South Carolina Training and Technical Assistance Teams: Systematic Solutions

University of Kentucky, through assignment by the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, proposes to provide planning, technical assistance, data collection, and evaluation services to develop state systems to identify, disseminate, and implement research-based promising educational and early intervention practices. These services are designed to create the technical assistance and training infrastructure to effect systemic solutions to challenges and noncompliances identified by South Carolina's Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process (CIMP). Three major objectives are supported by the work scope of this proposal. State and regional training and technical assistance teams are proposed to be established to address CIMP-identified issues/noncompliances in: (1) Individualized Family Service Plans, procedural safeguards, and early childhood transition; (2) disproportionate referral and identification rates in underrepresented populations; and (3) unclear data and lack of strategies to address parent knowledge of, involvement in, and satisfaction with special education services, related services, and early intervention services. All objectives address needs in both Part B and Part C services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This project will focus on systemic change using research-based effective practices that focus on results for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, children and youth with disabilities, and their families.