Learn About DaSy

Photo of adult and child holding hands

The DaSy Center is a national technical assistance center that works with states to support IDEA early intervention and early childhood special education state programs in building high quality data systems and using data to improve results for young children with disabilities and their families.

Vision: States and entities use data to improve programs and ultimately equitable outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families.​

Mission: The DaSy Center builds relationships and provides high quality technical assistance (TA) to build the capacity of states to collect, report, analyze, and use data in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education for program improvement and federal reporting.​

The objectives of the DaSy Center are to:

  • Improve state capacity to collect, report, analyze, and use high quality IDEA Part C early intervention and IDEA Part B preschool data.
  • Enhance, streamline, and integrate child level early childhood data systems to address critical policy questions that will facilitate program improvement, improve compliance accountability, and improve results for children served under Part C and Part B preschool special education programs.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the DaSy Center is operated by SRI in collaboration with with AnLar, Applied Engineering Management (AEM), the Center for Technology in Education (CTE) at Johns Hopkins University, ECDataWorks, the University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), and Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).

The DaSy’s work centers around three areas:

  • Knowledge Development. The DaSy Center identifies and communicates the current status of Part C and Part B preschool state agency data systems and progress in linking data early intervention and preschool special education data and data from other early childhood programs.  The Center has developed a framework that identifies critical components and processes of a high quality state data system and a set of Critical Questions that a state should be able to answer with its data system.
  • TA and Dissemination. The DaSy Center provides a continuum of universal, targeted and intensive technical assistance (TA) that support states in improving state data, data systems, and the use of data to improve programs. The Center has developed guidance documents and tools for all states to promote critical data system capabilities/elements needed to collect, analyze, and report high-quality data that are required under IDEA. Center activities include hosting national meetings, conducting topical meetings on key issue areas, maintaining a website, forming and supporting communities of practice, and developing online, print, and video training materials.
  • Leadership and Coordination. The DaSy Center coordinates regularly with other national projects and organizations around issues related to early childhood data systems to ensure that the Center’s work is addressing the critical needs of those in early intervention and preschool special education as well as the general early childhood field.

The DaSy Center is a collaborative effort of the following institutions:

In addition, the Center has a strong cadre of expert consultants who can be called upon to support Center activities. These experts bring deep knowledge and extensive experience about Part C and Part B preschool programs, policies and regulations, personnel, and state early childhood service and data systems.

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. The information on the DaSy website does not necessarily reflect the views of OSEP.