National Center for Systemic Improvement

Helping states transform systems to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities

Learning Collaboratives

National Center for Systemic Improvement’s (NCSI) Cross-State Learning Collaboratives (CSLC)

The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) facilitates three Cross-State Learning Collaboratives (CSLC) that bring State Education Agencies (SEAs) together to form networks of shared leadership and peer support focused on systems transformation priorities related to improving outcomes for students with disabilities.

SEA staff who participate in Cross-State Learning Collaboratives have regular opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge sharing in both virtual and in-person environments.

Learn more about the Cross-State Learning Collaboratives (CSLC) in this NCSI Cross State Learning Collaborative Overview Sheet.

NCSI’s Collaboratives:

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES (EBP)

States have been challenged to improve outcomes for students with disabilities but scaling evidence-based practices (EBPs) and frameworks (e.g., Multi-Tiered System of Supports(MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)) remains a challenge and a focus area. As states continue their State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) work they are confronted with the need to build their own capacity, as well as LEA capacity to select and implement EBPs, meet the needs of students with disabilities, evaluate the implementation of EBPs within a tiered framework, and design, implement, and evaluate professional learning for teachers and leaders. The EBPs collaborative focuses on supporting SEAs in the area of selection, implementation, data collection and analysis to support EBPs and interventions within a tiered instructional framework. The collaboratives work to utilize implementation data related to EBPs, deepen the knowledge and practices for collaborative professional learning across special and general education; increase authentic family engagement practices; and help SEAs to understand and apply the components of effective, coherent systems that lead to improved outcomes for students with disabilities for teaching and learning.

    Recommended Team Composition:

  • Special education leadership
  • State Personnel Development grant (SPDG) directors
  • SSIP lead and related team members
  • SEA specialists engaged with evidence-based practice implementation in reading and literacy, math, and graduation outcomes
  • SEA specialists engaged with academic and/or behavioral tiered frameworks
  • Professional development providers that support the state work related to EBP implementation at the local level
  • Other members of the SEA that engage with the implementation of EBPs

RESULTS-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT (RBAS)

NCSI’s Results Based Accountability and Support (RBAS) collaborative supports SEAs to develop, implement, and evaluate special education accountability and support (general supervision) systems that improve outcomes for students with disabilities, while ensuring compliance under IDEA. This collaborative explores ways to improve the various components of a state general supervision system (e.g., data, fiscal, monitoring – often known as the “puzzle pieces”) as well as how to align and integrate those components to function coherently, guided by a clear purpose and vision. In addition to concepts related to coherence and alignment, our collaborative explores specific general supervision topics such as state accountability metrics (e.g., LEA determinations, risk assessments), state monitoring practices, professional development and technical assistance designed to improve compliance and student outcomes, Office of Special Education Programs’s (OSEP) Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) process, fiscal monitoring and use of funds, and dispute resolution.

    Recommended team composition:

  • SEA staff who can make decisions about state-level activities (e.g., state director of special education, monitoring lead)
  • SEA staff very familiar with the state’s monitoring activities
  • SEA staff very familiar with the state’s technical assistance and professional development activities
  • SEA staff responsible for IDEA data verification and reporting, fiscal monitoring, and dispute resolution

STATE EDUCATION AGENCY LEADERSHIP (SEAL)

The State Education Agency Leadership (SEAL) Collaborative is focused on meeting the unique needs of state special education directors as systems change agents. SEAL is a space for state directors to engage in shared learning that strengthens capacity to provide leadership that launches, deepens, and/or sustains systemic improvement efforts to promote positive results for students with disabilities. SEAL provides a way for new and newish directors to connect and learn with each other and from national experts who have experience leading state systems. SEAL creates opportunities for more seasoned directors to access resources (both people and experiences) to deepen their capacity in systems coherence and alignment, transformational leadership, talent management, and other areas of interest and focus established by the group.

    Recommended team composition:

  • State special education directors

Learn More

Interested in more information about NCSI’s Cross-State Learning Collaboratives?

Please contact [email protected]