Special Education

The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative is a network of special and general education leaders working together to improve outcomes for students with disabilities in the nation’s urban schools. The Collaborative provides opportunities for these professionals to share research, information, and ideas about what works and why in urban school districts. The Collaborative accomplishes its leadership development mission by providing training, personalized technical assistance, policy sharing, and distance-learning opportunities.

dot-EDU was an information and communication technology (ICT) intervention mechanism for USAID Missions seeking to improve education systems in their respective countries. dot-EDU sought to assist developing countries in strengthening learning systems that improve quality, expand access, and enhance equity through carefully planned applications of digital and broadcast technologies. The dot-EDU mission had two foci. First, dot-EDU provided training and technical assistance to support USAID Missions in developing and implementing technology-assisted applications.

Through the Education Quality for All (EQUALL) project, EDC and our partner organizations implement activities designed to strengthen the quality and expand the coverage of complementary education in Ghana, and to create stronger linkages between nonformal and formal basic education programs. This effort will result in increased access to basic education for children—especially girls—who have not had the opportunity for schooling due to social, occupational, cultural, or other reasons; and in increased learning outcomes among participating children.

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) supports the national implementation of provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide successful school outcomes for students with disabilities. NDPC-SD serves state and local education agencies, policymakers, researchers, school administrators, teachers, other practitioners, and parents. The Center uses evidence-based research to support state education agencies in developing model dropout prevention programs within their local school districts.

The New England Comprehensive Center (NECC) is one of 16 regional comprehensive centers that are federally funded to implement the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The NECC engages state education leaders in using research and best practice to meet the goals of NCLB. Our purpose is to design and deliver technical assistance services that meet education leaders’ priority needs, further the key initiatives of the U.S. Department of Education, and have the greatest potential for building states’ capacities to help districts and schools improve.

The Center for Improving Technology in Education (CITEd) supports general and special education teachers, specialists, and administrators in developing systems that effectively integrate instructional technology so that all students achieve high educational standards. CITEd provides this support through innovative professional development, technical assistance, and Web-based resources.

CSE joins colleagues at TERC on a three-year research project to study the extent to which middle school science and special educators engaged in lesson study (LS) increase their knowledge of science content and learning disabilities, and apply new knowledge to improve teaching practice in inclusive science classrooms.

The New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC) is one of 16 regional comprehensive centers that are federally funded to implement the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In doing so, NYCC engages the New York State Education Department in using research-based findings and rigorous evidence. The Center provides technical assistance services to meet the Department’s priority needs and further the key initiatives of the US Department of Education. Additionally, the NYCC works with the State on emerging needs based on new statutes and policy mandates.

The Mali USAID/ PHARE program (Programme Harmonisé d’Appui au Renforcement de l’Education) supports the Malian Ministry of Education’s efforts to improve the quality of elementary education, with an emphasis on literacy. This five-year program works nationally, reaching over 40,000 classrooms and 500,000 students. Known as “Road to Reading” in English, the program will produce and broadcast Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) programs for grades 1–6 with dual instructional objectives for teachers and students.

In the four-year ICARE Schools study, EDC is identifying and documenting middle-grades schools that use innovative approaches to engage all families in the education of students with disabilities, particularly the creation and implementation of students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs). After a systematic nomination, application, and review process, researchers selected three middle-grades schools that demonstrate successful parent involvement and positive outcomes for students with disabilities.