Database of Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES)

The Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) aims to empower school districts to build and maintain technology systems that include every student, particularly children and youth with disabilities who require assistive technology and accessible materials. The CITES Framework is a helpful guide that encourages positive change within a district. It works alongside technology and instructional efforts already in place, bringing together experts and coaches at various levels to assist local teams in making and maintaining inclusive technology systems.

Director(s): Jill Brown Director, Professional Learning, CoSN
Website:

Specialty Area

  • Educational Technology

Primary Audience

  • Administrators
  • Families
  • School Counselors
  • School Districts
  • Schools
  • State Education Agencies
  • Teachers

Services

  • Coaching
  • Consulting
  • Content Expertise
  • Research

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

General

Additional Information

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

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
Director(s): Christina Kasprzak, MA, Co-Director, Megan Vinh PhD, Co-Director

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

National

All States

Level of Support

General

Additional Information

IRIS Center

The IRIS Center is a national center dedicated to improving education outcomes for all children, especially those with disabilities, by developing free, online resources about effective evidence-based practices and interventions.

IRIS Modules, our center's signature resource, are developed using adult learning theory and translate the latest research findings into easily understandable, practitioner-friendly language in an interactive, engaging format. Other wraparound resources--case studies, information briefs, fundamental skill sheets, video vignettes--allow learners to delve into module topics in more depth.

Director(s): Naomi Tyler

Specialty Area

  • Early Childhood Educators
  • Educator Effectiveness
  • Educator Preparation
  • Educator Retention
  • Effective Instruction
  • Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
  • Intensive Supports
  • Measuring Student Growth
  • Multi-tiered Systems of Support
  • Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
  • Response to Intervention
  • Teacher Mentoring and Induction
  • Translating Research to Practice

Primary Audience

  • Administrators
  • School Counselors
  • Teachers

Services

  • Content Expertise
  • Research

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

Universal

Additional Information

Other Audiences: College and university faculty; professional development providers

Other Services Provided: Free; online; interactive resources

Other Specialty Areas: Accommodations; assessment; assistive technology; collaboration; content instruction; differentiated instruction; disability; diversity; juvenile corrections; learning strategies; mathematics; reading/literacy/language arts; related services; school improvement/leadership; secondary transition

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 Educational Outcomes

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) helps students with disabilities, English learners (ELs), and ELs with disabilities by:

  • Collecting, analyzing, synthesizing, disseminating, and providing leadership on evidence-based information on inclusive assessments and comprehensive assessment systems.
  • Promoting the use of assessments for instructional decision-making purposes.
  • Assisting states in their efforts to support districts to improve results.
  • Reviewing the participation and performance of students in national and state assessments, including the use of accessibility features and accommodations and alternate assessments.
  • Examining national and state practices in reporting assessment information.
  • Supporting implementation of U.S. Department of Education accountability systems, including ESEA accountability and IDEA State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs) and State-Identified Measurable Results (SIMRs).
  • Bridging general education, special education, English as a Second Language or bilingual education, and other systems as they work to improve results of education for all students.
Director(s): Martha Thurlow

Specialty Area

  • English Language Learners
  • Measuring Student Growth

Primary Audience

  • State Education Agencies

Services

  • Research

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional Information

Other Services Provided: Technical assistance on assessment related topics

Other Specialty Areas: Assessment; Accountability; Accessibility and Accommodations; Alternative Assessments

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.

Director(s): Rorie Fitzpatrick, Project Director

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

National

All States

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional Information

Other Specialty Areas: Systems Change; Students with Disabilities

National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC)

National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) offers products and services are deaf-centered, evidence-based, and developed in response to community needs.

NDC offers online courses, online gaming tools for youth, data reports, research summaries, evidence-based resources, webinars, and more. They also provide individualized consultation, training, and resources that help community members, organizations, and schools improve outcomes for deaf people in continuing education and training. 

Director(s): Carrie Lou Bloom, PhD., Co-Director, Tia Ivanko, MA, NIC, ADAC, Co-Director

Specialty Area

  • Postsecondary Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Primary Audience

  • Administrators
  • Families
  • School Counselors
  • School Districts
  • Schools
  • Teachers

Services

  • Consulting
  • Content Expertise
  • Research

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

Additional Information

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.

Director(s): Stephanie Cawthon, Director, Carrie Lou Garberoglio, Associate Director

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

National

All States

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional Information

Other Primary Audiences: Service Providers; Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies; Individuals; and Community Organizations

Other Specialty Areas: Deaf; Technology; System change

State Support Network

The State Support Network was a technical assistance initiative operating from 2016 to 2020 designed to support state and district school improvement efforts. Use this site to learn more about State Support Network communities of practice and to access free resources for states and district to support school improvement.

Director(s):

Specialty Area

  • Education Leadership
  • English Language Learners
  • Evidence Based Practices & Scaling Up
  • Measuring Student Growth
  • System Alignment

Primary Audience

  • School Districts
  • State Education Agencies

Services

  • Consulting
  • Content Expertise
  • Facilitation
  • Research

Regions/States

National

All States

Level of Support

Tiered

Additional Information

Technical Assistance Providers

Communities of Practice

Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act; Needs Assessments; Strategic Planning