Helping Schools 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. We also assist educators to identify new curricular resources to use in their efforts to improve and enhance their programs.
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)
Implementing 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 Diverse Learners and Their Families
Partnering with educators to support diverse learners with interventions and supports to meet grade-level academic expectations; professional development on areas including:
- Evidence-based instruction
- Culturally responsive practice
- Trauma-engaged practice
- Engaging and interrupting curricular bias
- Using an equity pause
- Decolonizing curricula
Coaching for 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
Supporting and partnering with schools and districts to remedy findings from a compliance audit, including curriculum development and program evaluation services.
Technology Integration
CES offers coaching and instruction in technology-integration, including blended and personalized learning, Google Apps for education, Digital citizenship, instructional design for high-quality online teaching, and innovative tools and instructional strategies. CES is also an authorized provider of training for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Certification for Educators.
Examples of Past Projects
Leading Educational Access Project (LEAP)
Leading the statewide training-of-trainers component of MA DESE’s Leading Educational Access Project (LEAP) to improve outcomes for students in poverty, and facilitating an intensive institute on teaching students in poverty for the Anchorage, Alaska School District Summer Academy
EL Education Program Development
Working with the ELL Coordinator at Windham Northeast Supervisory Union in VT to design a comprehensive ELL program for SY 22/23 school year, including EL student scheduling, curriculum, meeting diverse learners’ needs, research- and evidence-based EL instruction, and systems to support EL education.
Chelsea Public Schools
Supporting the Chelsea Public Schools with professional development, technical assistance/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.
Curriculum Consulting Team
Albert Johnson-Mussad Ph.D.
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. In addition to professional development, he provides individualized leadership and instructional coaching, curriculum development and strategic planning, and educational program evaluation.
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. He 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. 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.
Learn more about:
Dr. Johnson-Mussad is currently serving a 3-year term on Massachusetts DESE's Gifted and Talented Advisory Council.
His 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 are Teaching Writers Learning English or Who Have IEPs, presented at the 2023 LitCon, the largest K-8 literacy education conference in North America; Improving Outcomes for Students in Poverty, at the 2024 Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program Conference; and Listening and Reading for Nonfiction Learning: Explicit Comprehension Instruction, for Massachusetts Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages. Albert has also presented at Future FocusED, a New England conference on the future of school.
You can also hear Albert in three podcasts, In Search of Meaning (This PhD Thinks, 2022), Reflections on Effective IEPs (Phenomenal Spotlight w/Mr. Short: Albert Johnson-Mussad, 2023), and Journeys Into Being (Episode 3 with host, Renata Pienkawa, 2023).
"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) 200-8294
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: Joy & Justice in Schools Program, Co-Director
Email: sdejong@collaborative.org
Phone: 413.345.8345
Casey Daigle
Casey Daigle is a digital learning leader, facilitator, and curriculum designer with 14 years of experience co-creating with educators and edtech. As Digital Learning Manager at the Collaborative for Educational Services, Casey partners with schools to demystify technology and connect the dots between the tools they have and the vision they hold—making room for curiosity, creativity, and meaningful change.
From Google tools to emerging AI, Casey designs hands-on, flexible PD that meets learners where they are—always with a spirit of experimentation and deep respect for their practice. She works with educators across Massachusetts and beyond, guiding work that’s human-centered, imaginative, and grounded in strong instructional design.
Casey is an ISTE Certified Educator and Google Certified Trainer.
Learn more about:
Among Casey's recent presentations and professional development have been
- Co-presenting with Bethany Emery at the MassCUE Spring Leadership Conference in 2023, on Worcester Public Schools Teacher Leaders Moving the Needle on Innovation and Integration (video available)
- Co-presenting with Jen Thomas the MassCUE Digital Citizenship Summer Webinar Series, 2023
- Co-presented with Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse and Carrie Rogers-Whitehead on Leveling Up DigCit Skills with AI, an edWeb.net webinar in January of 2023; available on the edWeb.net website
- Presenting Grading for Equity Book Study course
- Co-presenting with Shawn Fortin, Belchertown Public Schools, Dazzling Digital Doom Delayers, at MassCUE Fall Conference 2023
- Co-presenting with Rebecca Mazur, Ph.D.; André Morgan, Ph.D., EdLD; Todd Gazda, Ed.D., JD; Is Virtual Reality Right for Our District? at the 2023 MASC/MASS Jt. Conference
Position: Digital Learning Manager
Email: cdaigle@collaborative.org
Phone: (413) 588-7050
José Lugo
José Lugo, M.A., (tlacatl, he, him), Native Education Liaison, José works to learn how to serve and provide support as requested by Native Entities (American Indian/ Alaskan Native federal & state tribes) and individuals for consultation, technical assistance, and curriculum development. His area of focus is Native and Indigenous wellness and educational practices. José’s inclusion and advocacy with indigenous communities in his homeland and in MA give him an insight into how education continues to impact students and educators in the omission of Indigenous perspective in schools. Since arriving at CES José has benefited from learning the accurate history of the Mashpee, Aquinnah, & Herring Pond Wampanoag tribes. He has supported Native entities through the State Tribal Education Partnership, Traditional Ecological Knowledge conferences, and Native Teacher Retention initiatives. His work with DESE via Investigating History 3rd & 4th grade History & Social Studies curriculum and the Racial Imbalance Advisory Committee help keep José connected to advocate for more native representation in schools. José is a Chicano-Macehualli and has a Masters in Multicultural Literature.
Position: Native Education Liaison/Curriculum Development Specialist
Email: jlugo@collaborative.org
Phone: (413) 531-4749