We are excited to share that AEM has been awarded a new cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to operate the Center for the Integration of IDEA Data (CIID).
This new award continues our long-standing work helping states improve their IDEA Part B data quality, reporting, and integration. Importantly, it expands the scope of our work to include Part C early intervention data, creating new opportunities to strengthen connections across early childhood and K–12 systems.
Building State Capacity for IDEA Data
CIID will provide technical assistance to states as they work to:
- Collect, analyze, and report high-quality IDEA Part B and Part C data.
- Integrate IDEA data into state longitudinal data systems (SLDS) and early childhood integrated data systems (ECIDS) using data standards.
- Strengthen data governance practices to ensure both compliance and meaningful use.
- Provide parents, educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders with more accurate and actionable information about outcomes for children with disabilities.
By supporting states in aligning IDEA data with broader education and early childhood systems, the Center will help improve program evaluation, policy decisions, instructional strategies, and family engagement.
A New Focus on Part C Early Intervention
A key feature of this award is the expanded focus on IDEA Part C, which serves infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. CIID will help states coordinate and link early intervention data with preschool special education and other early learning programs such as Head Start, child care, and home visiting initiatives. By leveraging the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) for this expansion, CIID enhances the value of the open source, community-driven initiative while building capacity in stakeholders to further leverage additional features of the standard.
This expansion will allow states to better track children’s developmental progress and participation across programs, and to use data to drive program improvements and strengthen outcomes from birth through school entry.
Looking Ahead
AEM is honored to continue supporting states in meeting their IDEA data requirements, and we are especially excited to help expand the field’s capacity to include Part C. Together with our partners, Westat, WestEd, Child Trends and SRI, we look forward to building tools, resources, and open-source solutions that advance opportunities for children with disabilities and their families.
