Federal Resources

The Matrix: Mapping Federal Resources for Technical Assistance & Information Services
The Matrix is a database of activities undertaken by the Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance & Dissemination Centers and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Comprehensive Centers. Centers enter information about their activities in the Matrix allowing states, stakeholders and other centers to view the work happening in their states and jurisdictions all across the country. This dynamic web based application is intended to provide one location for Department of Education, centers and states to get the latest information on services available and delivered by technical assistance and dissemination centers to states, locals and other recipients.

U. S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education website offers a vast, searchable database of news, topic-based information, research, statistics, and links to other useful education resources.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
400 Maryland Ave., SWWashington, DC 20202
Telephone: 202-401-0113
Fax: 202-205-0310

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-7100
Phone: 202-245-7468

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
NCLB is the main federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB is built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research. More information pertaining to the No Child Left Behind Act can be found at:

What Works Clearinghouse
The What Works Clearinghouse of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (WWC) collects, screens, and identifies studies of the effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies). It has launched an Evidence-Based Education Help Desk, whose mission is to provide policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with practical, easy-to-use resources to advance evidence-based education. Specifically, the Help Desk offers resources to assist in conducting rigorous evaluations of educational programs, sponsoring such evaluations, and identifying and implementing evidence-based programs. The Help Desk is managed by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, in partnership with the What Works Clearinghouse, under a subcontract with the Institute of Education Sciences.