The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education since 2012; current funding is for $27 million over 5 years, from 2022-2027.
ECTA is a technical assistance and dissemination center that supports all states and jurisdictions with building high-quality state and local systems to implement evidence-based practices that result in positive outcomes for young children with disabilities (birth-age 5) and their families. ECTA works to support states with implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). ECTA provides a wide range of services, including developing products that consolidate research and promote effective practices to children and families, providing professional development and coaching to state leaders, bringing states together to improve effective data collection and submission of federal data, providing responsive technical assistance, and providing guidance to new state early childhood special education leaders.
FPG has had an iteration of this TA Center since 1971.
From 2012-2022, provided more than 3,900 services to all U.S. states and jurisdictions.
In 2024, provided 370+ services to more than 8,800 individuals ranging from state administrators, personnel development state staff, teachers and services providers, families, and other TA providers.
In 2024, more than 213,000 people visited the ECTA website.
ECTA makes a difference
To learn even more about the impact ECTA has had on early childhood special education as states support children and families, read the stories highlighted below:
- aRPy Ambassadors Strengthen State Systems through Professional Development and Mentoring | Over the last eight years, ECTA has expanded its resources, tools, and products that support the Ambassadors work in promoting the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices.
- Supporting Idaho and Washington to Implement Statewide Systems to Improve Outcomes for Young Children with Disabilities and their Families | Since 2014, ECTA and DaSy have collaborated to provide technical assistance (TA) to support states with the Statewide Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) requirements. This impact story spotlights two states that used TA to scale implementation of their SSIP practices statewide, making noteworthy progress in their systems to improve child outcomes.
- A Journey to More Inclusive Classrooms: ECTA's Partnership with Illinois | The Illinois State Board of Education along with the preschool inclusion initiative Early CHOICES accepted the invitation to receive two years of intensive TA to establish inclusive classrooms.
