2026 MSAA Summer Institute

Conference Fee: $150 / $205 non-member
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Experience a three-hour deep dive into the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transformative potential for your school. This interactive workshop, designed for teachers, administrators, and support staff, will equip
participants with the knowledge and practical skills to navigate the exciting world of AI in education. We will address ways to personalize learning, prompt design, and ways to optimize operations for a future-ready educational landscape.

What if family engagement wasn’t another event on the calendar, but a lever for transforming instruction, student motivation, and school culture? In partnership with Acera Education Innovation, our school moved from isolated STEM activities to a cohesive, hands-on learning model that connects curriculum, family engagement, and student excitement about school. What began as an effort to increase attendance and enthusiasm has evolved into a schoolwide approach that integrates experiential learning into both classroom instruction and home-school partnerships. In this interactive session, participants will actively experience one of the hands-on learning structures we use with families, analyze the leadership moves that made it sustainable, and leave with ready-to-implement tools. Whether you're looking to increase family participation, strengthen STEM access, or shift your school culture.

As Massachusetts schools adopt stronger phone policies and respond to AI-driven changes in learning, leaders are seeking approaches that balance clarity, consistency, and student wellbeing. This session presents an MTSS-based framework for implementing phone policies and digital wellbeing practices that extend beyond enforcement. Drawing on guidance from MA DESE and case examples from partner schools, we will examine how to align Tier 1 policy and instruction with Tier 2/3 supports for students affected by distraction, anxiety, cyberbullying, or academic integrity concerns. Participants will leave with a draft implementation roadmap for fall 2026.

Massachusetts’ statewide Portrait of a Graduate provides a shared vision, but schools and districts bring it to life when they design a version that reflects their own community. This session guides participants through creating and operationalizing a local Portrait aligned to the statewide competencies. We’ll explore stakeholder engagement, translating competencies into instruction, and embedding the Portrait into curriculum, culture, and improvement planning. Participants will leave with clear steps for making the Portrait meaningful and actionable.

This presentation is designed for administrators evaluating special education teachers. What are the key elements to successful specialized instruction with high student engagement? Attendees will leave with a framework of how to use the Mass Teachers Evaluation Rubric to guide conversations and support special educators.

Fidgets can be dismissed as toys or distractions, yet all students have sensory needs that influence attention, regulation, and learning. This session reframes fidgets as practical, research-aligned tools that can support both up-regulation (increasing alertness) and down-regulation (reducing stress), helping students access instruction more consistently. This presentation explores the neuroscience of regulation, addresses common concerns about misuse/distractions and fairness, and emphasizes that fidgets are not one-size-fits-all. Effective implementation depends on structure, skill-building, and clear expectations. Participants will leave with actionable guidance for: Establishing norms that differentiate tools from toys; Coaching students in self-awareness and intentional selection; Supporting teachers in setting boundaries without shaming; and aligning fidget use with MTSS and inclusive practice The goal: sensory-smart classrooms that strengthen focus without sacrificing rigor.

This workshop addresses the urgent need for comprehensive school-based suicide prevention strategies to respond to rising rates of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts among youth. Participants will explore the Multi-Tiered Suicide Prevention (MTSP) framework, developed by the Education Development Center (EDC), which offers six key components for effective school-based suicide prevention. This session will include data insights on the framework’s effectiveness, two school district case studies, and practical tools to address youth suicide. Attendees will have the opportunity to complete a portion of the MTSP framework’s environmental assessment and engage in discussions on current strategies to enhance school prevention efforts.  We also will discuss SEL and other aspects of upstream prevention in tiers 1-3.