In early childhood education, ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities, can access and engage with learning materials is a pivotal aspect of educational equity and inclusion. Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and Assistive Technologies (AT) are central to this endeavor, providing essential resources that accommodate…

To support efforts for a transformational kindergarten year, the U.S Department of Education (Department) is launching a multistate community of practice: Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community. State educational agencies (SEAs)and local educational agencies (LEAs) will have the opportunity to participate in peer learning, receive technical…

Recruiting schools to participate in research projects has become increasingly challenging in the past several years. Research in schools was next-to-impossible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftermath of the pandemic has made research a lower priority for schools trying to regain COVID-related academic losses. The School Recruitment…

This report represents another installment in our Learning and Employment Records (LERs) series, where we explored the unique challenges and opportunities that learners encounter when familiarizing themselves with LER technology. As the paradigm shifts towards skills-based hiring and career advancement gains momentum, it becomes imperative for…

This paper describes a collaborative technical assistance project, which was co-constructed by the Ministry of Education (MINED) of El Salvador and the author, to support the advancement of inclusive education through culturally responsive professional development. This research-based project is presented as a model of culturally responsive…

In early 2020, the AEM Center turned its focus to the start of the education continuum by developing Critical Components for providing accessible materials and technologies for children in early childhood programs. Knowledge development activities focused on understanding the complex early childhood educational system, particularly with respect to…

This brief is the first in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

School organization is a key driver for meaningful inclusion for students with disabilities. While there are promising examples of how schools organize for inclusion with intensive technical assistance, little is known about how high schools organize without such supports. In a case study of two high schools, we compare school organization by…

The U.S. Department of Education's review of state assessment systems is an evidence-based, peer review process for which each state submits evidence to demonstrate that its assessment system meets a set of established criteria, called Critical Elements. Critical Elements represent the Elementary and Secondary Education Act statutory and…

The present study investigated relationships among technical assistance, school leadership quality, and multitiered system of support (MTSS) implementation. The findings indicated technical assistance improved school leadership quality, and improved leadership significantly mediated the relationship between technical assistance and MTSS…

Inclusive educational practices are rooted in a body of research indicating that when students in need of support through special education are meaningfully included in schools, academic and social outcomes improve for all students. To realize this promise of better outcomes, traditional schools with separate classrooms and even schools designated…

Urban school districts will face a number of new and unprecedented challenges in the 2020-2021 school year. In addition to safely reopening schools, planning for the likelihood of future rolling school closures, redesigning instructional delivery models, and effectively addressing unfinished learning and learning losses among students, schools…

The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Hemmeter, Fox, & Snyder, 2013), or the Pyramid Model, is a conceptual framework focused on systemic and sustained implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) related to promoting social emotional competence and preventing challenging behaviors in…

This blueprint provides an overview of the technical assistance (TA) practices and collaborative learning structures that support state education agencies (SEAs) in whole system implementation of Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) Domains and Features, and in the development of state-level infrastructure hospitable to…

The Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) employs six technical assistance (TA) practices that support an initial transformation process while simultaneously building system capacity to sustain and scale up equity-based inclusion in additional schools and districts over time. This paper explains these individual practices and…