about the project

To improve student achievement, close the achievement gap, and implement fully the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, states need more than just federal directives and mandates -- they need professional assistance from leaders in the field.

The U.S. Department of Education selected WestEd as the agency to provide this help in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Partnering with RMC Research Corporation, WestEd will operate the Southwest Comprehensive Center at WestEd (SWCC) to provide assistance to the five State Departments/Offices of Education, as well as to statewide groups and organizations that assist districts and schools with a focus on NCLB implementation.

The SWCC has five priority areas:

• supporting states to align assessment and accountability systems with NCLB;
• increasing states’ capacity and infrastructure to support district development and improvement;
• enhancing and supporting each state's system of support for program improvement in schools;
• increasing state capacity to recruit, induct, and retain quality teachers; and
• building state capacity to initiate high school reform.

RMC Research Corporation’s Denver office provides a full range of research and evaluation, professional development, and technical assistance services addressing all levels of education. WestEd and RMC each draw on more than 40 years of successful experience managing and providing technical assistance for the U.S. Department of Education.

The SWCC at WestEd is part of a federal network of 16 Regional Centers, serving individual states or clusters of states. In addition to the Regional Centers, the network includes five Content Centers designed to develop materials and products in support of the Regional Centers. The network of centers also works closely with the Regional Educational Laboratories as well as with other federally funded technical assistance providers.