Federally Funded Education Resources
Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8
The Center has created a national infrastructure of information and support that states and local school districts can rely on to learn about and use scientifically based practices for providing access to the general education curriculum for their elementary and middle school students with disabilities.
The Alaska Comprehensive Center (ACC), at SERRC-Alaska's Educational Resource Center, in partnership with Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, is part of a federal network of 16 regional comprehensive centers serving individual or clusters of states. ACC provides assistance to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and to statewide groups and organizations to help implement the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center
The Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center (ARCC) provides differentiated, high-quality, evidence-based, relevant, and useful technical assistance that results in increased state education agency capacity to implement NCLB, enhanced student achievement, and improved school and district AYP (adequate yearly progress) status in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ARCC at Edvantia is a dynamic, collaborative network consisting of the Center for Equity and Excellence in Education at George Washington University, the Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training (ESCORT), the National Center for Family Literacy, the SERVE Center for Continuous Improvement at the University of North Carolina—Greensboro, and the Southern Regional Education Board. These organizations have many years of experience in providing technical assistance to the region's state education agencies.
Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center
Assessment and Accountability Content Center (AACC) The AACC work consists of the following key activities: · Review, analysis, and dissemination of evidence-based products, services, etc. linked to key NCLB initiatives and goals · Synthesis of evidence in a few selected, high-need NCLB areas · Strategic responses to requests from RCCs on high-need NCLB areas · Response to ED requests on high-need NCLB issues · Limited development in high-need NCLB areas determined by both the AACC and ED · Limited direct technical support to states related to NCLB initiatives and goals, as determined by ED AACC products and services will focus on the following high-leverage indicators: · High quality in terms of grounding in sound technical theory, research, and practical experiences. · High relevance that is appropriate for states and regional comprehensive centers (RCCs) and responsive to their immediate and long-term needs. · High utility to RCCs and state educational agencies (SEAs), keeping up with recent research developments in assessment and accountability and thereby supporting decision making and improvement of student performance. Strand 1: Special Populations Objective: To provide information and resources to RCCs, and through the RCCs to state education agencies (SEAs), regarding the assessment and accountability of their special student populations (i.e., English language learners [ELLs] and students with disabilities [SWDs], including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities) with respect to the requirements of NCLB (i.e., Title I, Title III, alternate assessments, modified assessments). Strand 2: Data Use Objective: To identify and share resources with RCCs that will expand state and local capacity to effectively use state, district, school, and classroom data to improve educational outcomes. Strand 3: Support for Quality State Assessment and Accountability Systems Objective: To assist states to meet the NCLB assessment and accountability requirements.
CADRE (Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education)
The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE), a national technical assistance and dissemination project, works toward elevating the capacity of educators, family members, service providers and other stakeholders to engage in collaborative problem-solving and other positive, non-adversarial processes. Ultimately, this approach results in better educational programs and outcomes for students with disabilities. CADRE delivers high quality technical assistance and informational support to state education agencies (Part B), early intervention lead agencies (Part C), parent centers, local education agencies, local early intervention providers, and dispute resolution practitioners.
California Comprehensive Center
The U.S. Department of Education selected WestEd as the lead agency to operate the California Comprehensive Center (CA CC). WestEd is a nonprofit research, development and service agency, working with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth and adults.
The priority areas of the CA CC are the following: 1) Supporting those working to build the capacity of districts and schools to improve student achievement. 2) Building the capacity of the state and districts to support students with special needs, including English learners, and students in Special Education and Migrant Education 3) Disseminating research-based and promising practices. 4) Building the capacity of key statewide networks to support NCLB implementation. 5) Building the capacity of the state to use technologies to support districts and schools.
Center for Early Literacy Learning
The main goal of CELL is to promote the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices by early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of young children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes. The Center will produce toolkits containing practice guides for promoting early literacy learning that can be used by parents and early childhood practitioners who work with infants, toddlers, and preschool children.
Center for Implementing Technology in Education
CITEd supports state and local education agencies (SEAs/LEAs) in implementing and evaluating selected evidence-based practices that effectively integrate technology into sound teaching so that children with disabilities will have access to the general education curriculum and achieve high educational standards. CITEd produces and disseminates information about evidence-based and promising technology integration practices, with a particular emphasis on differentiating instruction through the use of technology.
Center for Improving Teacher Quality
The services that this project will provide for states include: (a) grant monies to support state-specific projects; (b) a brokering of services whereby Center staff will connect states to key resources and individual experts; (c) support for development of within-state and across-state "communities of practice;" (d) an electronic "community of practice" in which states can continuously share ideas and strategies through a listserv, Web site, chat room, and periodic newsletters and conference calls; and (e) dissemination of the work of the Center across states.
Center on Innovation and Improvement
The Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII) is a national content center, whose primary client is the network of regional comprehensive centers. A central goal of CII is to operate effectively and efficiently to provide information, tools, and training to the network of regional comprehensive centers to help them build state capacity to improve student learning by assisting districts and schools with school improvement, and implement and support the provisions and mandates of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. CII has developed a comprehensive and efficient system of sensing the needs of its clients and providing assistance focused on the needs to the network of regional comprehensive centers (RCCs) who are their primary clients.
The Center on Instruction is one of five content centers providing support to the 16 Regional Comprehensive Centers funded by USED to assist SEAs and districts/schools in need of improvement through the application of scientific research or rigorous, evidence-based findings that improve the overall quality of teaching and learning and contribute to reducing the achievement gaps.
Center on Outcomes for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities
The Center on Outcomes for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities promotes the development and implementation of child and family outcome measures that can be used in local, state, and national accountability systems. Through a purposeful combination of strategies including research, collaboration, consensus building, technical assistance (TA), and dissemination, the Center seeks to move outcome measurement progressively forward, toward achieving: (a) national data on outcomes for young children with disabilities, and (b) the regular use of outcome data for program improvement at the local and state levels.
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
The TA Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
Center on State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices
The purpose of the State Implementation of Scaling-up Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) Center is to promote students' academic achievement and behavioral health by supporting implementation and scaling-up of evidence-based practices in education settings. SISEP will provide the critical content and foundation for establishing a technology of large-scale, sustainable, high-fidelity implementation of effective educational practices. SISEP will work with selected states to improve their capacity to carry out implementation, organizational change, and systems transformation strategies to maximize achievement outcomes of all students in each state.
CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge
CONNECT is developing web-based, instructional resources for faculty and other professional development providers that focus on and respond to challenges faced each day by those working with young children with disabilities and their families. The modules are designed to build early childhood practitioners’ abilities to make evidence-based decisions. They emphasize a decision-making process, realistic problems to solve, the importance of integrating multiple perspectives and sources of knowledge, the relevance and quality of content, and feedback.
DAC’s mission is to support the submission and analysis of high-quality IDEA data by reviewing data collection and analysis, and providing technical assistance to improve state capacity to meet data requirements. The Center’s mission includes assisting the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education by taking a leadership role in the Technical Assistance and Dissemination network to support the vision of high-quality data.
Family Center on Technology and Disability
FCTD provides current, accurate, and relevant information resources on assistive and instructional technologies. It conducts outreach to a national infrastructure of organizations that work directly with families and children, strengthening their ability to provide technology-related support. The project also provides online forums, annual technology institutes, and in-depth monthly newsletters to educators, disability professionals, TA%D project personnel, and families.
Federal Resource Center for Special Education
The Federal Resource Center for Special Education supports the work of the six OSEP-funded Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) that provide technical assistance (TA) to assist states in complying with IDEA and to implement evidence-based educational practices.
Florida and Islands Comprehensive Center
The Florida and Islands Regional Comprehensive Center serves the state of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Center is located in Tampa, Florida.
Great Lakes East Comprehensive Assistance Center
The Great Lakes East Comprehensive Assistance Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and operated by Learning Point Associates serves Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. It is part of the network of 16 regional Comprehensive Assistance Centers and five national Content Centers. The mission of Great Lakes East is to deliver technical assistance and support tailored to the needs of the state education agencies (SEAs) in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and the priorities of the U.S. Department of Education related to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) implementation. Great Lakes East is accomplishing this mission by establishing high-integrity relationships and by focusing on building state capacity to improve student performance.
Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center
Great Lakes West Comprehensive Assistance Center is one of 16 regional centers and 5 national content centers that comprise the Comprehensive Center Network. Through a strategic, collaborative partnership with the Great Lakes West, state education agencies (SEAs) in Illinois and Wisconsin will be able to provide the support necessary to their districts and schools that will result in success for all learners.
As the No Child Left Behind Act focuses educators on performance improvement of students with disabilities, there is an urgent and common need among special and general educators to find new ways to understand each other and work together effectively. This project of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) will help policy makers, service providers, administrators, and families translate knowledge into action in a way that creates personal meaning and informs their work and interactions every day.
IRIS (IDEA and Research for Inclusive Settings) Center
The IRIS (IDEA '04 and Research for Inclusive Settings) Center creates free training enhancement resources for college faculty who are preparing the next generation of school personnel and for professional development providers who are training current school professionals. IRIS training enhancements are designed to equip school personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively teach students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The IRIS array of materials includes online interactive modules, case studies, information briefs, activities, a searchable directory of disability-related Web sites, and an online dictionary of disability-related terms. These materials are available for free at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center
The Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center (MACC ) at the George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education is one of 21 Comprehensive Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The network of Centers supports state education agencies (SEAs) to enable them to address the differentiated needs of low-performing schools and districts as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). MACC's mission is to build the capacity of state education agencies to develop a statewide system of differentiated technical assistance for districts and schools in need of improvement. The goals of MACC support its mission by 1. Fostering relationships, resource sharing, and comprehensive planning across divisions to build the facility of the SEA to meet the technical assistance needs of schools and districts identified for improvement. 2. Supporting SEA use of data to identify and differentiate the needs of schools and districts identified for improvement so that appropriate assistance can be delivered by the SEA to address these needs. 3. Expanding the facility of SEAs to design and support ongoing, job-embedded professional development that helps district instructional leaders build effective practice in schools identified for improvement. The Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center serves the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center
MC3 is a federally funded center that works with state education agencies in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma to help them assist public schools improve the educational outcomes of students.
Mid-South Regional Resource Center
The purpose of this project is to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities, birth through 21 years, and their families, through TA to state agencies in the Mid-South Region. Efforts will be structured around two results-oriented goals that encompass the nine activities of the RRC scope of work: (a) enhance decision-making systems that support continuous improvement, and (b) improve results in identified priority areas under IDEA.
Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center
MPRRC provides flexible, data-driven technical assistance focused on efforts that lead to and support sustained change at the State and local levels. MPRRC works collaboratively with State Education Agencies (SEAs), Lead Agencies (LAs), OSEP, and other partners to develop and implement activities that support systemic change which will lead to better outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and their families. At the heart of this effort is a variety of technical assistance activities that include supporting States to put into place continuous improvement processes driven by performance data, disseminating scientifically based practices, and providing assistance specific to requirements of the IDEA and NCLB. To enhance these efforts, MPRRC works with the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers and other OSEP-funded projects, provide leadership and facilitation to OSEP-coordinated technical assistance initiatives (e.g., Communities of Practice), and partner in OSEP-specified TA to States.
National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
The Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems and Evidence-Based Practices will support state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) in their efforts to effectively address and reduce incidences of disproportionate representation of minorities in special education resulting from inappropriate or ineffective educational practices. The Center will build on the findings and recommendations of the National Research Council, reports, and other literature so that students, families, practitioners, policy makers, and researchers can coalesce around scientifically based interventions and strategic improvements in practice and policy to help close the achievement gap between minority students and their peers and reduce inappropriate referrals to special education.
National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring
This project contributes to improved outcomes for students with disabilities by assisting state and local education agencies and the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to implement and productively use a focused monitoring system.
National Center for Special Education Personnel and Related Service Providers: The Personnel Center
This Personnel Center builds state and local capacity for recruiting and retaining highly qualified special education personnel to serve children and youth with disabilities, birth to 21, and their families.
National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice
The National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (NCEDJJ) is a collaborative research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination program designed to understand and develop more effective responses to the needs of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system or those who are at risk for involvement with the system.
National Center on Educational Outcomes
The National Center on Educational Outcomes provides technical assistance on improving results for students with disabilities by increasing their participation rates in high quality assessment and accountability systems, improving the quality of assessments in which they participate, improving the capacity of States to meet data collection requirements, and strengthening accountability for results.
National Center on Student Progress Monitoring
The mission of the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring is to provide technical assistance to states and districts and disseminate information about progress monitoring practices proven to work in different academic content areas for grades K-5. Educators and families receive information about the effectiveness of progress monitoring that encourages them to adopt the practice. Teachers and other practitioners receive support in translating project monitoring research into easily implemented classroom strategies. Technical assistance on progress monitoring transfers knowledge in ways that accommodate differences in teachers' background, training, and beliefs, as well as differences in the nature and philosophy of the instructional programs and practices already in place.
National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development
NCIPP is a national center house at the University of Florida (UF) and designed to (a) inform special education teacher preparation policy and practice by examining and recommending to IHEs, SEAs, and LEAS those policies and practices that improve retention of beginning special education teachers, and (b) recommend implementation strategies for policies and practices that provided beginning special education and regular education teachers with the knowledge and skills to effectively support students with disabilities in different classroom settings, including collaborative practices in regular classroom settings.
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality
The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (NCCTQ) was launched on October 2, 2005, after Learning Point Associates and its partners - Education Commission of the States, ETS, and Vanderbilt University - entered into a five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to operate the teacher quality content center. NCCTQ is a part of the U.S. Department of Education's Comprehensive Centers program, which includes 16 regional comprehensive assistance centers that provide technical assistance to states within a specified boundary and five content centers that provide expert assistance to benefit states and districts nationwide on key issues related to the goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)
The purpose of the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness is two-fold. The first purpose is to promote academic achievement and results for children and youth (birth-26) who are deaf-blind through technical assistance, model demonstration, and information services activities that are supported by evidence based research. Beneficiaries will include families, service providers, state deaf-blind projects, state and local education agencies and other organizations responsible for providing early intervention, education and transition services. The second purpose is to help address State identified needs for highly qualified personnel by ensuring that personnel have skills and knowledge. Outcomes include: (a) increasing the knowledge and skills of families and service providers to implement IDEA and evidence based practices and (b) increasing the systems capacity of state deaf-blind projects and other agencies to serve children/youth who are deaf-blind.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, NICHCY, serves the nation as a central source of information on: • research-based information on effective educational practices, • disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth, • IDEA and No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities), • products and services of OSEP’s TA&D projects, and • national, regional, and state agencies, disability organizations, professional and parent groups focused on the needs of children with disabilities. NICHCY focuses on support to states and local entities in building their capacity to improve early intervention, educational and transitional services, and results for children with disabilities and their families, and to address systemic-change goals and priorities. NICHCY brings research-based information and assistance to practice, in order to help states meet outcome indicators and show continuous improvement. NICHCY provides information in both English and Spanish.
National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) aims to increase rates of school completion by students with disabilities, emphasizing dropout prevention for enrolled students and re-entry into education by students who have dropped out of school The Center will organize and apply a network of multiple sources of knowledge and support, will interact and collaborate with key organizations and networks providing programs and professional services, and will utilize the expertise of other key researchers and practitioners in a network of "Exchange Team Experts" to offer complementary outreach activities and resources relevant to dropout prevention strategies.
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)
To accomplish its mission, the project will carry out the following objectives: 1. DEVELOP ANNUAL PLANS FOR TA: a.Analyze state Part C and Part B Preschool APR indicators and conduct other needs assessment activities to identify states’ TA needs b.Develop a TA plan outlining the major cross-state TA efforts planned in response to the states’ common TA needs c.Develop a plan and budget with OSEP for the cross-state and individual-state OSEP specified TA 2. CONDUCT TA ACTIVITIES: a. Provide TA to individual states, including long term systems change initiatives, major individualized TA services,and other less extensive TA services b.Implement cross-state TA, including major topical conferences and less extensive conference calls, web conferences, and other TA services c.Plan and convene a National Early Childhood Conference in DC d.Develop and/or identify, maintain, and make available resources related to the Early Childhood Provisions of IDEA, including (1) projects compilation and contact list, (2) Part C Update, (3) 619 Profile (4) Web site, (5) enotes, (6) client listservs, and others 3. MANAGE and EVALUATE NECTAC ACTIVITIES: a.Maintain ongoing communication and administrative reporting as negotiated with OSEP Project Officer b.Plan and implement evaluation activities, including performance measures and the 3+2 Project Review c.Coordinate with other relevant technical assistance efforts d.Establish and garner input and advice from an Advisory Committee
The National High School Center, one of the five national content centers, serves as a central source of information and expertise on high school improvement for the 16 Regional Comprehensive Centers. In doing so, the National High School Center assists the Regional Comprehensive Centers in building the capacity of the states to execute the goals of No Child Left Behind as they relate to high school. Funded by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education Programs, our work has a special focus in serving students with disabilities, students with limited proficiency in English, and students at risk of school failure. Housed at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, DC, the National High School Center benefits from the expertise of its partners including Learning Point Associates, MDRC, the National Center for Educational Accountability, and WestED.
National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI)
The mission of the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is to partner with the Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) to develop powerful networks of urban local education agencies (LEAs) and schools that embrace and implement a data-based, continuous improvement approach for inclusive practices.
National Post-School Outcomes Center
The University of Oregon houses the National Center on Secondary, Transition, and Postsecondary School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities known as the National Post-School Outcomes Center (NPSO). In collaboration with state and national partners, the Center develops and implements practical, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable strategies for states to collect and use outcome data to improve secondary, transition, and postsecondary school results. The Center (a) builds on existing data requirements and extant knowledge about states' current efforts, and (b) uses our extensive technical expertise and technical assistance experience to develop and disseminate rigorous, yet practical, data collection and utilization strategies. The Center assists states to fulfill the requirements and spirit of the Part B SPP/APR Indicator 14.
National Professional Development Center on Inclusion
The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI) works with states to create a system of high quality, cross-agency, accessible professional development for early childhood personnel. While NPDCI serves as a resource to all states, the center will select eight states for more intense collaboration, 4 in year 1 of the project (2007) and 4 in year 2 (2008).
National Research Center on Learning Disabilities
The Center for Research on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) develops valid learning disabilities assessment and identification methods by pursuing two programmatic lines of research: (1) identification methods and individual differences, and (2) state and local practices.
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
The purpose of this project is to help states meet evaluation targets for transition planning and postschool outcomes and build capacity to support and improve transition planning, services, and outcomes for youth with disabilities. The Center is charged with assisting SEAs and LEAs in collecting data on SPP Indicator 13 and using these data to improve transition services. To accomplish this, NSTTAC will disseminate information and provide technical assistance on evidence and research based practices, with an emphasis on building and sustaining state-level infrastructures of support and building district-level demonstrations of effective transition methods for youth with disabilities. The NSTTAC will also provide efficient and effective large-scale implementation and sustainability of research-based secondary transition interventions and models.
New England Comprehensive Center
The New England Comprehensive Center serves education leaders in New England as they strive to meet the goals of NCLB to improve learning outcomes for all students. RMC Research Corporation of Portsmouth, NH is working with three distinguished partners to design, manage, and deliver technical assitance to state education agencies: Education Development Center, Inc.; Learning Innovations at WestEd; and The Education Alliance at Brown University.
By insisting on high achievement by all students, regardless of geography or life circumstance, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has made the need for high quality technical assistance paramount for state education leaders. The New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC), one of 16 regional comprehensive centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, supports education leaders in our state as they strive to meet the goals of NCLB and improve achievement outcomes for all students. The mission of the NYCC is to develop the capacity of the New York State Education Department and its networks and agencies to assist districts and schools in improving achievement outcomes for all students. In doing so, we strive to engage with state education leaders in: Thinking systemically about the relationships among all elements to create coherence and articulate a common purpose; Using research-based findings and rigorous evidence to evaluate impact, refine practices, seek new solutions, and meet learners' needs; Acting strategically to maximize opportunities and make the best use of available resources; and Working collaboratively across leadership levels and organizations to leverage resources and overcome barriers.
NIMAS Technical Assistance Center
In support of students with sensory and other print disabilities, the U.S. Department of Education funded the development of the National File Format (NFF) Technical Panel to write the voluntary National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). The Department endorsed NIMAS version 1.0 in July 2004. The standard guides the production and electronic distribution of flexible digital instructional materials such as textbooks so they can be more easily converted to Braille, text-to-speech, and other accessible formats. The NIMAS Technical Assistance Center provides technical assistance to states, publishers, content conversion services and other entities involved in providing such accessible educational materials to students with disabilities. The project supports large-scale implementation of NIMAS to improve the availability, quality, timeliness, and cost effectiveness of accessible materials for students with disabilities.
NIUSI-LeadScape directly assists at least 400 principals across the country to develop and implement inclusive schools to ensure their students with and without disabilities meet or exceed academic standards set by their states and measured by state assessment systems. Based on the Leadership Academy modules developed and field tested by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI), NIUSI-LeadScape brings principals around the county into sustained professional communities focused on leadership for inclusive schools. Each semi-annual academy incorporates research-based effective strategies and methods for professional learning as well as research-based effective content on what principals need to know and do to achieve effective, inclusive schools.
North Central Comprehensive Center
The North Central Comprehensive Center is a U.S. Department of Education-funded program that provides research-based services to state education agencies in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to implement No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
North Central Regional Resource Center
The project's goal is to engage Region 4 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) in the proactive identification of issues that lead to sustainable systems change efforts and improved results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities and their families.
Northeast Parent Center Assistance and Collaboration Team
The Northeast Parent Center Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT) will facilitate and provide support to Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in Region 1 to strengthen their infrastructure, enhance their effectiveness, and facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training. A key focus will be strengthening parent center capacities to educate parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities. The project will also work to strengthen collaborative relationships among the PTIs, CPRCs, and state education systems within the region. Region 1 includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Northeast Regional Resource Center
The Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC) will continue to provide individualized technical assistance to the eight states in Region 1 to assist them in building capacity and modifying state systems that provide early intervention, special education, and transitional services to improve results for children with disabilities and their families.
Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center
The Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center (NWRCC) is part of the U.S. Department of Education's Comprehensive Centers Program. The NWRCC assists the State Education Agencies of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming by helping them adopt proven approaches to achieve the school improvement and student performance goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The work of the NWRCC includes three components: 1. Technical assistance that focuses on direct assistance to each of the SEAs to build their capacity to implement the NCLB provisions applicable to states. 2. Tasks and strategies designed to help each SEA build its capacity to help schools and districts in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups and meet the goals of NCLB, and 3. Dissemination approaches to provide high-quality, relevant and useful information to support states, districts and schools throughout the Northwest region in implementing the goals and provisions of NCLB. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the NWRCC is administered by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in partnership with RMC Research Corporation, both located in Portland, OR.
The Pacific Comprehensive Center, Region XV, is 1 of 15 regional centers and 5 content centers nationwide [www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.html] funded to further the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) [www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml]. The Comprehensive Centers, authorized by Title II of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 [www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/legislation.html], are established as technical assistance centers to help states raise student achievement and reach the goals of NCLB. Centers established under this program replace the former Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers, the Regional Technology in Education Consortia, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, and the Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortia. Program Funding The Pacific Comprehensive Center is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by NCLB, under award number S283A950023. Purpose The major goal of the Pacific Comprehensive Center is to help increase state capacity to assist districts and schools to meet their student achievement goals. The Pacific Comprehensive Center’s assistance will enable state educational agencies to do the following: Assess the improvement needs of districts and schools Develop solutions to address those needs Build and sustain systemic support for district and school improvement efforts related to closing achievement gaps and improving achievement outcomes Improve the tools and systems for school improvement and accountability
The Postsecondary Education Programs Network - Midwest center (PEPNet-Midwest) increases and improves postsecondary educational opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in 13 midwestern states. PEPNet-Midwest provides technical assistance for educational institutions to increase their capacity to attract and serve deaf or hard-of-hearing students.
Through this project, PEPNet-Northeast continues to work with secondary and postsecondary educational institutions in the northeastern United States to expand the array of secondary and postsecondary educational opportunities available and accessible to students who are deaf.
PEPNet-South is member of the Postsecondary Education Programs Network and one of four regional centers that help secondary and postsecondary institutions more effectively address the postsecondary, vocational, technical, continuing, and adult education needs of individuals who are deaf. The primary goal of PEPNet-South is to expand and enhance transition services and access to postsecondary educational opportunities for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing through personnel development activities, technical assistance and dissemination activities, and technology use activities.
Postsecondary Education Programs Network - West ( PEPNet-West) Project goals are to (1) promote academic achievement and improve results for deaf students by supporting technical assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of pertinent information, and evidence-based implementation activities, (2) address needs of personnel in special education, related services, early intervention, and regular education through knowledge and skill development activities, and (3) promote the use of technology to improve results for deaf individuals and to support media services of educational value in the classroom, including assistive technologies.
Professional Development in Autism Center
This project creates a center to increase the capacity of local school districts to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through training, materials preparation, and dissemination. The Center is a consortium of professionals dedicated to improving educational services and the quality of life for students with ASD. The five universities and one education institution that make up the consortium represent professionals from across the United States who have had great success in creating positive outcomes for students with ASD and their families and in facilitating change in public schools.
Project Forum is designed to address the clearly stated priority of the State and Federal Policy Forum for Program Improvement: to facilitate communication between OSEP and state and local administrators of IDEA 2004. Furthermore, this project will synthesize national program information that will improve the management, administration, delivery and effectiveness of programs and services provided under IDEA
Reading Rockets: A Multi-Media Literacy Project
Reading Rockets is a multimedia project designed to disseminate research-based findings on helping young children with reading disabilities learn to read. The project focuses on early diagnosis of language and reading problems, effective interventions, and research-based teaching strategies. Reading Rockets serves parents, teachers, school administrators, childcare providers, and policy makers.
Region 2 Parent Technical Assistance Center
The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center, will carry out this project to meet the technical assistance needs of the 15 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) located in Region 2, which includes Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Region 3 Parent Technical Assistance Center
Partners Resource Network will serve as the regional technical assistance center (RPTAC) for the funded Parent Centers in OSEP’s Region 3. The Parent Centers include six Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) and fourteen Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs). Region 3 is comprised of eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, and two territories: Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The administrative offices of Partners Resource Network are located in Beaumont, Texas.
Region 4 Parent Technical Assistance Center
WI FACETS’ Region 4 Parent Technical Assistance Center will provide technical assistance to Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) located in the nine states of Region 4 (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). In collaboration with other technical assistance partners and region 4 parent centers, the center will strengthen the infrastructure, enhance the effectiveness, and increase the capacity of parent centers to educate and support families of children with disabilities to be informed shared decision-makers in their children’s education and to work with national, state and local education systems to implement effective evidence-based practices that improve the results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
Regional Parent Technical Assistance Center for Region 5
PEAK Parent Center implements the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Center in Region 5, serving the federally designated Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The project provides technical assistance on scientifically based best practices, management techniques, and effective strategies for supporting families in Region 5 in a timely way, based on their individual needs and utilizing innovative technical assistance methods. The project serves as a key link among PTIs/CPRCs, the National Parent Technical Assistance Center (NPTAC), and other regional and national groups to assure a unified system of technical assistance.
Regional Resource Center Program
The Regional Resource Centers Program provides service to all states as well as the Pacific jurisdictions, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The six regional program centers are funded by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist state education agencies in the systemic improvement of education programs, practices, and policies that affect children and youth with disabilities. Services offered by the RRC Program include consultation, information services, specially designed technical assistance, training, and product development. Through the RRC Program, the individual RRCs work collaboratively to help states and U.S. jurisdictions identify and address issues both within and across regions as well as nationally. By working across regions, the RRCs are able to facilitate networking and information-sharing among states and U.S. jurisdications with similar challenges and needs regardless of the specific regional location.
Southeast Comprehensive Center
The Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provides high-quality technical assistance in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. The goals of the SECC are to build the capacities of states in its region to implement the programs and goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and to build states' capacity to provide sustained support of high-needs districts and schools. SECC works closely with each state in its region to provide access and use of information, models, and materials that facilitate implementation of and compliance with NCLB.
Southeast Regional Resource Center
SERRC's provision of technical assistance to state education agencies (SEAs) and lead agencies (LAs) is designed to enhance states' development of performance measurement systems and their efforts toward sustainable systemic change and improved results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities and their families. SERRC serves Region 3 states and jurisdictions: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Southwest Comprehensive Center
In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education selected WestEd as the agency to operate the Southwest Comprehensive Center (SWCC) with RMC Research Corporation and American Institutes for Research (AIR) as subcontractors on this project. The SWCC is designed to provide assistance to the five state departments/offices of education in the Southwest region: AZ, CO, NV, NM and UT. The SWCC has five priority areas: (1)Support states to align assessment and accountability systems with NCLB; (2) Increase states capacity and infrastructure to support district development and improvement; (3)Enhance and support each state's system of support for program improvement in schools; (4)Increase state capacity to recruit, induct and retain quality teachers; and (5)Build state capacity to initiate high school reform. The SWCC is part of a federal network of 16 Regional Comprehensive Centers, each serving individual or clusters of states. The network also includes five Content Centers designed to develop materials and products in support of the Regional Centers. The Comprehensive Centers are charged with building state capacity to implement fully the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and specifically to improve student achievement and close achievement gaps. WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency, working with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd and the subcontractors, RMC and AIR each draw on many years of successful experience managing and providing technical assistance for the U.S. Department of Education.
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers National Parent Technical Assistance Center
The Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers (the ALLIANCE) is an innovative partnership of one national and six regional parent technical assistance centers, each funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). These seven projects comprise a unified technical assistance system for the purpose of developing, assisting, and coordinating the over 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The national and regional parent technical assistance centers work to strengthen the connections to the larger OSEP Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network and fortify partnerships between Parent Centers and education systems at local, state, and national levels.
Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
The Center has two overall objectives: (1) Identify and enhance knowledge about, and practical demonstration of, school-wide PBS practices, systems and outcomes along the three-tiered continuum (primary, secondary, tertiary). (2) Develop, conduct, and evaluate technical assistance and dissemination efforts that allow evidence-based practices to be implemented on a large scale with high durability and effectiveness.
Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC)
The TACC assists OSEP in supporting ongoing communication, collaboration, and coordination among the centers in the OSEP-funded TA&D Network, and between these centers and other relevant federally-funded TA&D centers, national professional organizations, and a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Technical Assistance on General Supervision of Accountability
To improve the degree of implemenation of IDEA and increase student performance and family involvement and participation
The purpose of the Texas Comprehensive Center is to provide technical assistance and support to the Texas Education Agency to assure Texas has an education system with the capacity and commitment to eliminate achievement gaps and enable all students to achieve at high levels.
The Monarch Center: The National Technical Assistance Center for Personnel Preparation in Special Ed
This project will improve educational results for students with disabilities by: (a) promoting the successful participation of minority institutions of higher education (MIHEs) in IDEA personnel preparation competitions, and (b) supporting the development and enhancement of special education and related services programs at MIHEs.
The National Center on Response to Intervention
The National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. The Center is managed by the American Institutes for Research, in consultation with researchers from Vanderbilt University and in collaboration with researchers from the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The Center will support the implementation of RTI on a national level. This goal includes plans to: 1) Identify, adapt, evaluate, and scale-up RTI models for identifying and serving students with disabilities. 2) Provide ongoing support and technical assistance to states to support implementation of comprehensive RTI programs in districts, schools, and classrooms nationally. 3) Disseminate information about proven and promising RTI models to our target audience, including parents, service providers, program administrators, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders across the country. The Center’s mission is to build the capacity of State Education Agencies (SEAs) to assist Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in implementing proven and promising models for RTI.
The National Clearinghouse on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities
The major goals of the Clearinghouse, formerly known as the HEATH Resource Center, are to collect information, develop products, and disseminate information and materials relevant to multiple audiences in order to establish and maintain a national network exchange of information about postsecondary education for students with disabilities. The PRIDE network will also work to expand the scope and reach of the Clearinghouse to engage a broader audience in provision of supports to postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities to reach their potential. The PRIDE Network will collaborate with existing partner groups to build on the work of the previous clearinghouse (i.e., HEATH) and will ensure that collection, development, and dissemination activities are accessible to all in accessible formats and languages. The PRIDE Network will effectively incorporate new technologies; will customize information to target audiences; and will have rapid, thorough responses to requests.
The National Information Clearinghouse on Children who are Deaf-Blind
Since 1992, DB-LINK has supported the information needs of people who interact on a daily basis with our nation's 10,000 deaf-blind children and serves as the central source for the collection and distribution of comprehensive and current information related to children who are deaf-blind.
West Region Technical Assistance Center for Parent Centers
The West Region Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for the Parent Centers will assist each Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) and Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) in Region 6 to improve services and solve issues, by providing information or linking them with other resources. Region 6 includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, the outlying areas of the Pacific Basin, and the Freely Associated States.
Western Regional Resource Center
The University of Oregon, Technical Assistance and Consulting Services (UO/TACS) operates the Regional Resource Center for Region 6 to improve state systems that provide services for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. The Western Regional Resource Center (WRRC) assists state education and lead agencies to improve results for children with disabilities by providing information and technical assistance that (a) supports building their capacity to carry out continuous improvement processes and (b) assists them to put in place specific services and programs that are grounded in research.
Please be in touch with our Project Director, JoEtta Gonzales , if you want to know more about our work and opportunities to collaborate with the Equity Alliance at ASU. Phone: (480) 965-0391.
