By the IDC Buzz Staff
Rockville, MD, September 2024 — Westat and its partners are thrilled to announce that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has awarded them with a new 5-year cooperative agreement to continue management of the IDEA Data Center (IDC). The third such award since IDC’s founding in 2013, this new funding commitment will ensure continued and seamless technical assistance (TA) and support to the 60 U.S. states and entities currently served under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
IDC will enter its second decade of service by unveiling a new look while retaining and renewing its commitment to founding pledge to build states’ capacity to collect, report, analyze, and use high-quality IDEA Part B data.
Julie Bollmer, PhD, will continue to serve as the center’s director, supported by Jeanna Mullins as deputy director and targeted and intensive TA manager. Bollmer and Mullins will be joined by some 40 TA providers located across the country who will continue to provide states with numerous opportunities for tiered TA services, including universal resources and events, targeted learning opportunities, and intensive TA services custom-cut for each state’s unique needs.
Among the other highlights of IDC is its renewed brand (pictured below) and the announcement of its first event—the highly anticipated SPP/APR Summit in November. And, of course, IDC TA providers continue to offer second-to-none support for states as they move through OSEP’s Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) process and prepare to submit the FFY 2023 SPP/APR in February of 2025, featuring the all-new Indicator 18. General Supervision.
Looking towards the future of IDC, Bollmer offered this, “IDC is about continuity plus innovation, so even as we continue to seamlessly offer the technical assistance support states have come to expect, we’re always moving forward with new resources and new technical assistance services, including events and peer groups.”
Learn more about IDC’s TA services by visiting our website www.ideadata.org or directly checking out our TA services and resources pages.