Photo: Alex Lazara

NECTAC Logic Model: Inputs

Inputs that inform NECTAC TA fall under three categories: Resources, Values, and Key Characteristics.

Resources

The many resources that make NECTAC a strong, national center begin with experienced staff with knowledge about IDEA, effective practices and existing resources and have strong working relationships with state clients, OSEP and TA partners. NECTAC partners with national collaborators within and across agencies including OSEP, HHS, other OSEP-funded centers and projects, national centers and associations and more. Being housed at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute enabled the staff to be directly connected to the current research conducted at the institute as well as part of a growing group of systems change projects. Early interventional and preschool staff working in states are also an essential resource that provide input into the NECTAC priorities as well as providing valuable information about the implementation of IDEA.

Center Resources:

• NECTAC Staff expertise:
• Current expertise on emerging issues
• Understanding of client context
• Strong working relationships with clients and resource people
• Knowledge of effective TA strategies
• Extensive information base on current EC policies, practices and research findings, including OSEP-funded EC Projects’ models
• FPG Institute
• Consultants

National Collaborators:

• OSEP Project Officers and staff
• Other Federal Agencies ( HHS, Child Care, Head Start, etc.)
• OSEP-funded Research and Training Centers and Institutes, e.g.:
  • Challenging Behavior
  • TRACE (child find)
  • Transition
  • Service Coordination
  • NCPDI
  • CELL
• OSEP-Funded TA&D Projects:
  • RRCs and FRRC
  • PTACs and Alliance
  • PTIs and CPRCs
  • ECO
  • DAC
• ACYF Center on Behavior
• National Center for Homeless Education
• National Membership Organizations and State Affiliates, e.g.:
  • DEC
  • NAEYC
• General EC TA

State Stakeholders

• State Part C Lead Agencies and SEAs
• GSEGs
• Parent Organizations
• State TA Systems
• Local Administrators
• Service Providers
• Families

Advisory Committee

• Researchers
• OSEP Project Officer
• Part C and Section 619 Coordinator representatives
• FPG researchers
• Other OSEP-funded project representatives, e.g. ECO
• Parents of Children with Disabilities
• Parent Information Centers

Values that Drive the NECTAC Design

• We believe that children and families deserve high quality, evidence-based services that promote positive outcomes.
• We believe that systems change requires multiple and diverse viewpoints to fully understand and solve problems and issues.
• We believe in maximizing the effectiveness of TA by building on the strengths, resources and knowledge base of research, TA and state partners.
• We believe that policies and practices should recognize and respect children and families from diverse cultures and contexts.
• We believe that involving people with disabilities and parents in planning and conducting TA enhances effectiveness.

Key Characteristics

Approaches to TA

• Promoting evidence-based practices in order to improve results for children and families.
• Focusing on results for children and families.
• Conducting long-range planning around systemic issues in the implementation of IDEA.
• TA as an ongoing collaborative process including needs analysis, TA, and evaluation.
• Inclusion of diverse perspectives and stakeholders input in TA activities.

Organizational Features

• Staff organized into topic-focused teams that maintain a knowledge base including resources, challenges, models, evidence-based practices, state policies and procedures in the topic area to provide TA.
• Staff organized into task-focused work groups to complete major center activities.
• Collaborative planning with OSEP, researchers, other TA groups, EC initiatives and families.
• Ongoing acquisition, organization and use of current resources on EC policies, research, and practices.
• Each state has an assigned TA contact with an ongoing relationship built on mutual trust.
• Leadership through proactive recognition and attention to emerging client issues.