A national, federally funded center that provides high-quality resources for college and university faculty and professional development providers about students with disabilities; also provides free, online, interactive training enhancements that translate research about the education of students with disabilities into practice, including training modules, briefs, and materials on diversity, differentiated instruction, progress monitoring, collaboration, behavior, MTSS and more.
A national, federally funded center that provides capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices. Includes valuable tools and materials for school use.
The editorial delves into the Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS), mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to address disparities in the treatment of students of color within local educational agencies (LEAs). When LEAs disproportionately identify students of color in certain categories or discipline them, they are labeled "disproportionate" or "significantly disproportionate."
The California Department of Education (CDE) State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) supports LEAs in CCEIS work by guiding them through data analysis, root cause identification, improvement planning, and implementation monitoring. Despite initial overwhelm, educators appreciate the structured approach provided by SPP-TAP TA Facilitators.
The editorial provides examples of successful strategies in districts like Evergreen Elementary Alameda Unified, and Pittsburg Unified such as engaging families through community liaisons and personalized learning plans for "focal scholars." It discusses efforts to address racism, cultural disconnect, and implicit bias through staff training and community outreach. There’s also a focus on empathy and inclusion, alongside efforts to dissolve traditional disciplinary methods and address cultural biases, exemplifies a commitment to equity.
Citation: California Department of Education. 2024 Addressing Disproportionality: Hard Work and Heart Work 2024, www.sipinclusion.org/2024/03/11/the-special-edge-newsletter-winter-2023/. Accessed 14 May 2024.
This technical assistance manual is used for identifying root causes to assist educators seeking to understand disproportionality as an outcome of policies, practices, and beliefs.
Fergus, E., Ahram, R. Equity in Education—Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education, Volume 1. Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, NYU Steinhardt, 2009.
The IDEA Data Center (IDC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to provide technical assistance to build capacity within states for collecting, reporting, analyzing and using high quality IDEA Part B data.
IDEA Data Center (IDC). IDEA Data Center. https://ideadata.org (accessed June 6, 2021).
The resource is a technical guide for understanding how disproportionality is calculated and what the benefits and drawbacks of each method are. It is useful to practitioners that seek to understand the mathematics and logic behind a numerical citation for disproportionality.
Methods for Assessing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education: A Technical Assistance Guide. (Westat). 2014.
In this technical assistance document (a companion to the Questions and Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s Discipline Provisions, which outlines the legal requirements related to behavior support and discipline for eligible students with disabilities under IDEA), the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides information about resources, strategies, and evidence-based practices that (while not required by law) can help States, LEAs, schools, early childhood programs, educators, and families in their efforts to meet IDEA requirements and, in doing so, improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services. 2022. Positive, Proactive Approaches to Supporting the Needs of Children with Disabilities: A Guide for Stakeholders
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/guide-positive-proactive-approaches-to-supporting-children-with-disabilities.pdf (accessed September 16, 2022).
The Regional Educational Lab (REL) West partners with key stakeholders in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah 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 Innovations in Equity and Systemic Change (IESC) at NYU Metro Center (Previously TAC-D) provides professional development, technical assistance, and consultancy to educational institutions in general and special education. The IESC’s mission is to disrupt, dismantle, and eliminate disproportionality by building the capacity of educators to implement Culturally Responsive Sustainable Equity-Based Systems that meet the needs of all students and families.
Innovations in Equity and Systemic Change | NYU Steinhardt. Steinhardt.nyu.edu, steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/iesc. Accessed 9 Mar. 2023.
