2019 Conference: Innovations in Special Education
Call for Proposals

November 22, 2019
Four Points by Sheraton 
​Norwood, MA
Registration is open! https://mcec2019.eventbrite.com 

The Massachusetts Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) is a state chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest international professional organization of educators dedicated to advancing the field of special education. We accomplish our mission through advocacy, standards, and professional development. Our members include special education professionals, higher education faculty in special education or related fields, administrators, general educators,  self-advocates, and  students preparing for careers in the field of education.

Conference Overview

Innovations in Special Education, our 2019 Conference, will be a one-day event that provides professional development and dissemination of research- to-practice innovations. Professionals and others interested in special education and related fields are all invited to learn and connect with each other through discussion of key topics in our work. We  invite practitioners, scholars, education preparation personnel, self-advocates and university students studying special education to submit a proposal fo consideration. 

Presenter Information

We are looking for sessions focused on innovations in special education in the following strands:

• Strand A: Inclusion
• Strand B: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics)
• Strand C: Culturally Responsive Practice
• Strand D: Social Emotional Learning

We are seeking presenters who offer research, pedagogical insights, and relevant content and experiences that are aligned with our mission. In session selection, priority will be given to sessions with MCEC members* as lead or co-presenters. We welcome self-advocate presenters. Please note we will not accept presentations by individuals or companies that are designed to feature and promote specific products and services.
*If you are a member of CEC, and have designated Massachusetts as your chapter, you are a member!
General Information

• Concurrent sessions will be scheduled between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2019.
• Proposals must be submitted online by April 15, 2019. Mailed, faxed, or late proposals will not be considered.
• Notification will occur by May 1.
• All presenters must RSVP to the conference by June 1st and must register and pay the registration fee by August 1, 2019.  Presenters who fail to register by August 1 will be removed from the program.
• MCEC provides all presentation rooms with a LCD projector and screen at no charge to presenters. All other A/V equipment (e.g. laptop computers, speakers, adapters, etc.) must be brought by presenters.
• MCEC cannot reimburse presenters for expenses associated with the conference, including travel, hotel, cost of producing handouts, or other expenses.

Important Dates 
March 1:         Proposal submission system  opens
April 15:          Proposal submission system closes
May 1:              Presenter notification
June 1:             Presenters must RSVP for the conference
August 1:        Presenters must register and pay the registration fee
October 1:     Presenters must upload slides to conference repository (for accessibility)

Program Details
The 2019 conference focuses on “Innovations in Special Education” and will highlight four topic strands: Inclusion; STEAM; Culturally Responsive Practice; Social Emotional Learning.

• Strand A: Inclusion – This strand is designed to facilitate discussions about inclusive practices and their impact on students and teachers.
• Strand B: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) – This strand is designed to represent the intersection of special education with STEAM.  
• Strand C: Culturally Responsive Practice – This strand is designed to support culturally responsive practices that are impactful on learning, including teaching strategies and educational supports.
• Strand D: Social Emotional Learning – This strand focuses on social emotional learning that supports learning and provides access to the curriculum.

The Conference Committee seeks to create a balanced program related to the range and significance of topics, interests, and relevance of proposals to the needs of special education professionals in Massachusetts

Proposal Form
The online proposal submission system will require the following information:
Presenter Information: All presenters must be included in the proposal when it is submitted. You will need to submit their name, any affiliation, mailing address, email, and a 30-word bio for each presenter.

• Lead Presenter: The person responsible for coordinating the presentation, notifying the other presenters of the proposal’s status (e.g. receipt, acceptance or rejection, and, if accepted, scheduled time and location of presentation), and ensuring that all presenters register for the conference by the deadline.
• Presenter: Additional presenters who will participate in the session.

Session Title: Title of your presentation (15 words max).

• The title should accurately reflect the content and be clear to the intended audience.

Abstract: The abstract is a summary of the session that appears in the conference program (50 words max).

• Conference participants use the abstract to help decide which sessions to attend. It must be carefully written to draw the most appropriate audience to the presentation.
• Spell out any acronyms or abbreviations that may not be familiar to all conference participants.

Session Type: Indicate the type of session you are proposing.

• Practice-Oriented Session - A session which is oriented toward teaching practice. Workshops provide participants the opportunity to actively participate. Emphasis on providing hands-on experience rather than lecturing. (50 minutes)
• Paper Session - Papers should be based on current research to practice connections. They should provide a practical benefit to the audience. (50 minutes)
• We are not accepting symposium or panel sessions for this year.

Target Audience (select all that apply):

• School or District Administrators    
• Educators, Early Childhood
• Educators, Early Intervention
• Teachers, Elementary        
• Teachers, Secondary    
• Education Preparation Personnel
• Other, please specify: _____________________________

Audience:

• Teachers that are:  
  • Veteran Teachers    
  • Novice Teachers    
  • All levels of experience
• Programs that are:
  • Novice Programs    
  • Developing Programs    
  • Seasoned Programs

Topic Strand: Choose one topic strand that best suits your proposal. See pages 2-3 of the Call for Proposals to learn more about each strand.

• Innovations Informed by Policy
• Innovations in Teaching and Learning
• Innovations in Technology
• Innovations in the Arts and Special Education

Session Description: A description of the presentation that will be used to select presentations for the conference (500 words max). The session description must include:

• a rationale of the presentation
• an explicit statement regarding participant outcomes
• theoretical orientation and research supporting the presentation
• an explanation of how outcomes will be achieved with activities or content to be presented

The proposal system for #MCEC2019 is closed. Check back in December for our Call for Proposals for #MCEC2020!