Other Sites

COPSSE puts you in touch with colleagues at other centers who are making important contributions to the special education personnel knowledge base.

American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)

AACTE is a national voluntary organization of colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other educational personnel.

Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy (CTP)

CTP is devoted to improving the quality of teachers, teaching, and learning. CTP offers research documents and other publications.

Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

CCSSO houses two projects focused on improving teacher quality:

  • Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ). One CTQ project is focused on developing models for improving the preparation, licensing, and professional development of both general and special education teachers of students with disabilities.
  • Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC). A consortium, of state education agencies and national educational organizations, INTASC is dedicated to the reform of the preparation, licensing, and on-going professional development of teachers.
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

CEC is a membership organization serving the needs and interests of individuals who work with students with disabilities and their families. CEC promotes its professional standards for teachers of students with disabilities and offers many resources to practitioners.

Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE)

HECSE is a private, non-profit organization representing colleges and universities that offer doctoral programs that prepare leaders for the fields of special education and early intervention. HECSE offers online reports and action alerts.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

NASDSE operates for the purpose of providing services to facilitate state agency efforts to maximize educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities. NASDSE houses two related projects:

  • National Center for Special Education Personnel and Related Service Providers. The Personnel Center works to build both national and individual state capacity to recruit, prepare, and retain highly qualified, diverse personnel for early intervention and special education programs.
  • IDEA Partnership. The project seeks to stimulate new ways for stakeholders—administrators, service providers, family members, policymakers, and other interested individuals—to work together on issues related to IDEA 2004 that are shared across states and districts, and across roles and relationships.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

The NBPTS mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board CertificationÆ in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers.

National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCREST)

NCCREST provides technical assistance and professional development to close the achievement gap between students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their peers, and to reduce inappropriate referrals to special education. Project documents target improvements in culturally responsive practices, early intervention, literacy, and positive behavioral supports.

National Center for Education Information (NCEI)

NCEI is a private, non-partisan research organization specializing in survey research and data analysis—particularly in the areas of alternative preparation and certification of teachers and school administrators. NCEI offers online publications and resources.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)

NICHCY provides information on: disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth; IDEA 2004; No Child Left Behind as it relates to children with disabilities; and research-based information on effective educational practices. In addition, NICHCY offers a variety of research resources to help parents, teachers, and other users decipher research reports and findings.

Southeast Center For Teaching Quality (SECTQ)

SECTQ is a regional organization with a national agenda to ensure that all students have access to high quality teaching. SECTQ offers research reports, news stories, and other resources on teacher quality.

Teacher Education Division of CEC (TED)
TED, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, supports the professional development of individuals who provide education and supports to individuals with diverse abilities and disabilities and their families.
The New Teacher Center (NTC)

NTC is a national resource dedicated to teacher induction and development, new teacher training, and the support and practices that promote excellence and diversity in the teaching force. NTC offers online publications and professional development opportunities.

The Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE)

SPeNSE was designed to address concerns about nationwide shortages of special education personnel and the need for improving their qualifications. Part of a national assessment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandated by Congress, SPeNSE examined the extent to which personnel are adequately prepared to serve students with disabilities, variations in personnel preparation, and factors that explain those variations. The site includes reports, data tables, instruments, and other information related to the SPeNSE study.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

OSEP is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. OSEP administers the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004). IDEA 2004 authorizes formula grants to states and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, technology and personnel development, and parent-training and information centers. These programs are intended to ensure that the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their parents are protected.