Federal investments in research, development, technical assistance, dissemination, and national studies are vital to the initiatives of The IDEA Partnership. Primarily, the Partnership works with issue centers funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Use this link to connect to the Technical Assistance and Dissemination network funded by OSEP: http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/137/192/


For some issues, we also work with centers funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They include centers supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Click on the link below for information about Center for Mental health Services (CMHS) Research, Training, and Technical Assistance Centers:
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/links/

Various centers are directly involved with The Partnership's work in the States and its national Communities of Practice. Some of those collaborations are described below. Watch this page for updates and links to current initiatives.

Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (CADRE)
CADRE sponsored member organization representatives to the national symposium and held a report back and follow-up at the February 2005 Partner meeting.

Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ)
The CTQ provided ongoing links across efforts around the issues of Teacher Quality and Highly Qualified personnel. The Partnership supported the Center’s outreach to stakeholders and assisted in developing state based communities of practice in states working with the Center.
SHAPING PREPARATION AND LICENSURE OF TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: The Center for Improving Teacher Quality and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium

Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE)
In each phase of the national Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE) work, The Partnership brought the intended consumers of research into the research design.
A Living Record, Updated in March 2005 -- Using Consumer Participation to Shape Research: The Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education, University of Florida

National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCRESSt)
The National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI)
(http://www.urbanschools.org/) and the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)(http://www.nccrest.org/) hosted a National Forum -- Creating Opportunities to Learn: A Forum for Addressing Disproportionality -- in Denver Colorado February 15 - 17, 2006.

The IDEA Partnership (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs) sponsored 20 representatives from partner organizations and professional development seed grant states that are focused on the issues of disproportionality to attend the conference.

At the conference, the IDEA Partnership facilitated a Dialogue Guide Session in which participants representing various roles within education came together to write questions to stimulate dialogue around four NCCRESt Practitioner Briefs (see below for links to the documents), and move from information sharing to action. For more information on Dialogue Guides, please see the partnership website at: http://www.ideapartnership.org/partnership5.cfm.
Click here for full report: NCCRESt Forum February 2006.


National Center for School Mental Health Assistance (CSMHA)
The Partnership fosters ongoing relationships with this Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded center to make the connections between the academic and non-academic barriers to achievement. The Partnership also co-sponsored the national community of practice with CSMHA.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
The IDEA Partnership has an ongoing relationship with NICHCY in an effort to make sure all stakeholders learn about the resources that are available.

National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health
The Partnership fosters ongoing relationships with this SAMHSA funded center to make the connections between the policy and practice in interagency work. The Partnership is a partner in the effort to promote stakeholder participation in the state policy academies sponsored by SAMHSA and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Technical Assistance Communities of Practice
Routine and ongoing links between the Partnership state based and national communities and the OSEP TA Communities enhance our collaborative work at all levels.

Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers, The PACER Center
The TA Alliance for Parent Centers is working with the Partnership to describe how various Parent Centers are involved in school behavioral health.
Planning Paper, February 2005 -- Parent Centers' Involvement in the School Behavioral Health Agenda: The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers, The PACER Center

New Regional Resource and Federal Center Network Web Site
http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/
The central Web portal serves as a conduit to share information and promote collaboration on key special education issues between and among state departments of education staff, RRFC staff, the TA&D Network, partners, and other collaborators.
The IDEA Partnership counts the FRC/RRC among its most valuable partners. As the Partnership work happens in states, we work together on almost every project.

Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative
Following a presentation at the August meeting, the Partnership supported National Inclusive Schools Week and Partnership organizations signed on as co-sponsors.


Watch for more information on our work with national centers!