National Center for Special Education Research Projects and Programs

Overview & Synopsis

In December 2004, Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and in doing so, established the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). On July 1, 2005, NCSER began its operation and held its first set of research grant competitions, which included the following ten topic areas: language and vocabulary development, serious behavior disorders, early intervention and assessment for young children, secondary and postsecondary outcomes, individualized education programs, reading and writing, mathematics and science, assessment for accountability, research on teacher quality in reading and writing, and research on teacher quality in mathematics and science. This document describes the research grants and contracts that represent NCSER's current investments. These investments will evaluate the effectiveness of programs, intervention, strategies, and assessment tools to determine what works in addressing the needs of infants and children with disabilities. Projects and programs being assessed for FY 2006 awards are in the areas of: (1) Assessment for Accountability; (2) Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, and Assessment; (3) Individualized Education Programs; (4) Language and Vocabulary Development; (5) Mathematics and Science; (6) Reading and Writing; (7) Secondary and Post-Secondary Outcomes; (8) Serious Behavior Disorders; (9) Standards and Assessment Development; and (10) National Initiatives. [This document was published by the Institute of Education Sciences' National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER).]