About

Staff Directory

T-TAC Mission

The Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center at Old Dominion University (T-TAC ODU) is part of a statewide network of assistance centers that are designed to improve educational opportunities and contribute to the success of children and youth with disabilities (birth-22 years).

The mission of the statewide network of assistance centers is two-fold:

• To increase the capacity of school personnel, service providers, and families to meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities; and,
• To foster the state improvement goals for personnel development, which address improving the performance of children and youth with disabilities, by enhancing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and performance of all personnel who work with students with disabilities.

The centers provide quality training and technical assistance in response to local, regional, and state needs in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Staff members participate on various statewide projects that contribute to the successful educational outcomes for all students across the Commonwealth.  Further, T-TAC Online offers a web community for special educators in Virginia.

T-TAC ODU improves educational opportunities for children with developmental delays and disabilities including individuals with intellectual disabilities (through age 21).  T-TAC ODU also provides training and support to teachers regarding assistive technology that will assist students with communication needs and provide access to the general education curriculum.  Services at T-TAC ODU are generally free of charge and are designed to meet the needs of special education professionals in Regions 2 and 3.

A second center at William & Mary also serves special educators residing in Regions 2 and 3.  Visit T-TAC William & Mary for more information.

Services Provided

The guiding principles of the T-TAC system are to: develop products based on research; disseminate effective practices; consult with school personnel and build capacity at the local level; and conduct strategically planned training.  T-TAC ODU responds to requests for services with an emphasis on collaboration in planning and providing services to teams.  These teams might include general and special educators, administrators, related services personnel, students, family members, paraeducators, and community members.

Assistance is provided directly to teachers and other school personnel who serve individuals with disabilities and services are generally free of charge. Services include professional development workshops and strategically planned training events, consultative services that utilize a collaborative problem-solving process designed to contribute to student success, an electronic newsletter, T-TAC E-News, which is published quarterly, publications on current research topics and recommended educational practices called “TACtics”, and a lending library.

Localities Served

T-TAC ODU serves the following communities and State Operated Programs within the Commonwealth of Virginia: