The National Center on Dispute Resolution (CADRE) serves as the National Center on Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education on behalf of the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. CADRE works to increase the nation’s capacity to prevent and resolve special education and early intervention disputes by fostering productive home/school/provider partnerships and the use of collaborative processes to improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. CADRE assists states with implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) procedural safeguards provisions and the development of high-performing dispute resolution systems through the identification and dissemination of exemplary practices related to program design, implementation, evaluation and improvement.
Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE)
Specialty Area
- Alternative Dispute Resolutions
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Services Provided: Communication; relationship building workshops; and trainings; Systems analysis and improvement
Other Specialty Areas: Dispute Resolution; Conflict Prevention
Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy Center)
The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy Center) is a national technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). DaSy Center works with states to support IDEA early intervention and early childhood special education state programs in the development or enhancement of coordinated early childhood longitudinal data systems.
DaSy Canter provides technical assistance (TA) and resources to state agencies to assist with the development or enhancement of data systems for Part C early intervention and Part B preschool special education programs supported through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The DaSy Center collaborates with other projects to leverage what is known and generate new ideas and products to help state agencies create and expand early childhood cross-agency and longitudinal data systems that include the Part C and Part B preschool data needed to collect, analyze, and report high-quality data required under IDEA. We offer a range of supports based on our clients needs including intensive and targeted TA as well as opportunities to join DaSy Center led communities of practice or attend webinars.
Specialty Area
- Data Systems
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Measuring Student Growth
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Organizational Leadership
- Part B – 619
- Part C
- Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
- Response to Intervention
- Social and Emotional Learning
- System Alignment
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
Tiered, UniversalAdditional Information
Other Services Provided: National Technical Assistance (TA)
Other Specialty Areas: IDEA Part C Data Systems; IDEA Part B-619 Data Systems
Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting
The Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR) assists states to improve the quality of their collection, reporting, analysis, and use of IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data. The following are the specific reporting requirements supported by CIFR:
Part B
- Maintenance of state financial support (MFS)
- Allocation of IDEA Part B subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs)
- LEA maintenance of effort (MOE)
- Coordinated early intervening services (CEIS)
Part C
- Indirect cost/Cost allocation plan
- Use of funds
Specialty Area
Primary Audience
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Services Provided: Development of tools to support state agency clients on IDEA fiscal data requirements.
Other Specialty Areas: High quality special education fiscal data; IDEA fiscal data; IDEA fiscal requirements
Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES)
The Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) aims to empower school districts to build and maintain technology systems that include every student, particularly children and youth with disabilities who require assistive technology and accessible materials. The CITES Framework is a helpful guide that encourages positive change within a district. It works alongside technology and instructional efforts already in place, bringing together experts and coaches at various levels to assist local teams in making and maintaining inclusive technology systems.
Specialty Area
- Educational Technology
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
GeneralAdditional Information
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS Center)
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) supports schools, districts, and states to build systems capacity for implementing a multi-tiered approach to social, emotional and behavior support. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of schools and other agencies. PBIS improves social, emotional and academic outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities and students from underrepresented groups.
Specialty Area
- Education Leadership
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Intensive Supports
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Organizational Leadership
- Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
- Response to Intervention
- School Climate & Behavior
- School Mental Health
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Special Education
- System Alignment
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
GeneralAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: Implementation Science; Prevention Science
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center)
The ECTA Center supports state IDEA Part C and Part B, Section 619 programs in developing more equitable, effective, and sustainable state and local systems, that support access and full participation for each and every young child with a disability, and their family.
ECTA Center provides a variety of technical assistance opportunities to support states including:
- Coaching systems change efforts
- Developing critical new resources for the field
- Facilitating peer learning communities
- Co-sponsoring conferences on important national issues
- Responding to individual state requests for assistance
Specialty Area
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Effective Interventions
Primary Audience
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
GeneralAdditional Information
IDEA Data Center (IDC)
The IDEA Data Center (IDC) is a national technical assistance (TA) center that provides universal, targeted, and intensive TA to build capacity within states for collecting, reporting, analyzing, and using high-quality IDEA Part B data. IDC focuses on Part B data requirements under Sections 616 and 618 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for programs serving children and students ages 3 through 21 with disabilities and their families.
IDC provides a comprehensive set of services to help states and, working in conjunction with states, their local education agencies develop and sustain a culture of high-quality data. IDC State Liaisons and TA specialists work on site and virtually with state teams to address state-specific data-quality needs. IDC develops and disseminates tools and products, presents webinars, holds virtual meetings and peer-to-peer exchanges, facilitates data manager connections, and supports other networking through its state-of-the-art website and multimedia social outreach activities. IDC’s national meetings, such as its Interactive Institutes and data manager summits, allow state teams with Part B IDEA data responsibilities to meet with content experts and colleagues to share data-quality challenges and explore solutions.
Building state capacity for high-quality IDEA data is essential as states assess programmatic strengths and areas for improvement and evaluate progress toward desired results. In turn, states apply higher quality data to drive systems change and improve outcomes for all children and youth with disabilities served under IDEA, Part B, and their families.
Specialty Area
- Data Systems
- Education Leadership
- Equity
- Part B – 619
Primary Audience
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: Data Collection, Reporting, Analysis, and Use, Data Quality, Educational Leadership, Equity and Addressing Success Gaps in Learning, Evaluation
National Center for Homeless Education
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) operates the Department's technical assistance center for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program.
In this role, NCHE works with schools, service providers, parents, and other interested stakeholders to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness can enroll and succeed in school.
Specialty Area
- Supporting Parents and Families
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
UniversalAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning
The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (AEM Center) at CAST is a knowledge-development, information dissemination, and technical assistance project whose activities and actions are designed to:
- Expand and disseminate knowledge about Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and technologies among key stakeholder groups.
- Increase AEM Center stakeholders’ skills; and motivation.
- Improve and enhance the organizational, material and structural capacities of AEM stakeholders so that they effectively use AEM resources.
The overall goal established by CAST and OSEP pertains to improvements in the availability and use of accessible educational materials and technologies for learning.
Specialty Area
- Accessible Education Materials
- Equity
- Family Engagement
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Response to Intervention
- Transitions (from grade to grade)
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
Regions/States
NationalAlaska, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio, Texas
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Primary Audiences: Higher Education; Workforce Development; Publishers; EdTech Developers
Technical Assistance and Training
Other Specialty Areas: Access to AEM and assistive technology; Policy
National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL)
The National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL), operated by Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development with funding from the United States Department of Education, is a partnership among literacy experts, university researchers, and technical assistance providers from the University of Oregon, Florida State University, and RMC Research Corporation.
NCILs mission is to increase access to, and use of, evidence-based approaches to screen, identify, and teach students with literacy-related disabilities, including dyslexia. They also work to build individual and organizational capacity to assess students’ literacy-related skill, identify students with disabilities or those at risk of disabilities, and fully implement evidence-based literacy programs and professional development.
Specialty Area
- Dyslexia
- Effective Literacy Instruction
- Supporting Parents and Families
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
Additional Information
National Center on Systemic Improvement (NCSI)
The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) helps states transform their systems to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. NCSI provides states with technical assistance to support development, implementation and evaluation of their 6-year state systemic improvement plan and build capacity among their school districts and local early intervention service programs to improve educational results and functional outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.
Specialty Area
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Measuring Student Growth
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Response to Intervention
- Social and Emotional Learning
- System Alignment
- Transforming State Systems
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: Systems Change; Students with Disabilities
National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) provides evidence-based strategies to deaf individuals, family members, and professionals at the local, state, and national levels with the goal of closing education and employment gaps for deaf individuals.
Specialty Area
- Educator Preparation
- Equity
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Transitions (from grade to grade)
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Primary Audiences: Service Providers; Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies; Individuals; and Community Organizations
Other Specialty Areas: Deaf; Technology; System change
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C)
The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) is a Technical Assistance Center co-funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). They provide information, tools, and supports to assist multiple stakeholders in delivering effective services and instruction for secondary students and out of school youth with disabilities.
Specialty Area
- 21st Century Skills
- Career and Technical Education
- Education Leadership
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Organizational Leadership
- School Climate & Behavior
- School Mental Health
- Secondary Transition
- Special Education
- Transitions (from grade to grade)
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- Families
- School Counselors
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Other Primary Audiences: State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies; Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors; Secondary Students with Disabilities
Other Specialty Areas: Transition to post-school environments; Data Analysis and Use
PROGRESS Center
PROGRESS Center (which stands for Promoting Rigorous Outcomes and Growth by Redesigning Educational Services for Students With Disabilities Center) provides information, resources, tools, and technical assistance services to support local educators and leaders (kindergarten through transition age) in developing and implementing high-quality educational programs that ensure students with disabilities have access to free appropriate public education (FAPE) which allows them to make progress and meet challenging goals, consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017).
Specialty Area
- English Language Learners
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- High-Quality Educational Programming
- Intensive Supports
- Measuring Student Growth
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Response to Intervention
- Special Education
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
- Teachers
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TieredAdditional Information
Private and charter school associations and entities
Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data (Weiss Center)
The Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data improves state capacity to report Part B and Part C Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data in accessible formats.
The Weiss Center, along with trusted partners, works closely with states to help them deal with challenges related to making IDEA data accessible.
The services delivered by the Weiss Center will benefit state education agencies in the following ways:
- Improve knowledge about accessibility needs, standards, best practices, and how to apply them.
- Build skills and competency needed to make state-level data more accessible in dynamic formats.
- Enhance ability to sharing knowledge about accessibility with other states, local education agencies (LEAs), and early intervention (EI) programs.
- Increase access to data by people who have historically been excluded. This will improve data quality due to broader data use and analysis.
Specialty Area
- Data Systems
- Part B – 619
- Part C
Primary Audience
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Content Expertise
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
GeneralAdditional Information
State Implementation and Scaling up of Evidence Based Practices Center (SISEP)
The purpose of the State Implementation and Scaling up of Evidence Based Practices Center (SISEP) is to help to establish implementation and scaling capacity in State, regional, and district educational systems. SISEP provides content and technical assistance toward establishing large-scale, sustainable, high-fidelity implementation of effective education practices. Our shared goal is to maximize academic and social outcomes of all students, especially those students with disabilities.
The SISEP Center provides States, Regional, and Local Education Agencies with:
- Intensive technical assistance to establish an effective and affordable infrastructure to support implementation of evidence based programs
- Coordinated and shared professional learning via webinars and communities of practice
- Online and off-line coaching, teaching and education about implementation, scaling, and system reinvention
- Tools and resources for conducting this work, including formative and summative evaluation tools for action planning, monitoring and outcome assessment.
In addition, the SISEP center provides technical assistance to:
- Establish implementation capacity in Technical Assistance Centers and projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs
- Increase implementation capacity of Local Education Agency Superintendents and other leaders
- Increase knowledge of evidence-based implementation supports for evidence based practices in Charter Management Organizations.
Specialty Area
- Education Leadership
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- System Alignment
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- Schools
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Coaching
- Consulting
- Content Expertise
- Facilitation
Regions/States
NationalColorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Primary Audiences: Technical Assistance Centers
Other Specialty Areas: Implementation Science and Improvement Science