What is SETRC?  

      Special  Education Training & Resource Center (SETRC) is a federally-funded, Statewide performance based network of professional development specialists who assist school districts in the development, implementation and evaluation of research validated principles which results in improved student performance. There are over 40 SETRC locations throughout New York State and most are based within BOCES systems that serve several school districts and counties. However, the five large urban areas have a SETRC located within the city. The Buffalo City SETRC serves only the City of Buffalo Schools.

    The Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC) program provide technical assistance to districts and schools to assist them to improve their results for students with disabilities.  The roles and responsibilities of a SETRC Professional Development Specialist (PDS) have changed from those of a provider of professional development based on the requests of schools to that of an agent of school improvement based on an assessment of the district’s/school’s instructional programs and practices.  As agents of school improvement, SETRC PDSs now operate within a cohesive plan developed in partnership with the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) of the State Education Department (SED) to strategically deploy technical assistance resources to districts/schools with the poorest performance in order to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.  Each SETRC PDS’s responsibilities to work with identified districts and schools are defined through a regional planning process that includes the Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) Regional Supervisor and Regional Associates, the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) District Superintendent or Big Five City Superintendent, the SETRC Project Director and SETRC PDSs.  The regional planning process results in a VESID Regional Workplan.

     The technical assistance and professional development activities of SETRC are now directed to school improvement in three key areas identified as most directly related to effective instructional practices:

• literacy
• behavioral supports and interventions
• quality delivery of special education services.

      SETRC PDSs document planning, implementation, and reporting of progress on the school improvement uses the Quality Improvement Process (QIP).  QIP identifies the team, the goals, the planned improvement activities and interventions to improve instructional practices, expected outcomes, and evaluation of the outcomes.

The S.E.T.R.C. office is located at:
School #70 (formally the Indian Park Academy)
76 Buffum Street
Buffalo, New York, 14210
716-816-4801
fax: 716-816-4446

SETRC Staff:
Judi Harris, Professional Development Speicalist
jaharris@buffaloschools.org

Cynthia Clark, Professional Development Specialist
caclark@buffaloschools.org
Wilfredo Garcia, Bilingual Professional Development Specialist
wgarcia@buffaloschools.org