Our vision is to provide accessible, customizable, and evidence-based professional development and technical assistance to educators, with the goal of improving outcomes for students with disabilities. By collaborating with our IU partners, LEAs, researchers, and other stakeholders, we seek to develop and implement effective strategies that bridge the gap between research and practice, and that promote the professional growth and retention of special education teachers. Through these efforts, we aim to create a more equitable and inclusive education system that meets the needs of all learners.
Please read the support type descriptions below, and then choose one from the support request application:
Support Request Application
Available Supports for 2025–2026
LEAs may request one or more of the following supports to meet their local needs:
Professional Development
LEAs may request targeted professional learning aligned to school priorities or educator needs. These sessions may be offered in-person or virtually and can cover a range of topics such as specially designed instruction, behavioral supports, inclusive practices, literacy and math instruction, or other areas aligned to IDEA requirements and evidence-based practices.
Critical Supports
Designed to address urgent or high-need situations—such as instructional challenges in special education settings—critical supports may include short-term, on-site, job-embedded coaching, technical assistance, and stabilization support to strengthen instructional practices and enhance learning environments for students with disabilities, including those taught by emergency-permitted teachers
Emergent Supports
Focused on targeted, specific areas of improvement, emergent supports provide professional development and job-embedded coaching aligned to current needs identified by the LEA. Supports may include onsite modeling, co-planning, and technical assistance to strengthen practices and build capacity.
Systemic Supports
Systemic supports offer a structured, multi-year improvement process co-developed with LEA/school leaders to create long-term, sustainable systems for serving students with disabilities. For the 2025–2026 school year, two systemic pathways are available:
1. Integrated MTSS Support
Assists LEAs in aligning academic and behavioral tiered systems into a cohesive framework that strengthens system coherence and improves service delivery with a focus on inclusive practices for students with high and low-incidence disabilities.
2. Emotional Support Systems Support
Supports LEAs in building a continuum of services for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD), with a focus on trauma-informed practices, multidisciplinary teaming, and advanced-tier intervention planning.
The application for systemic supports will go live at the conclusion of the August 7th webinar and is due by the end of the day on September 2, 2025.
Watch the webinar on PA’s IDEA-Funded State System of Support, including the 2025–2026 systemic application for Integrated MTSS & Emotional Support
Application due 9/2/25
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