Database of Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

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.

Director(s): Heather George, Tim Lewis, Kent McIntosh, Brandi Simonsen

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

National

All States

Level of Support

General

Additional Information

Other Specialty Areas: Implementation Science; Prevention Science

Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center

The Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center is one of four regional Equity Assistance Centers. This center is funded by the United States Department of Education under Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The center provides technical assistance and training, upon request, in the areas of race, sex, national origin and religion to public school districts and other responsible governmental agencies to promote equitable education opportunities. Work focuses on the areas of civil rights, equity, and school reform.

Director(s): Kathleen King Thorius, Ph.D., Seena Skelton, Ph.D.

Specialty Area

  • Alternative Routes to Certification
  • Educator Effectiveness
  • Equity
  • Family Engagement
  • School Climate & Behavior
  • School Mental Health
  • System Alignment

Primary Audience

  • School Districts
  • State Education Agencies

Services

  • Coaching
  • Consulting
  • Content Expertise
  • Convening Stakeholders
  • Facilitation
  • Research

Regions/States

Midwest

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional Information

Technical Assistance Centers

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.

Director(s): Eric Grebing, Co-Director, Karla Lewis, Co-Director

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

National

All States

Level of Support

Universal

Additional Information

Other Specialty Areas: Education of Homeless Children and Youth

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.

Director(s): Hank Fien, Ph.D., Director, Yaacov Petscher, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Sarah Sayko, Ed.D., Deputy Director, Nancy J. Nelson Fien, Ph.D., Deputy Director

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

National

All States

Level of Support

Additional Information

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.

Director(s): David Test, UNC Charlotte, Paula Kohler, University of Central Florida, Deanne Unruh, University of Oregon

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

National

All States

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional 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 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.

Director(s): Christopher Mazzeo, Director, Fiona Helsel, Deputy Director

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

Northwest

Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

Level of Support

Intensive

Additional Information

Other Services Provided: Dissemination of tools and research

Other Specialty Areas: STEM

The Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC)

The Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) assists states to build Comprehensive Systems of Personnel Development (CSPD)to improve outcomes for infants and young children with disabilities and their families.

The center is focused on building awareness that an integrated, comprehensive system of personnel development (CSPD) for the early childhood (EC) workforce in every state – one that is cohesive with state and national personnel standards, competencies, and recommended practices, will produce the most successful outcomes for children and families with disabilities.

Director(s): Mary Beth Bruder, Director

Specialty Area

  • Supporting Parents and Families

Primary Audience

  • School Districts
  • Schools
  • State Education Agencies

Services

  • Content Expertise

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

General

Additional Information