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1.
Why should states have Regional Education Service Centers?
5.
What is an educational support program?
6.
What names are given to Regional Education Service Centers?
7.
What is the relationship between State Departments of Education
and Regional Education Service Centers?
8. What is the role of an Regional Education Service
Center?
9. What is the relationship between the U.S. Department
of Education and Regional Education Service Centers?
10.
What is the relationship between TEA and Regional Education Service
Centers?
1.
Why should states have Regional Education
Service Centers?
Although
many and varied, the basic reasons for setting up educational service
centers revolve around financial savings, the necessity to provide
necessary educational support programs and the need for local schools
and districts to focus on their basic mission— the education
of children. Individual school districts and states simply cannot
fund the level of services necessary for the operation of the educational
system without taking resources, time, and money away from the teaching
and learning processes in the classroom.
In addition to support programs, regional education service centers
provide leadership by regularly bringing together leaders from various
school districts to share information and resources to solve problems.
The result is a quality and equitable education for all children.
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2. What is a Regional Education Service Center?
Regional education service centers—or RESCs—have
been around for many years, providing service programs to meet the
needs of local schools and school districts. However, with recent
growth in the demand for services, more people are asking about
these public entities which are playing an ever increasing role
in our public education system. Regional education service centers
are public entities created by state statute, to provide educational
support programs and services to local schools and school districts
within a given geographic area. Back
to Top
3. How long have Regional Education Service Centers been
in existence and how many states have them?
Many regional education service centers have been in existence
for over 100 years; however, their role in the past 40 years has
moved away from regulatory functions to service functions. Currently
there are 620 regional education service centers in 42 states. Back
to Top
4. How are Regional Education Service Centers governed?
No matter their name, most educational service centers
are created by statute and have some type of representative governance
structure, although it varies from state to state. Examples of boards
include publicly elected lay citizens, school board members from
member districts, superintendents from member districts, and elected
representatives from member districts. The size of the board may
range from as few as five, to a representative from each participating
district. Back to Top
5. What is an educational support program?
An educational support program is a service provided to local schools
or school districts that is necessary for the operation of the school
system. Examples of support programs include professional staff
and curriculum development, financial, personnel, transportation,
food, custodial, data processing, testing and assessment, special
education, printing, media, purchasing, technology, alternative
and charter schools, and other programs traditionally associated
with central office administration.
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6.
What names are given to Regional Education Service Centers?
The names of member agencies vary from state to state. Examples
include: Area Education Agency (AEA), Board of Cooperative Educational
Services (BOCES), Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA), County
Office of Education (COE), Education Service Agency (ESA), Education
Service Center/Cooperative (ESC), Education Service District (ESD),
Education Service Unit (ESU), Intermediate Unit (IU), Intermediate
School District (ISD), Regional Education Service Agency (RESA),
Regional Education Service Center (RESC), or Regional Office of
Education (ROE). However, their common characteristic is the delivery
of high quality, cost-effective support programs for local schools
and districts. By working cooperatively, districts between state
departments of education and educational service centers? Back
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7.
What is the relationship between State Departments of Education
and Regional Education Service Centers?
State departments of education have certain regulatory functions
as well as specific technical assistance service functions. Regional
education service centers are usually not regulatory; however, some
states do fund RESCs to provide professional development, grant
programs, and technical support. States are not able to fund the
staff necessary to meet all needs in every local district, so the
relationship with RESCs is an important one. Back
to Top
8.
What is the role of an Regional Education Service Center?
Regional education service centers provide high quality, cost-effective
support programs for local schools and districts. By working cooperatively,
districts can share costs rather than fund duplicative programs.
This enables local districts to direct more resources to the classroom
and away from administrative and support costs.Back
to Top
9. What is the relationship between the U.S. Department
of Education and Regional Education Service Centers?
RESCs provide a communication and dissemination link between USED
and the local districts and assist in carrying out the mandates
of Congress and the rules and regulations of the USED. Under No
Child Left Behind, RESCs assist with teacher and paraprofessional
training, alternate certification, supplemental services, school
improvement, and technology. Back to Top
10.
What is the relationship between TEA and Regional Education Service
Centers?
Back
to Top
Frequently Asked Questions taken from www.aesa.us
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