The IDEA Data Center (IDC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to provide technical assistance to build capacity within states for collecting, reporting, analyzing, and using high-quality IDEA Part B data.
Westat is the lead organization for IDC and has seven partners. Five of IDC's seven partners work directly with other OSEP-sponsored centers that provide TA, ensuring ongoing communication and coordination of efforts. In addition, IDC has expert consultants who bring deep knowledge and extensive experience about Part B data, data systems, policies, programs, and TA to IDC's work.
Objectives
- Provide high-quality TA services to state and local education agencies to identify strengths and areas for improvement, address IDEA data quality needs and challenges, and increase the use of data;
- Develop and disseminate products and content to support TA efforts and state and local capacity to improve data quality and use; and
- Collaborate and coordinate with others in the field to strategically inform and further the workaround data quality and systems change.
Intended Outcomes
- States submit 616 and 618 data that meet the Department's data quality standards for accuracy, timeliness, and completeness
- States and local education agencies use high-quality IDEA data to
- identify programmatic strengths and areas for improvement
- address root causes of poor performance
- evaluate progress toward outcomes
