External Evaluation of the National Center for Systemic Improvement

Overview

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin provides the external evaluation for the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). Launched in October 2014, NCSI is a multiyear cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. NCSI plays a major role in helping states achieve a national vision of results-driven accountability for special education and early intervention programs.

Outcomes

The following are NCSI’s targeted objectives:

• Increase state capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate state systemic improvement plans
• Increase use of evidence-based practices
• Improve state infrastructures
• Increase states’ use of effective dissemination strategies
• Increase authentic stakeholder engagement
• Increase collaboration to leverage technical assistance resources
• Improve general supervision systems and IDEA compliance

Project Design

Purpose

NCSI works to increase state capacity in systems transformation, continuous improvement, and improvement and implementation science, toward the goal of supporting selection and implementation of evidence-based practices for teaching and learning.

Participants

NCSI supports state departments of education and state lead agencies for early intervention programs as they transition to the Preventing Educational Risk results-based accountability system that the Office of Special Education Programs recently endorsed.