Regional Special Education Technical Assistance and Support Center
The Western Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC) is part of a statewide technical assistance center supported by New York State Education Department (NYSED) to provide technical assistance and professional development to improve the instructional practices and outcomes of students with disabilities. The RSE-TASC works in partnership with NYSED’s Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) offices, and other NYSED supported initiatives and centers. NYSED directs the technical assistance resources of RSE-TASC to those school districts determined by NYSED as at risk of or needing assistance or intervention to improve results for student with disabilities and to meet the state’s targets for improvement at identified in the State Performance Plan (SPP).
RSE-TASC are specifically structured with resources that will provide expertise to school districts to improve core instructional programs that research has shown to be effective for students with disabilities and to provide coordination of regional resources and accountability to NYSED for improvement results.
The Western RSE-TASC is made up of two parts. Part 1 is located at the Erie 1 BOCES and provides regional support to all districts in the region (ON BOCES, Erie 2 BOCES, CA BOCES, Erie 1 BOCES and the city of Buffalo). The regional office houses the coordinator , Sue Locke-Scott, and five regional trainers who provide support specific to special education regulations, bilingual issues, behavior, transition and non district educational agencies.
Part 2 offices are located in each BOCES and the city of Buffalo and are home to the local Special Education School Improvement Specialists (SESIS). The role of the SESIS is to provide professional development and targeted assistance solely to the districts identified by NYSED for ongoing school district improvement in core instructional areas for students with disabilities.