The IDEA Data Center (IDC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s 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.

HDI is a key partner with Westat Corp, who is the lead organization for IDC and works directly with OSEP to provide national technical assistance, ensure ongoing communication and promote coordination of efforts across various centers. HDI provides expert consultants who bring deep knowledge and extensive experience regarding 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 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 work around 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
o identify programmatic strengths and areas for improvement
o address root causes of poor performance
o evaluate progress toward outcomes