Special Education Resources

      National Information Clearinghouse on Children who are Deaf-
      Blind is an information & referral service that identifies,
      coordinates, & disseminates (at no cost) information related
      to children & youth who are deaf-blind (ages 0 through 21
      years).  http://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink

      The National Technical Assistance Consortium for Children &
      Young Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind (NTAC) provides technical
      assistance to families & agencies serving children & young
      adults who are deaf-blind (ages birth through 21 years).

Early Childhood

      The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System is
      the national technical assistance system working to support
      states, jurisdictions, & others to improve services &
      results for infants, toddlers & preschoolers with
      disabilities & their families.  http://www.nectas.unc.edu/

 Emotional Behavioral Problems & Disorders

      The Center for Effective Collaboration & Practice
      facilitates the production, exchange, & use of knowledge
      about effective practices for children with -- or at risk of
      developing -- serious emotional disturbance.
      http://www.air.org/cecp/cecp.html

 Educational Reform, Assessment & Accountability

      The National Center on Educational Outcomes provides
      national leadership in the participation of students with
      disabilities & limited English proficient students in
      national & state assessments, standards-setting efforts, &
      graduation requirements.  http://www.coled.umn.edu/nceo

General Disability-Related Information for Parents,
Teachers, & Others

      The National Information Center for Children & Youth with
      Disabilities (NICHCY) is the national information & referral
      center that provides information on disabilities &
      disability-related issues for families, educators, & other
      professionals.  NICHCY's focus is children & youth (birth to
      age 22).  http://www.nichcy.org

Higher Education for Individuals with Disabilities

      The HEATH Resource Center of the American Council on
      Education is the national clearinghouse on postsecondary
      education for individuals with disabilities.
      http://www.heath-resource-center.org

      PEPNET assists postsecondary institutions across the nation
      to attract & effectively serve individuals who are Deaf &
      Hard of Hearing.  http://www.pepnet.org/

IDEA -- The Individualized Education Program

      "A Guide to the Individualized Education Program" assists
      educators, parents, & state & local educational agencies in
      implementing the requirements of Part B of the Individuals
      with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding
      Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children with
      disabilities, including preschool-aged children.  This guide
      does not address the development of Individualized Family
      Service Plans (IFSP) for infants & toddlers.

IDEA -- Dispute Resolution & Mediation

      The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (CADRE)in
      Special Education provides technical assistance to states,
      jurisdictions, & others on implementation of the mediation
      requirements under IDEA 1997.
      http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/

IDEA Partnership Projects

      Four partnership projects share information, knowledge, &
      best practices with key audiences about implementation of
      IDEA:

           Service Providers (Teachers & Related Services) --
           Association of Service Providers Implementing IDEA
           Reforms in Education   http://www.ideapractices.org

           Local Administrators -- IDEA Local Implementation by
           Local Administrators  http://www.ideapractices.org

           Families & Advocates -- Families & Advocates
           Partnership for Education  http://www.fape.org

           Policymakers -- The Policymakers Partnership for
           Implementing IDEA 1997

Inclusion

      The National Institute for Urban School Improvement supports
      inclusive urban communities, schools, & families to build
      their capacity for sustainable, successful urban education.    http://www.edc.org/urban/index.htm

      "Improving Education, The Promise of Inclusive Schooling,
      National Institute for Urban School Improvement" is a
      booklet that contains a guide to help educators & parents
      assess how their schools might improve meeting the needs of
      all children.  The guide suggests asking these questions:
      "Do classrooms lend themselves to a variety of learning
      activities?  How do teachers accommodate cultural, ability,
      physical, & language differences?  Are students encouraged
      to create & explore their own ideas?  Does the structure of
      the school day promote or hinder teacher collaboration?"
      http://www.edc.org/urban/publicat.htm
Juvenile Justice & Youth with Disabilities

      The National Center on Education, Disability, & Juvenile
      Justice is a collaborative research, training, technical
      assistance & dissemination program designed to develop more
      effective responses to the needs of youth with disabilities
      in the juvenile justice system or those at-risk for
      involvement with the juvenile justice system.
      http://www.edjj.org/

Literacy

      The Center on Accelerating Student Learning (CASL) is
      designed to help accelerate learning for students with
      disabilities in the early grades & thereby provide a solid
      foundation for strong achievement in the intermediate grades
      & beyond. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/CASL/

Professions & Professional Development in Special Education

      The National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special
      Education serves personnel for children with disabilities,
      provides information for individuals seeking employment in
      the education field, as well as data related to the
      recruitment, preparation, & retention of educators & related
      services personnel.  http://www.specialedcareers.org/

Parents

      A Parent Training & Information Center in each state
      provides training & information to parents of infants,
      toddlers, school- aged children, & young adults with
      disabilities & professionals who work with their families.
      A list of all of the parent training information centers in
      the U.S. is available at http://www.taalliance.org/PTIs.htm
      Note:  See also "General Disability-Related Information"
      above.

Positive Behavior Supports

      "Technical Assistance Guide:  Applying Positive Behavioral
      Support & Functional Behavioral Assessment in Schools"
      provides educators, parents, policymakers, & others with
      guidance on two importance concepts that are significant to
      the education of children with disabilities:  positive
      behavioral interventions & supports & functional behavioral
      assessment.  http://www.pbis.org/english/index.html

      The Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support
      gives schools capacity-building information & technical
      assistance for identifying, adapting, & sustaining effective
      school-wide disciplinary practices.  http://www.pbis.org

Technology

      The Family Center on Technology & Disability provides
      assistance to programs & organizations to respond to the
      technology needs of parents & families of children & youth
      with disabilities.  http://www.fctd.info/

      National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC)
      is seeking to provide a vision of how new curricula,
      teaching practices, & policies can be woven together to
      create practical approaches for improved access to the
      general curriculum by students with disabilities.
      http://www.cast.org/ncac

      The National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators
      (NCITE) aims to advance the quality & effectiveness of
      technology, media, & materials for individuals with
      disabilities.   http://idea.uoregon.edu/~ncite/

      The CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) is
      a research & development facility that works to make media
      accessible to underserved populations such as disabled
      persons, minority-language users, & people with low literacy
      skills.  http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/

Transition of Students with Disabilities from School To Work

      The National Transition Alliance for Youths with
      Disabilities (NTA) was jointly funded in October 1995 by the
      U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Labor to
      promote the transition of youth with disabilities toward
      desired postschool experiences, including gainful
      employment, postsecondary education & training, &
      independent living.  http://www.dssc.org/nta/