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What is the Access Center?
We are a national technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
with one overarching aim: to help state educators, TA systems, districts,
schools, and individuals build capacity to enhance the ability of students
with disabilities to engage in and learn from the general education
curriculum.
We strive to:
- synthesize and present information about effective
practices and resources
- support the use of effective practices through tools,
services, publications, and other resources
- facilitate strategic partnershipsand community-building
- use research and data for targeted change and continuous
improvement.
What Expertise Do We Bring to the Task?
The Access Center offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise so that
participants receive the information and assistance they need, when
they need it.
We offer an interdisciplinary, innovative, and research-based approach
to problem solving, capitalizing on the diverse talents of our staff.
Specifically, we:
- combine expertise in both general and special education
research and practice
- connect educational practitioners and researchers
to identify and fill the gaps between research and practice;
- provide web-based technical assistance and working
face-to-face with different audiences
- help collect and use data in educational decisionmaking
How Can We Help You?
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) pose a major challenge: that students with disabilities
be instructed in a standards-based general education curriculum to the
greatest degree possible.
The Access Center is positioned to help states and districts meet that
challenge, as they seek information on:
- ensuring that instructional and learning
goals are in place for students with disabilities
- implementing research-based instructional practices
- acquiring research-based materials and media
- accommodating and supporting students to learn general
education content and skills
- applying the use of tools and procedures to assess
and document whether students with disabilities are meeting high standards.
“The Access Center completed a needs assessment
that analyzed and clearly documented those educational concerns most
in need of technical assistance in Louisian. The data gave voice
to proiritization so that we could effectively plan for professional
development. ”
Debra, Louisiana Department of Education
“To understand how state programs impact students'
access to the general education curriculum, the Access Center helped
a state in our region develop a resource mapping tool to interview program
staff. The state then implemented a systemic plan to address this
important topic.” Wayne, Regional Resource Center Specialist
What Strategies Do We Offer?
Our strategies are intended to increase state and district capacity.
We provide:
- direct assistance
- capacity and relationship building programs
(information-sharing communitites)
- web-based customized resources such as information
briefs and online discussions related to reading and accomodations
Specifically we can help states:
- develop and conduct needs assessments
- identify and understand resources related
to access
- design and implement professional development
tools to enhance the use of effective strategies
Who Are Our Partners? The
Access Center’s ability to fulfill its mission is enhanced by
its partnerships with nationally recognized organizations:
- CAST
- The Council of Chief State School Officers
- The Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center
- The Regional Resource Center Network
You can find out more by contacting us at:
The Access Center
1000 Thomas Jefferson St., NW
Washington, DC 20007-3835
accesscenter@air.org
www.k8accesscenter.org
Ph: 1-202-403-5000
TTY: 1-877-334-3499
Fax: 1-202-403-5001
The Access Center is housed at the American Institutes
for Research and is funded by the
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs,
Cooperative Agreement #H326K020003
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