EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION CENTERS/AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS

Appalachia Educational Laboratory
This lab is one of ten regional educational laboratories established by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, to focus on school improvement throughout the United States. The labs conduct applied research, development, and technical assistance for educators, parents, and decisionmakers. The Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) serves as the regional educational lab for Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. To address the goals toward the improvement of professional quality, curriculum and instruction, community support, and equal educational access for all students, AEL operates the following eight projects: (1) Classroom Instruction program (teachers), (2) School Governance and Administration program (school administrators and school board members), (3) Colleges and Schools program (colleges for teacher education), (4) State Policy program (policymakers), (5) Information Services program (direct services to educators), (6) Community Liaison to Urban Education program (underrepresented groups), (7) Rural, Small Schools program (rural citizens and educators), and (8) Rural Excel program (with state education agencies and local education agencies personnel).

Under the Community Liaison to Urban Education program, the concerns, interests, and special needs of underrepresented groups are assessed and addressed in AEL's program and activities. The Rural, Small Schools program provides information about promising current practices and seeks to set up technology-based networks of local schools with college libraries. The Rural Excel program works with local and state educators to develop, test, and disseminate appropriate new learning materials and processes for rural schools. AEL also operates the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. AEL publishes The Link newsletter. A publications catalog is available upon request.

Contact:
Appalachia Educational Laboratory
1031 Quarrier Street
P.O. Box 1348
Charleston, WV 25325-1348
(304) 347-0400 locally
(800) 344-0400 in WV
(800) 624-9120 outside WV
Fax: (304) 347-0487

The Arc
The Arc (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens) is a national membership organization committed to securing for all people with mental retardation the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of where and how they learn, live, work, and play. It is committed to reducing the incidence and limiting the consequence of mental retardation through education; research; advocacy; and the support of family, friends, and community.

Some of The Arc's current activities include an annual nationwide television, radio, and print media campaign to educate the public about people with mental retardation; a national job placement service to assist workers with mental retardation to obtain and retain jobs in competitive employment; and research on applying technologies in new ways to help children and adults with mental retardation to achieve greater independence. In addition, The Arc works through education in cooperation with other national groups to promote prevention programs. Citizen advocacy and self-advocacy programs, recreational activities, public education efforts, and employment programs also are available through many local chapters. More than 100 publications dealing with research, employment, prevention, and parenting issues are available through The Arc. Members receive The Arc Today, the Association's national newspaper, six times a year.

Contact:
The Arc
National Headquarters
500 E. Border Street, Suite 300
Arlington, TX 76010
(817) 261 -6003
Fax: (817) 277-3491

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is the largest professional leadership organization in education. The 112,000 members form a broad cross section of instructional leaders in all 50 states and several other countries. A third of ASCD's members are principals and the rest are equally divided among other leadership roles, including curriculum directors, superintendents, teachers and professors. ASCD was founded in 1943 and continues to seek to improve education by increasing leaders' knowledge and skills in the areas of curriculum development, supervision, and instruction through publications, conferences, institutes, research, and with ASCD's affiliate units. ASCD supports a balanced curriculum and instruction that enables all students in a diverse society to learn successfully.

Contact:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
1250 N. Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-9110

Center for Success in Learning
The Center for Success in Learning (CSL) is a nonprofit resource center for teachers of slower learners (general IQ 70-89) who do not learn typically or easily. The purpose of the CSL is to ensure that slower learners and other students at risk have the opportunities to develop educational, social, and independent living skills so they are prepared to participate in society as contributing, self-sufficient citizens. CSL's goal is to provide teachers, instructional leaders, and parents with "what works"--the latest in research and application for slower learners and other students at risk through conferences, workshop training, state and national conferences, and educational resources. Information packets, articles, and products are available for educators and parents.

Contact:
Center for Success in Learning
1002 N. Central, Suite 116
Richardson, TX 75080
(214) 407-9277
Fax: (214) 407-9852

Closing the Gap
Closing the Gap is an internationally recognized source for information on the use of microcomputer-related technology by and for exceptional individuals. It is committed to providing the most up-to-date information on commercially available hardware and software products that can enable individuals with disabilities access to the microcomputer--and to the opportunities for education and independent living that it offers. Closing the Gap has developed three primary information delivery methods: (1) a bimonthly newspaper, (2) training and consultation services, and (3) an annual international conference. Their annual publication, Closing the Gap Resource Directory, contains a comprehensive listing of commercially available hardware and software products identified as appropriate for special education and rehabilitation.

Contact:
Closing the Gap
526 Main Street
P.O. Box 68
Henderson, MN 56044
(612) 248-3294
Fax: (612) 248-3810

Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of education for all exceptional children who are disabled and gifted. Special divisions within the organization focus on the education of gifted, mentally retarded, learning disabled, visually impaired, communication impaired, physically disabled, and behavior disordered students. Other divisions serve the interests of early childhood special educators; administrators; teacher educators; students; diagnosticians; and those especially interested in technology, career education, and research.

CEC's commitment encompasses four major priority areas: (1) advancing the education of exceptional persons by improving access to special education for underserved or inappropriately served populations and by extending special education to children who could benefit from, but are not now considered entitled to such services; (2) improving the conditions under which professionals work with exceptional persons through the establishment of professional standards of practice and a code of ethics for all professionals involved in the education of exceptional persons; (3) improving the quality of instruction provided to exceptional persons by supporting the development and dissemination of new knowledge, technology, methodology, curriculum, and materials on a worldwide basis; and (4) advancing the CEC by enhancing communication between the organization and its individual members, units, and other organizations involved with exceptional persons. CEC is the host organization for several projects important to the education field, including the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children and the National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education.

Contact:
Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091-1589
(703) 620-3660
Fax: (703) 264-9494

Council of Chief State School Officers
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of the 57 public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in every state, five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents' Schools. CCSSO seeks its members' consensus on major education issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

The Council maintains a Resource Center on Educational Equity which provides services designed to achieve equity in education for minorities, women and girls, and for students who are disabled, limited English proficient (LEP), and economically disadvantaged. CCSSO's staff provides technical assistance in policy formulation, develops programs and materials, gives technical assistance in workshop planning and other services needed by state education agencies, holds working conferences, monitors civil rights issues, and trains local on-site trainers to increase the dimensions of this work. CCSSO also publishes a quarterly newsletter, CONCERNS.

CCSSO is responsible for managing and staffing a variety of leadership initiatives to provide better educational services to children and youth at risk of school failure. It conducts projects on topics such as dropout prevention, improving educational services to LEP students, increasing the participation of female and minority students in mathematics and social studies, transition programs for disabled youth, school-sanctioned community service, educational equity for juvenile female offenders, and AIDS education.

Contact:
Council of Chief State School Officers
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-1431
(202) 408-5505
Fax: (202) 393-1228

ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, operated by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), gathers and disseminates educational information on all disabilities and the gifted across all age levels. The areas included in its scope concern all aspects of the education and development of people who are disabled and gifted, including prevention, identification and assessment, intervention, and enrichment, both in special settings and within the mainstream. The Clearinghouse abstracts and indexes the special education literature included in the computerized ERIC database and its monthly print indexes, Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE). Services include workshops and technical assistance; computer searches of the ERIC and Exceptional Child Education Resources (ECER) databases; and analyses of current trends and issues.

Contact:
Shelia Mingo, Director
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091-1589
(703) 620-3660

ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children
The ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, operated by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), gathers and disseminates educational information on all disabilities and the gifted across all age levels. The areas included in its scope concern all aspects of the education and development of people who are disabled and gifted, including prevention, identification and assessment, intervention, and enrichment, both in special settings and within the mainstream. The Clearinghouse abstracts and indexes the special education literature included in the computerized ERIC database and its monthly print indexes, Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE). Services include workshops and technical assistance; computer searches of the ERIC and Exceptional Child Education Resources (ECER) databases; and analyses of current trends and issues.

Contact:
ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children
Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091-1589
(703) 620-3660

GED Testing Service
For adults who did not complete high school, the GED tests (tests of General Educational Development) provide an opportunity to earn a high school credential. Sponsored by the American Council on Education, the GED program enables individuals to demonstrate that they have acquired a level of learning comparable to that of high school graduates. The service includes special accommodations for candidates with specific disabling conditions, including learning disabilities, with appropriate documentation. The Testing Service provides information about special testing for people with disabilities to interested individuals who would like to take the GED tests and to those people who are helping prepare individuals for the GED tests.

Contact:
GED Testing Service
American Council on Education
One DuPont Circle, NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036-1163
(202) 939-9490
(800) 626-9433
Fax: (202) 775-8578

HEATH Resource Center
The HEATH Resource Center operates the national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. The Center serves as an information exchange about educational support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, and opportunities on American campuses, vocational-technical schools, transition training and adult education programs, independent living centers, and other training entities which serve youth and adults beyond high school. The Center gathers and disseminates this information so that people with disabilities can develop their full potential through postsecondary education and training if they choose to do so. The Center provides technical assistance to colleges, universities, and postsecondary programs to help them include students with disabilities. HEATH maintains a toll-free number, provides single copies of materials free of charge in print or through alternative media, and encourages duplication and dissemination of its resources. HEATH disseminates the Information from HEATH newsletter, which is also free of charge. A list of publications is available upon request.

Contact:
HEATH Resource Center
American Council on Education
One Dupont Circle, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036-1193
(202) 939-9320 Voice or TDD, TT (Typed Text)
(800) 594-3284 Voice or TDD

National Center on Educational Outcomes
The mission of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) is to provide national leadership in the identification of educational outcomes for students with disabilities and in the development of a system of indicators with which to monitor those outcomes. NCEO is working with national policy-making groups, state departments of education, and other groups and individuals to promote national discussion of educational goals and indicators of educational outcomes that include students with disabilities. They publish a biannual newsletter and a variety of reports.

Contact:
James Ysseldyke, Director
Martha Thurlow, Assistant Director
National Center on Educational Outcomes
University of Minnesota
350 Elliott Hall
75 E. River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-1530
(612) 624-4848 TDD
SpecialNet: MN.OUTCOM
Fax: (612) 624-0879

National Federation of the Blind
National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is a consumer group which can answer questions about blindness and refer people to appropriate resources or adapted equipment. The ultimate purpose of the NFB is the complete integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. This objective involves the removal of legal, economic, and social discriminations; the education of the public to new concepts concerning blindness; and the achievement by all blind people of the right to exercise to the fullest their individual talents and capacities. NFB publishes The Braille Monitor, a monthly publication devoted to news and discussion of issues important to blind people. It Is produced in print, Braille, on record, and on cassettes and is available without cost to the blind and the sighted alike upon request.

Contact:
Marc Maurer, President
National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
NICHCY is an information clearinghouse that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues. Children and youth with disabilities (birth to age 22) are our special focus. We offer a number of services: personal responses to questions on disability issues, referrals to other organizations and agencies, information searches of our databases and library, technical assistance to parent and professionals, as well as numerous publications, many of which are free of charge, on various disability-related issues. Anyone may contact NICHCY for information.

Contact:
Susan Ripley, Director
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
1-800-695-0285 (Voice/TTY)
(202) 884-8200 (Voice/TTY)
Fax: (202) 884-8441
E-mail: nichcy@aed.org
URL: http://www.nichcy.org

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST phone answered "live"; Voice mail all other times.

National Rehabilitation Information Center
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) provides reference, research, and referral services concerning disability and rehabilitation issues. NARIC also provides document delivery and custom database searches of REHABDATA, their database, and other databases available through the Center, and maintains an extensive research collection. It publishes the NARIC Quarterly: A Newsletter of Disability and Rehabilitation Research and Resources. In addition, other publications which accommodate a broad range of information seekers--from the practical to the technical--are made available. NARIC's staff encourages telephone or mail requests, as well as walk-in visits to access resources in NARIC's extensive library.

Contact:
Mark X. Odum, Director
National Rehabilitation Information Center
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 935
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3319
(301) 588-9284 TDD/Voice
(800) 446-2742
Fax: (301) 587-1967

National Technical Institute for the Deaf
National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), one of the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT's) nine colleges, is the world's largest technological college for deaf students. Created by Congress and funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Education, NTID represents the world's first effort to educate large numbers of deaf students within a college campus planned principally for hearing students. In addition to the academic programs based within NTID, RIT's deaf students also benefit from nearly 200 other technical and professional courses of study offered by RIT's other eight colleges. NTID offers deaf students the opportunity to go to college in a hearing environment and thus makes their transition to a hearing society easier and more effective.

Contact:
William Castle, Director
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Rochester Institute of Technology
Lyndon Baines Johnson Building
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623-5604
(716) 475-6400 Voice/TDD

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER), a coalition of twenty Minnesota disability organizations, is a center of parents helping parents. Staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities, or by persons with disabilities themselves, PACER offers information about laws, procedures, and parents' rights and responsibilities. PACER works with parents of children and young persons with all disabilities--physical, mental, learning, and emotional. PACER's programs help parents become informed and effective representatives for their children in educational, vocational and other decision-making settings. PACER offers transition workshops for parents of secondary school students with disabilities as well as transition training for special education students in high school settings. PACER publishes the following newsletters: the PACESETTER, the ADVOCATE, and the Early Childhood CONNECTION. A complete catalog of PACER publications is available upon request.

Contact:
Marge Goldberg, Co-Director
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights
4826 Chicago Avenue, South
Minneapolis, MN 55417-1055
(612) 827-2966 TDD and Voice
Fax: (612) 827-3065

Programs for Educational Opportunity
Programs for Educational Opportunity (PEO) is the combined Race, Gender, and National Origin Desegregation Assistance Center (DAC), based at the University of Michigan, funded under Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, since 1970. PEO is guided by the philosophy that all children deserve a quality education and that this education involves equal access to educational programs and activities, equal chances for academic achievement, fair treatment in formal policies and school environment, and equitable rewards and outcomes. PEO works collaboratively and without charge with public school districts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to achieve an equitable and quality education for their students. Activities provided by PEO include equity-related needs in assessment, planning, training, and consultative services. In addition, it disseminates equity-related publications and bibliographies. Staffs include educational equity professionals and a consultant pool of current practitioners and experts in a wide range of equity areas. PEO has provided information services to over three thousand school districts, and in-depth technical assistance to over three hundred school districts.

Contact:
Percy Bates, Director
Programs for Educational Opportunity
1005 School of Education
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Ml 48109-1259
(313) 763-9910
Fax: (313) 763-2137

Project RETAIN: Retention in Education Technical Assistance and Information Network
Project RETAIN Is designed to identify promising practices that (1) prepare students with mild disabilities for postsecondary employment/ education and (2) reduce the number of students with mild disabilities who leave school prior to graduation. The project is funded by the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Education for Exceptional Students and is coordinated through Florida Network. Promising practices were determined by the (1) expansion of an existing statewide effective transition practices database to include components specific to dropout prevention, (2) identification of promising practices in drop-out prevention and criteria for measuring these practices, and (3) identification of programs that exemplify promising practices in dropout prevention. Project RETAIN is designed to meet the technical assistance needs of school personnel, families, and service providers in the replication of the identified promising practices.

Address:
Stuart E. Schwartz, Principal Investigator
Jeanne B. Repetto, Director
Project RETAIN
Florida Network: Information and Services for Adolescents and Adults with Special Needs
Department of Special Education
University of Florida
G315 Norman Hall
P.O. Box 117050
Gainesville, FL 32611-7050
(904) 392-0701
Fax: (904) 392-2655

Support Center for Educational Equity for Young Mothers
The Support Center was established to serve as a resource to policymakers, practitioners, and service providers working to improve educational opportunities for women who began childbearing before graduating from high school. Staff at the Support Center conduct research, produce reports, provide training, and offer technical assistance. The Support Center is a project of the School and Community Services division of the Academy for Educational Development. This division is committed to the notion of educational reform that stresses both excellence and equity. Much of its work focuses on four primary objectives: improving the access of poor youth to educationally sound programs, reducing school dropout rates, preventing adolescent pregnancy, and improving school-to-work transition.