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
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 Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to improve state and local capacity to implement, scale-up, and sustain effective practices and policies to equitably support the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children with, and at risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. The goal of the Center is assisting states and programs in developing sustainable systems for the equitable implementation of the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social-Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs. We do this with a focus on: improving the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five; eliminating the use of inappropriate and disproportionate exclusionary discipline practices; promoting family engagement; using data for decision-making; increasing the use of trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically responsive practices; and fostering inclusion.
Specialty Area
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Intensive Supports
- Social and Emotional Learning
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- Schools
- Teachers
Services
- Content Expertise
Regions/States
NationalAll States
Level of Support
TargetedAdditional Information
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 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
Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic
The Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic (REL Mid-Atlantic) is one of 10 research centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences to partner with stakeholders in using evidence to improve teaching, learning, and school leadership. REL Mid-Atlantic translates research to practice in partnership with policymakers and practitioners in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Based on regional needs they provide training, coaching, and technical support to help apply high-quality evidence to education improvement initiatives. The lab also conducts, applies, and disseminates research and research-based technical assistance in collaboration with stakeholders in the region to promote continuous improvement of educational practice.
Based on the input from the region the work takes many forms:
- Partnerships and alliances are formed and evolve
- Conduct research studies to answer pressing questions for stakeholders in the region
- Publications are released based on research studies conducted
- Coaching and technical support workshops are collaborative activities conducted with stakeholders
- Events are designed and supported to meet the needs of the region
- Tools are developed through the work with stakeholders
- Ask A REL responses are provided to inquiries from the region
Specialty Area
- Alternative Routes to Certification
- Career and Technical Education
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- Equity
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Measuring Student Growth
- Multi-tiered Systems of Support
- Organizational Leadership
- School Climate & Behavior
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Teacher Mentoring and Induction
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NortheastDelaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
No additional information provided
Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest
The Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL Northwest) is operated by Education Northwest in Portland, Oregon. REL Northwest focuses on building the capacity of stakeholders in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to use data and evidence to inform decisions related to their specific education-related needs.
REL Northwest's services include the provision of training, coaching, and technical support; conducting applied research studies; and disseminating information in various content areas, but particularly in five high-leverage areas of need in the region: equitable start in learning, appropriate supports for English learners, high school graduation and post-secondary education success, supply and development of effective educators, and accountability system design and implementation.
The majority of our work is currently conducted with stakeholders in 12 research partnerships throughout the region. However, REL Northwest also conducts work with stakeholders that are not affiliated with a particular research partnership.
Specialty Area
- Alternative Routes to Certification
- Career and Technical Education
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- English Language Learners
- Equity
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Organizational Leadership
- P-3 Systems (Prenatal to Grade 3)
- Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
- School Climate & Behavior
- School Mental Health
- Social and Emotional Learning
- System Alignment
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NorthwestAlaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Services Provided: Dissemination of tools and research
Other Specialty Areas: STEM
Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands
Regional Educational Lab (REL) Northeast & Islands partners with key stakeholders in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virgin Islands to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice. Key stakeholders include organizations with decision-making authority and the ability to influence education policy and practice, such as state and local education agencies, school boards, institutes of higher education, and student, family, and community organizations. RELs partner with these organizations on applied research and development; training, coaching and technical supports; and dissemination.
Specialty Area
- 21st Century Skills
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- English Language Learners
- Response to Intervention
- School Climate & Behavior
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Teacher Mentoring and Induction
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
NortheastConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
No additional information provided
Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest
Regional Educational Lab (REL) Midwest partners with key stakeholders in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice. Key stakeholders include organizations with decision-making authority and the ability to influence education policy and practice, such as state and local education agencies, school boards, institutes of higher education, and student, family, and community organizations. RELs partner with these organizations on applied research and development; training, coaching and technical supports; and dissemination.
Specialty Area
- 21st Century Skills
- Alternative Routes to Certification
- Career and Technical Education
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Equity
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Organizational Leadership
- School Climate & Behavior
- Social and Emotional Learning
- System Alignment
- Teacher Mentoring and Induction
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
MidwestIllinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: Educational Technology
Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific
The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Pacific translates research to practice in partnership with policymakers and practitioners in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
Specialty Area
- Career and Technical Education
- Cross-Disciplinary Competencies
- Early Childhood Educators
- Education Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
- Family Engagement
- Organizational Leadership
- Social and Emotional Learning
- System Alignment
- Teacher Mentoring and Induction
- Transitions (from grade to grade)
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
Pacific IslandsAmerican Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: College readiness; Developmental education; Culturally responsive education
Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest
Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (REL Southwest) provides research, technical support, and dissemination activities to State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in our region to improve the use of data and research evidence to inform practice and policy decisions.
Specialty Area
- Career and Technical Education
- Early Childhood Educators
- Early Childhood Leadership
- Educator Effectiveness
- Educator Preparation
- Educator Retention
- English Language Learners
- Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
Primary Audience
- Administrators
- School Districts
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Assessment Tools
- Coaching
- Content Expertise
- Convening Stakeholders
- Facilitation
- Research
Regions/States
SouthwestArkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Level of Support
IntensiveAdditional Information
Other Specialty Areas: College and Career Readiness; Teacher Preparation and Professional Development; Early Childhood Education; Networked Improvement Communities; and School Improvement
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
The Center for the Integration of IDEA Data (CIID)
The Center for the Integration of IDEA Data (CIID) provides technical assistance to state education agencies (SEAs) to increase the capacity to report high quality data required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Sections 616 and 618. CIID supports the integration of IDEA data systems and processes with the statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS). CIID is working directly with SEAs to resolve the challenges associated with fragmented IDEA, SLDS and EDFacts data management practices and data systems architecture. When IDEA data are fully integrated into the SLDS, SEAs will be able to more efficiently complete federal data reporting and have higher quality IDEA data to inform decision-making for improved educational outcomes.
Specialty Area
- Data Systems
- Part B – 619
Primary Audience
- State Education Agencies
Services
- Content Expertise
Regions/States
NationalAll States