National

U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE), created in 1980, has a mission of promoting student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. USDE establishes policies on federal funding for education, collects and disseminates data and research on education, focuses national attention on key educational issues, and ensures equal access to education.

Comprehensive Centers Program

The USDE's Comprehensive Centers Program awards discretionary grants to establish comprehensive technical assistance centers to help low-performing schools and districts close achievement gaps and meet the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. The program supports 16 regional comprehensive centers and five content centers.

Regional Comprehensive Centers

The 16 regional comprehensive centers serve individual states or clusters of states across the nation. The comprehensive centers assist state education agencies with implementing NCLB and related programs to improve student achievement.

Content Centers

The five content centers support the regional comprehensive centers in their work with state education agencies to implement NCLB. Each content center has a specific area of expertise in which they provide research and technical assistance services. These content areas are assessment and accountability, high schools, innovation and improvement, instruction, and teacher quality.

Institute of Education Sciences

Established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Institute of
Education Sciences is the research arm of the USDE. Its mission is to expand knowledge and provide information on the condition of education, practices that improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs. Its goal is the transformation of education into an evidence-based field in which decision makers routinely seek out the best available research and data before adopting programs or practices that will affect significant numbers of students.

Regional Educational Laboratory Program

The Regional Educational Laboratory Program consists of a network of ten laboratories (RELs) that serve the educational needs of educators and policymakers within their designated regions. They provide access to high quality scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects, studies, and other related technical assistance activities. An interactive map shows all of the states in each region and provides contact information.

State

Texas Education Agency

The mission of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is to provide leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students. TEA is comprised of the commissioner of education and agency staff. Along with the State Board of Education (SBOE), they guide and monitor activities and programs related to public education in Texas.

NCLB Program Coordination

TEA's NCLB Program Coordination is charged with implementing NCLB in Texas. Their Web site provides a comprehensive collection of information and updates related to NCLB and its implications for Texas.

Regional Education Service Centers

Texas is divided into 20 regions, each with an education service center (ESC). These centers are public institutions created and authorized by the Texas Legislature and supported by state and federal funds. Their function is to provide field-based regional services that include professional development and technical assistance for school districts across the state. The ESC program is part of TEA's Division of Regional Services.
Links to the http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/ESC/ for the ESCs.

Local

The Texas Comprehensive Center is part of SEDL (formerly Southwest Educational Development Laboratory), which is also home to the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC).

SEDL partners with the Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations (CESDP), located at New Mexico Highlands University.