For Immediate Release
Fall 2006 -- SERC, formerly known as the Special Education Resource Center, has a new name.
Effective July 1, 2005, SERC became the State Education Resource Center according to a change
in state statutes. The agency continues to maintain the Special Education Resource Center in
addition to its broader responsibilities, including early childhood education and school
improvement.
SERC, in operation since 1969 through funding primarily from the Connecticut State Department
of Education, is known for providing high-quality, research-based professional development to
educators, service providers, families, and community members as part of its commitment to
improve the achievement of Connecticut's children and youth. SERC provides professional
development through both statewide programming activities, such as those announced in this
booklet, or increasingly, through on-site, job-embedded learning opportunities in Connecticut
public schools and programs.
Over the years, SERC has offered initiatives that support the achievement of all learners, with
the belief that programs are most effective when general education and special education do not
function as separate systems, but are united. The change in name appropriately reflects the
broad services and programs that SERC has been offering for many years in areas important to
both general and special education.
The SERC Library, which has been newly renovated, offers a comprehensive collection of
resources for educators and parents, including tests, sample BEST portfolios, online journals, a
DVD and video collection, CD-ROM programs, young people's disability awareness literature, and
reference and research materials. Browse circulating materials online using the library's
searchable catalog at www.ctserc.org/library.
SERC will continue to host a variety of annual conferences and professional development covering a wide range of topics of interest to Connecticut's educators and the students and families they serve.
SERC is a nonprofit agency primarily funded by the Connecticut State Department of Education. SERC
provides professional development and information dissemination in the latest research and best practices
to educators, service providers, and families throughout the state, as well as job-embedded technical
assistance and training within schools, programs, and districts.
