Three new contracts from the Tennessee Department of Education will allow the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to expand its statewide network by supporting students with disabilities, their families, educators, schools and districts throughout Tennessee. (Photo by Susan Urmy)
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has been awarded three new contracts from the Tennessee Department of Education totaling $19.6 million — the largest TDOE award package in VKC’s history. It continues a 27-year collaborative partnership that began in 1999 with autism-specific statewide training by TRIAD, the autism institute at VKC. These services have grown substantially and now provide support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including but not limited to autism.
The contracts, which focus on Intensive Behavior; Family and School Engagement; and Individualized Education Program (IEP) Coaching and Support, will allow VKC to continue and expand its statewide work supporting students with disabilities, their families, educators, schools and districts throughout Tennessee. Together, the contracts account for nearly 60% of the Tennessee Technical Assistance Network funding and represent half of the network’s awarded contracts.
The new awards reflect an increase of $2 million over VKC’s previous five-year TDOE funding cycle and further strengthen the organization’s long-standing partnership with the state to advance evidence-based educational practices and systems of support.
“These awards reflect the trust that the Tennessee Department of Education has placed in the expertise and commitment of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center team,” said Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, System Pediatrician-in-Chief, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and the James C. Overall Professor of Pediatrics. “Through these partnerships, we have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen support systems for students with disabilities, empower educators and families, and improve outcomes for children across Tennessee.
“We are proud to continue this important work in collaboration with our state partners, the Department of Pediatrics and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.”
Intensive Behavior contract ($12 million)
The Intensive Behavior contract will provide direct coaching and consultation to school teams serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who engage in complex and potentially dangerous behavior. These students frequently require the highest levels of support to ensure safety, meaningful school engagement, and positive long-term outcomes.
In addition to intensive case consultation, VKC will assist schools and districts statewide in developing high-quality functional behavior assessments, behavior intervention plans and professional development systems related to behavioral support.
“When behavior challenges exceed a school’s training and resources, students with disabilities often pay the price through reduced access to inclusive educational opportunities and the least restrictive environment they are entitled to receive,” said Alacia Stainbrook, PhD, BCBA, Co-Director of TRIAD. “Building educator capacity is one of the most powerful ways to change that reality, creating the conditions for students to succeed, belong and thrive in inclusive settings.”
The project will be led by Michelle Hopton, MEd, BCBA, with support from John Staubitz, MEd, BCBA, and VKC’s multidisciplinary team of behavior analysts, educators and speech-language pathologists.
“This grant contract allows VKC to continue to work with the Tennessee Department of Education in building and refining an efficient and effective statewide infrastructure for supporting students with disabilities who engage in behavior that is unsafe to themselves or others,” said Pablo Juárez, MEd, BCBA, Co-Director of TRIAD. “This work will further extend VKC’s lifespan efforts across Tennessee state agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging, to develop a statewide framework for supporting the behavioral health of individuals with disabilities from early childhood through aging.
“Tennessee is an emerging leader in this area, and we’re proud to contribute our leadership and expertise.”
Family and School Engagement contract ($4 million)
The Family and School Engagement contract will support schools and districts in building sustainable family engagement programs while also providing direct training and resources to families on a variety of educational and developmental topics.
The goal is to strengthen relationships between schools and families by creating the infrastructure, practices and support necessary for meaningful long-term collaboration.
“The most effective support for students with disabilities occurs when educators and families work as true partners,” Stainbrook said. “My experiences growing up alongside my brother with Down syndrome taught me that strong school-family relationships are not simply beneficial; they are essential to ensuring that students are understood, valued and provided every opportunity to succeed in inclusive environments.
“This funding will allow us to work closely with school personnel to develop resources and strategies that promote genuine partnership with the families of the students they serve.”
The project will be led by Kristin Dorris, MS, CCC-SLP, with support from Lisa Wallace, MS, CCC-SLP, and VKC’s educational consultation team.
“As a parent of a child with an IEP, I know firsthand how important a healthy relationship is between home and school when it comes to supporting students with an IEP or 504 Plan,” Juárez said. “It’s vital that schools and districts meet families wherever they are, and this funding allows us to work directly with the Tennessee Department of Education to ensure all schools and districts have the tools and resources to do this well. Equally important is ensuring families have the information and resources they need, which is an area we will focus on extensively.”
IEP Coaching and Support contract ($3.6 million)
Through the IEP Coaching and Support contract, VKC will provide training, coaching and implementation support to teachers, schools and districts to improve the development and execution of high-quality IEPs for students with disabilities.
The contract focuses on helping educational teams strengthen both the quality of IEP development and the fidelity of implementation to ensure students receive appropriate and effective educational supports.
“When school teams invest the time and expertise to create meaningful goals, appropriate support and clear accountability, students with disabilities are far more likely to thrive,” Stainbrook said. “This funding will allow us to support school personnel in developing IEPs that include a clear path to meaningful participation and measurable progress.”
The project will be led by Becky Haynes, MEd, BCBA, with support from Wallace and VKC’s educational consultation team.
“I have deep personal and professional experience in special education, and in developing an IEP and assessing the quality of its implementation,” Juárez said. “I’ve learned quickly that having professional experience doesn’t make personal experience any easier. Schools need better support in developing high-quality IEPs and assessing the quality of their implementation. The Tennessee Department of Education recognizes this, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to lead this work across Tennessee.”
Continuing statewide impact
For more than two decades, VKC has partnered with Tennessee schools and state agencies to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The organization has become recognized nationally for its expertise in training, technical assistance, consultation, telepractice and systems-level implementation.
The newly awarded contracts reflect both the growing demand for specialized educational support and VKC’s unique capacity to deliver services across urban, rural and underserved communities throughout Tennessee.
“No organization has previously been awarded three of these Tennessee Department of Education contracts in a single cycle at this level of funding,” said Zachary Warren, PhD, Executive Director of TRIAD. “These awards speak to the extraordinary quality of the VKC team and its commitment to improving outcomes for Tennessee students, families and schools. The impact of this work extends far beyond individual projects by creating infrastructure and systems that will benefit Tennessee communities for years to come.”
The awards position VKC to continue serving as a major contributor within the Tennessee Technical Assistance Network while expanding its role in developing sustainable statewide systems of support for students with disabilities, their families, and the educators who serve them.
