Individualized Technical Assistance

What is individualized technical assistance?

The Network provides individualized technical assistance designed to meet the specific needs of states and districts. Through differentiated, hands-on support, individualized technical assistance offers a partnership to help state and district staff establish conditions for improvement and effect organizational change. Individualized technical assistance services include fast response consultative support designed to solve a specific policy or implementation challenge as well as ongoing support designed to help states and districts implement key outcomes.

What topics are covered?

States and districts can request support on a wide variety of topics under the school improvement umbrella, depending on their needs and goals. The Network provides subject matter experts across many topics ranging from accountability systems and school finance to rural education and English language learners.

Examples of individualized technical assistance projects:

Collaborating with the Northeast Comprehensive Center to Take Stock of Lessons Learned

State Support Network staff collaborated with the Northeast Comprehensive Center in January 2017 to support the Maine Department of Education (MDE) with their ESSA planning. Staff worked with the Maine Department of Education (MDE) to plan and facilitate a tailored event with stakeholders to take stock of their previous school improvement efforts. The event included staff from MDE, district leadership, as well as school principals. The group discussed the lessons they learned related to professional learning, leadership support, and data to inform their work improving schools moving forward under ESSA. MDE used the process and tools from the event to develop a theory of action for the school support section of their ESSA plan.

Supporting South Dakota’s Needs Assessment Development

State Support Network staff facilitated an intensive 3-day workshop at the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) in mid-April. At the workshop, a team of South Dakota DOE staff and stakeholders came together from across the state to develop a plan for a school-level needs assessment process that will be used to assess needs in Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools and inform improvement planning. Over the 3-day workshop, participants developed a better understanding of the elements of high quality needs assessments.

How can I request individualized technical assistance?

Questions?

Please contact the State Support Network at statesupportnetwork@air.org.