The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received more than $600,000 from the Arkansas Department of Education to fund the university’s IDEA Data and Research Center. 

The $601,775.75 grant will allow the IDEA Data and Research Office to continue its specialized research in quality data reporting and management on special education programs for the Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Unit.

“We’re probably one of the best kept secrets on campus,” said Director Jody Fields. “The continual funding from the ADE Special Education Unit demonstrates the importance of the work we do on their behalf. It further allows us to support faculty in research and graduate students through assistantships and internships.”

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all school districts in the U.S. provide data and analytics services for special education. This is the 13th year UA Little Rock has received the grant.

This information includes race, demographics, education placement, discipline data, special education testing data, and graduation counts. Collecting this information ensures that special education programs are working as effectively as possible. If school administrators want to see if a program needs to be modified or replaced, they can look at reports generated from IDEA Data and Research.

The IDEA office can also assist researchers looking to conduct studies related to education. These services include data compiling, data analysis, and survey creation.