FUNDING AND SUPPORT AGENCIES

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is committed to improving results and outcomes for people with disabilities of all ages. In supporting President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" agenda and "New Freedom Initiative," OSERS provides a wide array of support to children, their parents, school districts, and states in three main areas: special education, vocational rehabilitation, and research. By providing funding to programs that serve children with disabilities, OSERS works to ensure that these individuals are not left behind, in school or in life outside school. OSERS also provides funds to programs that offer information and technical assistance to parents of children with disabilities and to members of the learning community who serve these children and their families. By identifying what works based on the best available science and research and providing guidelines for early identification and intervention in schools, OSERS is at the forefront of guiding policy designed to improve outcomes for children with disabilities in the United States and throughout the world. As a part of this mission, OSERS is dedicated to collaborating with the scientific community to conduct and disseminate the highest quality research in areas where more knowledge is needed.

Wisconsin Center for Education Research

The Wisconsin Center for Education Research is one of the nation's oldest and most highly esteemed university-based education research and development centers. A part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Education, WCER provides a productive environment where some of the country's leading scholars conduct research. WCER research spans the full scope of education, from the effects of infant child care and after-school programs to undergraduate and graduate curriculum reform. Much of the work focuses on the teaching, learning, and assessment of today's increasingly diverse K-12 students. WCER is home to centers for research on the improvement of mathematics and science education from kindergarten through postsecondary levels, implementation of reading and behavior intervention models for K-3 students, and educational policy, as well as a comprehensive regional assistance center that supports schools and agencies in meeting the needs of schoolchildren throughout the Midwest, with priority given to high-poverty schools and districts. Other WCER projects focus on multicultural education, special education, teacher professional development, and distance learning.