The aim of Project Forum, http://www.projectforum.org/  is to facilitate improved services to children and youth with disabilities by gathering and sharing information that supports changes to policy and practice at the national, state and local levels.

Each year, Project Forum:

• identifies 15 "hot" topics within the field of special education;
• conducts policy analyses on these topics;
• convenes policy forums on some of these topics;
• maintains, in collaboration with the Regional Resource Centers, a national database of state laws, policies and regulations that govern special education; and
• distributes information that will contribute to better results for children with disabilities.

The primary consumers are state and local directors of special education. However, the products are written in a reader-friendly manner, useful to others.

Topics in Progress:

• Autism Spectrum Disabilities
• Crosswalk of INTASC principles and select specialty program association standards
• Early Childhood Part C State Technical Assistance Systems: State of the States
• Early Intervening Services
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• High School Reform and Special Education: Collaborative Efforts by States
• Highly Mobile Children with Disabilities
• Juvenile Justice and Students with Disabilities: Profiles of Several Initiatives
• Meeting "Highly Qualified" Requirements for Special Educators
• NCLB/IDEA parent & public reporting requirements
• Parent participation in state monitoring
• Part C Implementation of CAPTA Requirement
• PTI and SEA Collaboration
• Reading First and Special Education: Collaboration between General and Special Education
• Response to Intervention
• Special Education Vouchers
• Staffing Patterns for State Special Education Units
• State Report Cards: Incorporating Special Education Data
• State Support for Mentoring of Special Education Teachers
• Statewide Behavior Initiatives
• Statewide Electronic Data Collection
• Youth Initiatives