LEARNING INNOVATIONS AT WestEd WINS $6.5 MILLION AWARD TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AS NORTHEAST REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTER
Learning Innovations, a program of WestEd, headquartered in San Francisco and with offices in Williston, VT, and Woburn, MA, has won a 5-year, $6.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs to serve as the Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC).
(PRWEB) September 14, 2004 -- Learning Innovations, a program of WestEd,
headquartered in San Francisco and with offices in Williston, VT, and Woburn,
MA, has won a 5-year, $6.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Special Education Programs to serve as the Northeast Regional Resource
Center (NERRC). The grant authorizes Learning Innovations to continue to help
eight northeastern states (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, and VT) improve their
systems for providing early intervention and educational and transitional
services for children with disabilities and their families.
"All of us at
NERRC are very excited about the opportunity to provide service to the states in
the Northeast over the next five years," says Kristin Reedy, Director of NERRC.
"We are eager to move forward, continuing our work with the states and the U.S.
Department of Education to achieve improved results for all students, and most
especially for children and youth with disabilities and their
families."
States face enormous and complex challenges in the area of
special education, including the need to meet high standards required by the
federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a changing and increasingly diverse
population of children with disabilities, and persistent shortages of qualified
personnel.
NERRC will assist state education agencies as they meet these
challenges by:
- Providing special education expertise and up-to-date
information on relevant legislation, including NCLB and the forthcoming
reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
-
Offering leadership and support on special education initiatives;
- Fostering
states' capacity to use performance measurement systems as part of an annual
cycle of improvement to promote sustainable change;
- Disseminating
information about scientifically based practices;
- Collaborating with parent
organizations; and
- Serving as a bridge between special and general
education initiatives.
NERRC's approach to working with the states is
proactive, identifying issues and trends around which states need assistance and
then targeting those priority areas. An overarching goal of NERRC’s work is to
help states focus their efforts in areas that are most likely to result in
improved outcomes for children and their families.
Reflecting on NERRC's
work with the northeast states, Thomas P. DiPaola, Director of Office of Special
Populations, Rhode Island Department of Education says, "Our effort to create a
regional strategy to address the needs of children with 'low-incidence'
disabilities — conditions that affect a small number of children — demonstrates
the effectiveness of NERRC as the hub for collaborative work. These kinds of
linkages ultimately have a strong impact on children and their
families."
NERRC was based initially at Trinity College of Vermont. Over
its 20-year history, NERRC has built an outstanding record of providing
high-quality technical assistance to the states.
"We've been so pleased
to have NERRC as part of our program since 2000," says Jan Phlegar, Director of
Learning Innovations at WestEd. "NERRC enhances our ability to draw key
connections between our work on general education and on special education as we
conduct whole school, district, and state improvement efforts in leadership,
professional development, and data use to inform decision-making and local
accountability." In addition to the expertise of Learning Innovations staff,
NERRC draws upon the vast resources, knowledge, and experience of
WestEd.
WestEd, a national nonprofit research, development, and service
agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence,
achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. WestEd has
17 offices nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California. Its
corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. Additional information about WestEd
is available at http://www.WestEd.org
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/9/prweb158049.htm