U.S. Department of Education Resources
Equity Assistance Centers Page
The Lander Center for Educational Research’s Region II Equity Assistance Center is one of ten federally funded to provide technical assistance to state department of education and school districts on issues of race, gender, and national origin.   For information on the program's purpose, grant application process, funding, and links to other centers please visit the US Department of Education EAC page.www.ed.gov/programs/equitycenters/index.html

Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(Title 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000c-2000c-9)
This legislation authorized the Department of Education to fund regional centers to assist in school desegregation and promote equity in education.
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode42/usc_sup_01_42_10_21_20_IV.html

The Office for Civil Rights
Visit the Office of Civil Rights site for information on the legal rights of parents and students, and for an online complaint form that can be used to file complaints of discrimination in education.
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html?src=mr

Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972
(Title 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681-1688). This legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal funds.
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode20/usc_sec_20_00001681----000-.html

Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
Visit OELA for information on the administration of NCLB's Title III, which governs the education of limited English proficient (LEP) students.
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/index.html

Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS)
The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) administers programs that support drug and violence prevention efforts and other activities that promote the health and well being of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
 www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
This legislation reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)— the main federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB instituted significant reforms based on four principles: accountability, flexibility, parental choice, and evidence-based practice.
www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml?src=pb

National Content Centers
The U.S. Department of Education has created five national content centers to address teacher quality, instruction, assessment and accountability, innovation and improvement, and high school reform. Visit this page for links to all the comprehensive and content centers.
www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/awards.html

Northeast Regional Resource Center
One of six federally funded special education resource centers, the Northeast Regional Resource Center helps state education agencies improve their systems of early intervention, special education, and transition services to enhance educational results for children and youth with disabilities. NERRC serves the six New England states, plus New Jersey and New York.
www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/blogsection/6/52/

Doing What Works Website
This website, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is dedicated to helping educators identify and make use of effective teaching practices.
http://dww.ed.gov

What Works Clearinghouse
A project of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Educational Sciences, the clearinghouse collects studies of educational interventions and analyzes study design to determine which interventions have scientific evidence of effectiveness.
www.whatworks.ed.gov/

National Center for Education Statistics
NCES collects and analyzes data relating to education and publishes a variety of reports.
nces.ed.gov

National Resources back to the top

Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC)
They blend leadership and service to help northeastern states identify and solve persistent problems in providing quality special education services to children and youth with disabilities and their families. NERRC’s work is based on state-identified priorities and varies state to state. NERRC provides technical assistance to the following states in the areas of special education policy and practice under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Most recently, NERRC has been helping states address needs identified in their State Performance Plans (SPPs), which focus on improving both special education performance and compliance.
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pj/213

National Center for Teacher Quality (NCTQ)
The National Council on Teacher Quality advocates for reforms in a broad range of teacher policies at the federal, state, and local levels in order to increase the number of effective teachers. In particular we recognize the absence of much of the evidence necessary to make a compelling case for change and seek to fill that void with a research agenda that has direct and practical implications for policy. We are committed to lending transparency and increasing public awareness about the four sets of institutions that have the greatest impact on teacher quality: states, teacher preparation programs, school districts and teachers' unions. 
http://www.nctq.org/p/

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality
The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) is a national resource to which the regional comprehensive centers, states, and other education stakeholders turn for strengthening the quality of teaching—especially in high-poverty, low-performing, and hard-to-staff schools—and for finding guidance in addressing specific needs, thereby ensuring highly qualified teachers are serving students with special needs.
http://www.tqsource.org/

National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)
The National Council on Teacher Quality is a nonpartisan research and advocacy group committed to restructuring the teaching profession, led by our vision that every child deserves effective teachers.
http://www.nctq.org/p/

Center for Teaching Quality
CTQ seeks to improve student learning and advance the teaching profession by:

• Cultivating teacher leadership
• Conducting timely research
• Crafting smart policy

http://www.teachingquality.org

Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ)
This Action Guide, which is based on a typology of dominant models of collaborative teacher preparation, is designed to provide higher education and state policymakers with an analysis of critical considerations in moving this work ahead to prepare all teachers to work with students who have disabilities. This revised version includes specific examples from colleges and universities and from states that are moving in this direction.
http://www.ccsso.org/projects/Center_for_Improving_Teacher_Quality/

National Dropout Prevention Centers/Network
NDPC/N and NDPC-SD provide knowledge and promote networking for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and families to increase opportunities for youth in at-risk situations to receive the quality education and services necessary to successfully graduate from high school.
http://www.dropoutprevention.org/

National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
NDPC-SD is committed to providing technical assistance to assist states in building capacity to design/select and implement effective, evidence-based interventions and programs to address dropout among students with disabilities. NDPC-SD employs various strategies to transfer knowledge and to support systems change and capacity building. These include direct consultation in designing state-level initiatives based on state-identified needs, product and document reviews, technical assistance, professional development institutes, and Web-based resources.
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs
A project of the Office of English Language Acquisition, NCLEA collects, analyzes and disseminates information about language instruction educational programs for English Language Learners (ELLs).
www.ncela.gwu.edu/

Region II Resources back to the top

New York Comprehensive Center
One of 15 Regional Comprehensive Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education.  NYCC acts on behalf of all students in New York by working with education leaders in the state to meet the goals of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  NYCC engages state education leaders in using research-based findings and rigorous evidence to meet the goals of NCLB.  NYCC staff design technical assistance services that meet education leaders' priority needs, further the key initiatives of the U.S. Department of Education, and have the greatest potential for developing state capacity to help districts and schools improve.
http://www.nycomprehensivecenter.org/

Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality(TACD)
Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (TACD) project, formerly known as Chapter 405, at The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education (Metro Center), is contracted through the New York State Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) to develop, implement, and assess a process of providing comprehensive technical assistance and professional development trainings to New York State School Districts that are addressing issues of disproportionality. Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality’s work includes building the capacity of regions and districts in understanding the root cause and systemically addressing the disproportionate assignment of various subgroups in special education.  This entails providing professional development trainings, coaching, training follow-ups, materials, and resources.  The resources include a Web-Based Clearinghouse, a Disproportionality Data Repository (DDR), Data Analysis Workbook, research based articles, journals, and manuals.
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/tacd.html

Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands (REL-NEI)
The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) serves New England, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  REL-NEI’s mission is to help preK-16 educators at the state, district and school levels increase their use of scientifically based evidence to make decisions that lead to improved student achievement and reduced performance gaps among student groups.   REL-NEI is operated by Education Development Center, Inc. in Newton, Massachusetts. EDC is an international nonprofit organization that conducts and applies research to advance learning and promote health. EDC manages more than 325 projects in 35 countries.
www.relnei.org

Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services
The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) has been a trailblazer in treating social problems for more than 110 years. Today, JBFCS is one of the nation’s largest and most respected nonprofit mental health and social service agencies.  JBFCS serves over 65,000 New Yorkers annually from all religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds through a comprehensive range of 185 community-based programs, residential facilities, and day-treatment centers.  Our services include: designing/administering/evaluating in-service training for parents, teachers and administrators; assisting with educational referral services (translators, consultants, regional agencies); developing/facilitating local parent education conferences, activities; electronically publishing the Interchange newsletter to disseminate information on workshops, conferences, activities, materials and resources conducting administrative workshops regarding LEP aid funding ; facilitating opportunities for students to participate in the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute
http://www.jbfcs.org/

References from the Website back to the top

Bhargava, A., Frankenberg, E., & Le, C.Q. (2008). Still looking to the future: Voluntary k-12 school integration. New York: NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Los Angeles: The Civil Rights Project.

Chapman, C., & Hoffman, L. (2007). Event dropout rates for public school students in grades       9 -12: 2002-03 and 2003-04 (NCES 2007-026). Washington, DC: U.S. Departmentof Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

PDavy, L.E., & Doolan, J. (2007). New Jersey’s plan for meeting the highly qualified teacher goal. Trenton

Dee, T. (2006). The why chromosome: How a teacher's gender affects boys and
girls. Education Next, 6(4): 68-75.

Dee, T.S. (2006). The why chromosome: How a teacher’s gender affects boys and girls. Education Next, 6(4), retrieved June 20, 2008 from: http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3853842.html

Editorial Projects in Education. (2007). Diplomas count: Ready for what? Preparing students for college, careers, and life after high school. Education Week, 26 (40), 40 – 42. Retrieved 5/12/08 from
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/06/12/40gradprofiles.h26.html

EPE Research Center, 2009. Analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2005-2007).

IDEAdata.org. (2006). Table 1-19, Students 6-21 served under IDEA, Part B, by race/ethnicity and state, Fall 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from: https://www.ideadata.org/arc_toc8.asp#partbCC

Jackson, J. F. L., & Moore, J.L.III. (2006). African American males in education: Endangered or ignored? Teachers College Record, 108(2), 201–205.

Laird, J., Cataldi, E.F., Kewal Ramani, A., & Chapman, C., (2008). Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2006. National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Services, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, D.C.

Laird, J., DeBell, M., Kienzl, G., & Chapman, C. (2007). Dropout rates in the United States: 2005 (NCES 2007 – 059). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
Ladner, M. & Hammons.(200?) “Special but unequal: Race and special education” in Rethinking Special Education for a New Century . Progressive Policy Institute, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, pp. 85 – 110.

Mayer, S.E. (2007). Gaps in Racial Equity and Strategies for Reducing Them. Effective Communities, LLC. Minneapolis, MN.  http://www.effectivecommunities.com

Miller, L. (2004). With all deliberate speed: Achievement, citizenship, and diversity in American  education. New York: Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2008a). Table 1. Percentage of Core AcademicClasses Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers, by State:  2006-07. Retrieved 6/2/08 from www.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/hqt-data-2006-07.xls

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. (2006a). New Jersey rate of LEP growth 1994/1995 – 2004/2005.Retrieved 5/12/08 from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/reports/statedata/2004LEP/New_Jersey-G-05.pdf

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. (2006b). New York rate of LEP growth 1994/1995 – 2004/2005.Retrieved 5/12/08 from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/reports/statedata/2004LEP/New_York-G-05.pdf

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. (2006c). Puerto Rico rate of LEP growth 1994/1995 – 2004/2005.Retrieved 5/12/08 from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/reports/statedata/2004LEP/Puerto_Rico-G-05.pdf

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. (2006d). Virgin Islands rate of LEP growth 1994/1995 – 2004/2005.Retrieved 5/12/08 from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/reports/statedata/2004LEP/Virgin_Islands-G-05.pdf

New Jersey Department of Education. (2008b). Testing accommodations. Retrieved 6/2/08 from http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/accommodations/

New York State Education Department (2008b). Grades 3 – 8 English language arts test: School Administrator’s Manual. Albany, NY: Author. Retrieved 6/2/08 from http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/sam/gr3-8ela-08.pdf

New York State Education Department. (2006). New York State’s revised plan to enhance teacher quality. Albany, NY: Author. Retrieved 6/2/08 from
http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/hqtplans/ny.pdf

Oakes, J., & Saunders, M. (2004). Education’s most basic tools: Access to textbooks and instructional materials in California’s public schools. Teachers College Record, 106(10), 1967 – 1989.

Orfield, G. & Lee, C. (2007). Historic reversals, accelerating resegregation, and the need for  new integration strategies. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles.

Padolsky, D. (2005). Ask NCELA No. 1: How many school-aged English-language learners (ELLs) are there in the U.S.? Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs.

Peske, H.G., & Haycock, K. (2006). Teaching inequity. How poor and minority students are shortchanged on teacher quality. Washington, DC: Education Trust.

Planty, M., Hussar, W., Snyder, T., Provasnik, S., Dinkes, R., KewalRamani, A., & Kemp, J. (2008). The condition of education 2008 (NCES 2008—031). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Seastrom, M., Hoffman, L., Chapman, C., & Stillwell, R. (2007). The averaged freshman  graduation rate from public high schools from the common core of data: School years      2002-03 and 2003-04. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Swanson, C.B. (2008). Cities in crisis: A special analytical report on high school graduation. Bethesda, MD: Editorial Projects in Education.

Valencia, R.R. (2005). The Mexican American struggle for equal educational opportunity in Mendez V. Westminster: Helping to pave the way for Brown v. Board Education. Teachers College Record, 107(3), 389 – 423.

U.S. Department of Education (2008). Improving teacher quality state grants. Retrieved 6/2/08 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/hqtplans/index.html

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2008). Yearbook of immigration statistics: 2007.Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/statistics/publications/LPR07.shtm

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2007). The condition of education 2007 (NCES 2007-064). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 5/12/08 from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/section3/indicator24.asp

Wells, A.S., & Frankenberg, E. (2008). The public schools and the challenge of the Supreme Court’s integration decision. The Education Digest, 73(8), 4 – 13