About Us
Our Mission
The CEC Division for Research (CEC-DR) is a division of The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) devoted to the advancement of research related to the education of individuals with disabilities and/or who are gifted. The goals of CEC-DR include the promotion of equal partnership with practitioners in designing, conducting and interpreting research in special education.
Our Bylaws
The Origins of the Division for Research
The CEC Division for Research (DR) was established in the late 1980’s by a number of CEC members who were university-based researchers in the field of special education and disability studies. With the enactment of federal and state laws in the 1960’s and 1970’s, including what we now refer to as IDEA (PL 94-142), focus was placed on the special developmental and educational needs of children and youth with disabilities. The role and importance of rigorous scientific inquiry in addressing those needs was crucial to efforts to develop, evaluate and improve policies and practices nationwide.
Alongside its mandates, IDEA authorized programs of funding to help achieve its goals. Among them were federal efforts to build a strong program of research grants and contracts, funding for doctoral training opportunities in universities to grow the research workforce, and sponsorship of activities to assist researchers identify, collaborate on and share effective research methods. CEC researchers wanted a voice in helping shape and advance this federal – research partnership.
The founders of DR had two major goals. First, they wanted a forum that would focus across CEC divisions on the distinct needs and characteristics of research related activities and the people and organizations that were conducting that research. From their perspective, a new division would enable researchers to network with colleagues in areas of mutual interest, share lessons learned about the development and effectiveness of research methods, and offer opportunities to enhance the preparation of the next generation of early career researchers.
The founders’ second goal was to improve understanding about the role, relevance and needs of research in federal, state and local efforts to improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. Key to reaching this goal was the partnership that a dedicated research division could play in CEC’s activities to formulate and evaluate policy proposals and to advocate effectively for federal programs and funding for IDEA’s Part B and C formula grant programs as well as for the Part D program of National Activities to Improve the Education of Children with Disabilities. Among the wide-ranging interests of those CEC members who established DR were how federal support could be harnessed to address the unique needs of special populations of children and their families, to improve programs of professional preparation and technology services, and to help states and local agencies develop, evaluate, and implement the infrastructure and interventions that would yield desired outcomes in children’s development and education.
Friends of DR
The Division for Research (DR) is excited to announce the establishment of a new advisory council—Friends of DR. This group of senior scholars will provide guidance and leadership to DR. Inaugural members were invited to participate due to their long history serving in DR leadership or their respected role in the special education research community. Friends of DR will offer advice aimed at ensuring the division maintains a focus on advancing research related to the education of individuals with disabilities and/or who are gifted and in promoting equal partnerships with practitioners in designing, conducting, and interpreting research in special education. Friends of DR will serve a valuable role of honoring the history of DR while supporting efforts to ensure that the division’s work addresses timely issues related to the field of special education as we transition into the second century of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Members of Friends of DR include:
- Tisa Aceves, Loyola Marymount University
- Alfredo Artilles, Stanford University
- David Chard, Boston University
- Bryan Cook, University of Virginia
- Michael Coyne, University of Connecticut
- Tom Farmer, University of Pittsburgh
- Russell Gersten, Instructional Research Group
- John Hosp, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- David Houchins, Georgia State University
- Tim Landrum, University of Louisville
- Kathleen Lane, University of Kansas
- David Lee, Penn State University
- Linda Lewis, University of Oregon
- Endia Lindo, Texas Christian University
- Kristen McMaster, University of Minnesota
- Elizabeth Talbott, William & Mary
Contact Us
The Division for Research Board of Directors welcomes input or questions from our members. Contact the DR President or any board member directly by email, or via our Facebook page.