Database of Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

The CEEDAR Center: Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform Center (CEEDAR) is designed to help State Education Agencies (SEAs), Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) create aligned professional learning systems that provide teachers and leaders effective opportunities to learn how to improve core and specialized instruction in inclusive settings that enable students with disabilities to achieve college and career ready standards. The technical assistance (TA) effort is organized around universal, targeted, and intensive TA supports. AIR, as subcontractor to University of Florida, is taking the lead in intensive TA.

The Center provides intensive TA supports to 20 states. Intensive TA services, tailored to the needs of each state, seek to reform and align the areas of licensure standards, teacher and leader preparation and induction, and personnel evaluation data systems to inform preparation program improvement. CEEDAR provides responsive technical assistance through knowledge building of evidence-based research and practice. CEEDAR also supports implementation of the research into school-based instruction and practices through online tools and resources, leadership development, collaborative teams of stakeholders, and ongoing learning opportunities.

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. 

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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 on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) provides technical assistance to meet the needs of children (birth to 21) with deaf-blindness in five initiative areas: early identification and intervention; family engagement; interveners and qualified personnel; transition; and assessment, planning, and instruction. It's universal, targeted, and intensive TA is conducted in concert with state deaf-blind projects throughout the U. S., and with national family organizations. NCDB has an extensive website with information and products to support its TA as well as relevant information on deaf-blindness of use to families, service providers, and the general public.

The Mission of the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) is to build the capacity of state and local education agencies, universities, practitioners, and other stakeholders to support implementation of intensive intervention in literacy, mathematics, and behavior for students with severe and persistent learning and/or behavioral needs, often in the context of their multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or special education services. NCII’s approach to intensive intervention is data-based individualization (DBI), a research-based process that integrates the systematic use of assessment data, validated interventions, and intensification strategies.

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 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.

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).

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.

Regional Educational Lab (REL) Central partners with key stakeholders in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Standing Rock Reservation, and Wyoming 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Regional Educational Lab (REL) Appalachia partners with key stakeholders in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia 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

Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West serves four states: Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. To address the priorities and interests in these states, REL West works in partnership with school districts, state departments of education, and others to use data and research to improve academic outcomes for students. Each partnership focuses on one or more of the following four regional priority topics: educator development, early learning, postsecondary pathways, and support of the whole child.

While schools, districts, state and local support agencies, and other education stakeholders in REL West’s four-state region share many priorities, their specific challenges and needs for research and support can vary. Accordingly, REL West engages in systematic, ongoing assessment of regional education needs to determine how best to target research and provide research-based information, analysis, and analytic support. 

REL West's needs-sensing approaches include:
•    Actively soliciting input from state and local decisionmakers.
•    Analyzing data and policy trends.
•    Examining educator and policymaker requests for assistance.
•    Collaborating with regional Comprehensive Centers.
•    Working with our partners to determine unmet needs.

In response to the diverse needs and priorities of our nine partnerships, REL West engages in a broad range of work. Through in-depth training, coaching, and analytic support, we build the capacity of our partners to address a variety of issues. These include: tackling the complexities of cross-sector data sharing and data use; learning to make evidence-based policy and practice decisions; and addressing challenges that are context- and region-specific, including those unique to rural entities. In addition, REL West conducts applied research that is integrated with the training, coaching, and analytic support we conduct with our partners.

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.

The Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL Southeast) Southeast partners with states, school districts, and other stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina to inform and improve education practice and policy in the region. REL Southeast brings together the critical elements for success: a thorough knowledge of the region's education systems and contexts; a history of responding to the needs of state and local educators within the region; deep understanding of the critical issues to be addressed; and extensive expertise in research, analytical technical support, and dissemination. Our strengths include a strong presence in each state served and long-standing working relationships with state and local educators throughout the region.