What is COSERRC?

About COSERRC

Ohio's Special Education Regional Resource Center (SERRC) System

Each SERRC is funded at the discretion of the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children for the express purpose of improving the achievement of children and youth with disabilities and children at risk of being identified as disabled by assisting educators and families in the development and delivery of specially designed instruction aligned with Ohio’s academic content standards and by assisting districts and agencies in complying with federal and state laws/regulations to ensure the full participation of children and youth with disabilities in the school community.

As a regional entity, the COSERRC serves the important function of identifying local needs and designing and delivering services in ways that make the most sense to regional constituents. At the same time, the SERRC system assists the Offices for Exceptional Children and Early Learning and School Readiness, by playing an essential role in statewide networking activities, professional development of educators serving students with disabilities, and state and national outreach and dissemination.

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Goals

Goal Area I: Support of district implementation of the Ohio Integrated Systems Model (OISM)
  1. Implementation of academic and behavior supports across tiers, including the
    1. Development and implementation of school-wide positive behavior support plans and the provision of appropriate mental health services in cooperation with OEC partners and aligned with OISM;
    2. Design and delivery of standards-based assessment and instruction for students with disabilities and other at risk learners to improve such students’ attainment of grade level indicators and early learning content; and
    3. Implementation of intervention strategies designed to gauge student’s response to intervention (RtI) to reduce inappropriate identification of children as children with disabilities.
  2. Improved effectiveness and administrative leadership, including a thorough understanding of Ohio’s accountability system and the use of accountability data (e.g., performance index score) to make instructional improvements and increase access to grade level/early learning content for children with disabilities and other at risk children.
  3. Use of collaborative strategic planning, including the
    1. Effective use of co-teaching models to improve the attainment of grade level indicators/early learning content for students with disabilities and other at risk learners; and
    2. Effective data-based strategic/continuous improvement planning that addresses the needs of children with disabilities within overall district/building improvement efforts, aligned with ODE/OEC and ODE/Office of Early Learning and School Readiness (OELSR) tools and processes (e.g., OISM, CCIP)
  4. Use of scientifically based research, including the
    1. Use of scientifically based models and effective instructional practices to improve access to grade level/early learning content and instruction aligned with Ohio’s academic and early learning content standards; and the
    2. Use of scientifically based reading improvement strategies to provide early literacy and other high-quality academic instruction to children with disabilities and children at risk of developing learning problems.
  5. Effective use of data based decision making, including the use of specialized assessment (e.g., reading diagnostics, assistive technology assessment, functional behavior assessment, Kindergarten Readiness Assessment- Literacy and progress monitoring to increase the capacity of districts to increase access to grade level content aligned with Ohio’s academic content standards to students with disabilities and other at risk learners, and provide a list of independent evaluators at the request of school districts.
  6. Implementation of culturally responsive practices designed, in part, to reduce the overrepresentation of minority students in special education.
Goal Area II: Federal/State Requirements. Support for district compliance with federal and state laws/regulations to improve achievement for students with disabilities, including, for example, Professional Development (PD) and Technical Assistance (TA) on procedural safeguards, Ohio operating standards, and focused monitoring.
  1. Work with the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) to support the use of technology at each tier of support to maximize accessibility to grade level/early learning content aligned with Ohio’s academic and early learning content standards, and to enhance learning;
  2. Support the implementation of effective transition programs for students with disabilities, including the programs with agencies involved with transition from early intervention to school age programs, and from school age to postsecondary options;
  3. Work with Ohio institutions of higher education and other partners to increase the number of highly qualified special education intervention specialists available in Ohio;
  4. Provide PD and TA on federal and state laws/regulations, including IDEIA and NCLB, applicable to the education of preschool and school age children with disabilities;
  5. Provide TA to school districts undergoing focused monitoring (FM) reviews and /or other ODE reviews conducted for compliance monitoring and school improvement purposes;
  6. Provide TA that assists district personnel and families in cooperatively addressing potentially contentious issues prior to the filing of a formal compliant, request for mediation, and/or due process hearing;
  7. Support the use of appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities taking regular statewide and district assessment (including preschool and kindergarten assessments), and in the effective collection of evidence (COE) in implementing standards based alternate assessment; and
  8. Provide PD/TA on other areas/topics related to the issuance of IDEIA regulations.
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Mission

The mission of the COSERRC is to improve the achievement of children and youth with disabilities and children at risk of being identified as disabled by assisting educators and families in the development and delivery of specially designed instruction aligned with Ohio’s academic content standards, and by assisting districts and agencies in complying with federal and state laws and regulations to ensure the full participation of children and youth with disabilities in the school community.

This mission supports the vision of the Ohio Department of Education by providing products and services designed to assist those responsible for closing the achievement gap for children and youth with disabilities.

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Ohio's SERRC Network

The mission of Ohio’s statewide SERRC system is to assist educators and families in the development and delivery of specially designed instruction aligned with Ohio’s academic content standards, and to assist districts and agencies in complying with federal and state laws/regulations to ensure full participation of children and youth with disabilities in the school community.

The mission supports the vision of the Ohio Department of Education by providing products and services designed to assist those responsible for closing the achievement gap for children and youth with disabilities.

Special Education Regional Resource Centers (SERRCS) deliver products and services through the provision of professional development, technical assistance, product development, and information dissemination aligned with the mission of the Ohio’s statewide SERRC system for the ultimate purpose of improving outcomes for preschool and school age children and youth with disabilities.

Each center functions through a participatory management system based on an Advisory Committee composed of superintendents of schools; special education personnel; parents of children with disabilities; representatives from county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, community schools, and universities in the region.

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