Database of Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

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.

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.

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:

1. Expand and disseminate knowledge about Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and technologies among key stakeholder groups.
2. Increase AEM Center stakeholders’ skills; and motivation.
3. 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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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.