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 NERRCs 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

# # #