| Alternative Education | Alternative Education is an initiative within a public school district, charter school, or educational collaborative established to serve at-risk students whose needs are not being met in the traditional school setting. Alternative Education may operate as a program or as a separate self-contained school. |
| Approved Special Education School | The Department approves private special education school programs operating in Massachusetts to provide an education for students with disabilities contingent on meeting the requirements of 603 CMR 28.09, "Approval of Public and Private Day and Residential Special Education School Programs" AND 603 CMR 18.00, "Program and Safety Standards for Approved Public or Private Day and Residential Special Education School Programs." A school district (LEA) may also place a student in an approved out-of-state program if it believes that such a program is the most appropriate for the student. |
| Charter Public Schools | Public schools that are created by parents, teachers, businesses, and community leaders and have the freedom to organize their activities around a core mission, curriculum, or teaching method. Their autonomy gives them the freedom to create their own budgets and to hire and fire teachers and staff. |
| Collaborative | Collaboratives are formed through an agreement among two or more school committees to provide education for their member school systems. Agreements must be filed with the Commissioner of ESE. A Board representative of each member school committee manages them. |
| Collaborative Program | Through their programs, Collaboratives provide indirect services for schools, educators and communities. These services include but are not limited to: cooperative purchasing, student transportation, professional development, after school and vocational programs, special education programming, particularly for low-incidence populations and management support. |
| Educator Preparation Program Provider | Educator Preparation Program Providers, also referred to as Sponsoring Organizations, offer one or more programs approved by ESE to prepare individuals for educator licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Many types of organizations may become an approved educator preparation program provider, including institutions of higher education, public school districts, charter schools, private schools, professional associations, collaboratives, and non-profit organizations. |
| Innovation Academy | An Innovation Academy (school-within-a school), is a specialized educational program that is housed within the larger school building. Innovation academies enroll a subset of the larger school's student body, and have the autonomy to implement the identified educational model outlined in its approved Innovation Plan. |
| Private School | A non-publicly funded school that provides educational services directly to attending students. |
| Public School | Public schools are administered by a Public School District, and provide educational services directly to attending students. |
| Public School District | An administrative unit responsible for managing primary and secondary school services within a defined geographical boundary. |
