Highlights from NCSER (Archive)

Using the PEELS and NLTS2 Databases for Research
The Institute of Education Sciences is sponsoring two advanced studies seminars on the use of the Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) databases. These seminars will be held January 13-15, 2009 in Washington, DC and are open to advanced graduate students and faculty members from colleges and universities nationwide and to researchers, education practitioners, policy analysts from federal, state, and local education and human services agencies, and professional associations.

For more information about the PEELS seminar, browse to http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=378&cid=4

For more information about the NLTS2 seminar, browse to http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=379&cid=4

NCSER Funds Preschool Response to Intervention

The National Center for Special Education Research within the Institute of Education Sciences supports research on systemic interventions for children with or at risk for disabilities. The growing use of Response to Intervention (RtI) models in elementary schools has attracted attention among early childhood educators and researchers. NCSER is funding four research projects related to RtI models in preschool. One of these projects is the recently funded Research and Development Center on RtI in Early Childhood Special Education. This Center was awarded to Charles Greenwood and Judy Carta at the University of Kansas. There are two primary objectives of this new Center: (a) to develop and evaluate intensive interventions for preschool language and early literacy skills, and (b) to develop and validate an assessment system linked to these interventions. Three other projects focus on developing RtI models for preschool settings to improve preschoolers' language and literacy or social emotional development.

• Recognition and Response: A Response to Intervention Model for Early Childhood
  Virginia Buysse, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Examining the Potential Efficacy of a Classroom Wide Model for Promoting Social Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior in Preschool Children With and Without Disabilities
  Mary Louise Hemmeter, Vanderbilt University
• Building Social Competence for School Success through a Continuum of Positive Behavior Supports
  Martha Snell, University of Virginia
• Center for Response to Intervention in Early Childhood
  Charles Greenwood and Judy Carta, University of Kansas