content (concepts/understandings, knowledge, skills), expectations for learners (grade, discipline), expectations for professional practice (standards, practices, approaches, strategies), and assessment (formative, summative)
Implementation of State Content Standards
Including the alignment of curriculum documents (scope and sequence, unit plans), the alignment of formative and summative assessments (unit, grade-level, benchmark assessments), and instructional visits (virtual and in-person) to gauge standards-aligned instruction
Strengthening the Equity of Services Provided to Vulnerable Learners and Their Families
Partnering with educators to support vulnerable learners with interventions and supports to meet grade-level academic expectations; professional development to respond to vulnerable learners; i.e., evidence-based instruction, culturally responsive practice, trauma-engaged practice; Supporting equitable access to opportunity for excellence relative to specific problems of practice; e.g., middle school advisory, student placement and scheduling, instructional supervision.
Coaching Instruction (virtual, face-to-face) and Instructional Leadership
Coaching school and district administrators to lead instruction for improved outcomes, coaching teachers to strengthen instruction to increase accessibility, engagement and outcomes
Compliance Monitoring Support
Including program evaluation to identify actionable recommendations regarding program design, curriculum, and instruction, and technical assistance to implement program recommendations
The CES Team Includes
Albert Johnson-Mussad
Dr. Johnson-Mussad serves as a staff consultant in leadership and instruction at the Collaborative for Educational Services. He travels nationally to facilitate professional development for school leaders, teachers and other licensed educators in instructional leadership; English learner education; world language and bilingual education; adolescent literacy education; improving outcomes for students in poverty; and social-emotional learning. He has been helping K-12 writers who are English learners, including EL’s with disabilities, to communicate personally compelling meaning for 30 years. He is the middle son of immigrants from Egypt, and a heritage speaker of English who also speaks Spanish and some Arabic.
Johnson-Mussad is a seasoned K-12 teacher and curriculum leader who has worked with central office and school-based administrators to increase achievement for both striving learners [or less ready learners] and gifted and talented [more ready] learners. In addition to professional development, he has provided individualized leadership and instructional coaching, curriculum development and strategic planning, and educational program evaluation. He is currently serving a 3-year term on DESE's Gifted and Talented Advisory Council.
Learn more about Leadership and Instruction Services here.
Dr. Johnson-Mussad’s publications include:
- Responsive Collaboration for IEP and 504 Teams, book. Co-authored 2022, Corwin.
- Instructional Techniques including Artists in Residence, Pair Shuffle, Who goes there? in New ways in Teaching English at the Secondary Level, Deborah Short. 1999, VA: TESOL
Among his recent conference presentations is Teaching Writers Learning English or Who Have IEPs, presented at the 2023 LitCon, the largest K-8 literacy education conference in North America, in Columbus, OH; and Culturally Responsive Practice in Using Federal Grant Resources at the Nov. 2022 DESE Federal Grant Programs conference. He presented on Teaching students in poverty at the 2019 ASCD Conference on Educational Leadership.
You can also hear Albert in two podcasts, This PhD Thinks, and Episode 20: In Search of Meaning.
Albert has taught K-12 English learners and high school Spanish. Albert served as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and also in the role of elementary school principal.
"Albert creates a great community within his instruction where all levels of educators are welcomed and appreciated. As a result, every member of the course is engaged and contributes knowledge based on their experiences. This means that the participants come away with enormous "hands-on" strategies with ways to use them in different settings because of the discussions we have." --5th Grade ELA/SS Teacher
Position: Leadership and Instruction Continuous Improvement Specialist
Email: ajohnsonmussad@collaborative.org
Phone: 413.586.4900 x5945
Safire DeJong Ed.D.
Safire is a mama, auntie, daughter, practitioner, and scholar. She is co-editor of Readings for Diversity and Social Justice and holds a Doctorate of Education in Social Justice Education from UMass Amherst. Her research focuses on young people’s experiences with status and power in schools and communities. At CES, Safire works with a team of talented and experienced co-facilitators (the Joy & Justice team!) to provide equity-focused consulting and professional development for PK-12 schools. She has 20 years of experience facilitating social justice work, intergroup dialogues, and training skilled facilitators. These experiences have enabled her to develop a broad set of tools and skills that can support groups to find the most generative possibilities for liberatory futures, together.
Position: Program Director, Social Justice and Equity in Schools
Email: sdejong@collaborative.org
Phone: 413.586.4900 x5929