The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements
Funding period: 10/1/06-9/30/11

The IRIS Center is a national center that aims to provide high-quality resources for college and university faculty and professional development providers about students with disabilities. IRIS seeks to obtain this goal by providing free, online, interactive training enhancements that translate research about the education of students with disabilities into practice.

The Original Project:

The IRIS Center for Faculty Enhancement (IRIS-I), began in 2001 and focused on incorporating the How People Learn theory into its training enhancements, to facilitate the translation of research into practice. The Center was housed at Vanderbilt University and was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to serve college faculty in the preservice preparation of general education teachers, school leadership personnel, school nurses, and school counselors.

IRIS Today:

In 2006, the IRIS team competed for and was awarded a second consecutive grant to continue and expand the highly successful work of IRIS-I. Funded for an additional five years by OSEP, The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements (IRIS-II) was awarded to Vanderbilt University (VU) and its new partner, Claremont Graduate University (CGU). The goal of IRIS-II is to serve college and university faculty who are preparing the next generation of school personnel, including special education professionals, as well as to serve professional development providers who conduct inservice training for practicing educators.

IRIS staff work in three locations:

IRIS-Central is located at Vanderbilt University and is directed by Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Naomi Chowdhuri Tyler. This site is in charge of modules and materials development. IRIS-Central also maintains the IRIS Web site, which is the primary vehicle for disseminating modules, materials, and training enhancements.
(Contact information: iris@vanderbilt.edu or (800)831-6131)

IRIS-East, directed by Dr. Judy Smith-Davis, provides the liaison for the general Washington, DC, region and coordinates all partnership activities.
(Contact information: (703)239-1557)

IRIS-West, located at CGU, is directed by Co-Principal Investigator Deborah Deutsch Smith. This site coordinates the technical assistance, outreach, and scaling-up training activities.
(Contact information: iris@cgu.edu or (866)626-IRIS)

OSEP Project Number: H325F060003

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This Web site is made possible through a grant (#H325F060003) between Vanderbilt University and the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this Web site do not necessarily reflect views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.