The ACCELA Alliance is a professional development partnership between the University of Massachusetts Amherst, local urban school districts, and several community organizations in Western Massachusetts. Members of the ACCELA Alliance are committed to providing data-driven, locally-responsive, and sustained professional development to educators working to support the academic literacy development of linguistically and culturally diverse learners in this region. As part of this effort, the ACCELA Alliance offers two graduate-level professional development programs: one in ESL education, and another in reading. Upon successful completion of either program, teachers can earn a Masters degree or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) and apply for an ESL and/or Reading Specialist license. All classes are currently taught in Springfield or Holyoke by professors from the UMass College of Education.