TAcommunities, www.tacommunities.org, is one of several forums available as part of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Technical Assistance initiative to exchange strategies and ideas that will improve outcomes for children with disabilities. This project seeks to combine OSEP resources from the Monitoring and State Improvement Planning Division and technical assistance resources from the Research to Practice Division.

TA communities...

• Provides a platform for exchanging resources and materials
• Enables you to meet and interact with colleagues across the nation
• Sponsors teleseminars and face to face events

More than a Website
tacommunities.org is a software tool. As a member, this platform will enable you to find colleagues who share interests (member profiles), participate in discussions, and share strategies, resources, and ideas (post content). These interactive features are what makes tacommunities.org a community - rather than a passive website. We encourage you to use the member manuals, ask questions, and use the various functions that this software affords. This is an innovative platform - and an innovative way to think about learning and sharing.

How to Join
We invite you to participate in the TAcommunities website! To join, click on the Join our Community feature in the login box. It is free and there is no obligation to participate in activities. Be sure to specify which community or communities you would like to join.

Communities include:

DATA COMMUNITY:
This Community provides a forum for those who are actively interested and involved in issues of data collection, analysis and use in support of improved services and outcomes for infants, toddlers and students with disabilities, and their families. We invite you to share your thoughts, resources, information on events, etc., and any other items you believe might contribute to this Community and to common solutions to shared data issues.

EXITING COMMUNITY:
Is for key stakeholders interested in:

• Reducing dropouts
• Increasing graduation rates
• Reducing the gap that exists between the graduation rates for students with and without disabilities
• Providing successful transitions from high school to postsecondary education, meaningful employment, civic engagement, and successful adult community living.

IDENTIFICATION COMMUNITY:

• The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) addresses the growing awareness of the problem of child abuse in the United States. Recent and pertinent documents, events and websites regarding new policies, presentations, resources, etc. associated with CAPTA implementation are provided.
• Service Coordination and Referrals for Hospitalized Infants and Toddlers.

LRE COMMUNITY:
This community has been formed to:

• Provide a forum for those who are active in problem solving, resource sharing, and generating new ideas related to inclusive education practices for improved student outcomes.
• Be a source of information on a wide array of research-based best practices.
• Provide support for one another as we translate NCLB and IDEA policy into practice.

PRESCHOOL LRE COMMUNITY:
Our goal is to form and support a Community where interested individuals can come together to address issues of common interest and need regarding the inclusion of young children and their families in their communities. We invite you to join our Community and to visit our 'What's New', 'Discussion', and 'Library' features regularly to learn more as we form this Community and its activities. As part of our Community, online chats will connect users across the country with each other and with expert resources in the area.

SETTINGS COMMUNITY:
This community is interacting around the many issues, concerns, successes, examples of practice, research, training and materials all related to enhancing services in natural environments for young children and their families. The community concerns are broader than the location of service delivery. We are concerned with providing effective supports and services in everyday routines activities and places. Providing services in natural environments addresses the fundamental purpose of early intervention: to enhance family members and caregivers' capacity to support their child's development, learning and full participation in community life.