Levels of Technical Assistance

• Request initiated by State or Federal agency
• Includes an expectation of change on a large scale across the State’s TA and professional development system
• TA providers and State mutually assess the State’s readiness to engage in ITA
• State readiness for organizational and system change considers:
  • The State’s capacity to address their identified issues
  • How the change will improve outcomes for students and youth with disabilities and their families
  • A reasonable timeframe (e.g., 1–3 years) to meet the State’s identified goal(s) and outcome(s)
• May evolve from TTA and UTA activities
• Typically initiated jointly by Vocational Rehabilitation and Education partners but may be requested by one entity
• Entails a commitment of state-level decision-makers with the ability to devote time and resources to achieving identified outcomes

What is involved in the provision of ITA for States?

• Tailored to State context (typically a collaboration between Vocational Rehabilitation, Special Education, and other partner agencies)
• Based on an identified need from baseline data collected
• Driven by specific goal(s) to scale up effort or address systems-level capacity of State agency(ies)
• Demonstrates progress toward the goal(s) through attainment of identified short- and long-term outcomes
• Builds new knowledge and skills
• Utilizes teaching and coaching to build capacity of specific audiences to increase knowledge, change behavior, and sustain systems change
• Works in coordination, not duplication, with current initiatives