Technical Assistance and Professional Development
The Office of Exceptional Children offers information and activities of evidence-based practices through trainings, resources, and technical assistance to support improved outcomes for students with disabilities, and also offers information to assist schools with recruitment and retention of qualified staff.
For current offerings from the OEC check the EC Calendar of Events
Professional Development
The Office of Exceptional Children, including the North Carolina State Improvement Project, offers a variety of training opportunities and courses on implementing evidence based practices for students with disabilities. These offerings can be found across three different locations:
- OEC Professional Development Calendar
- Asynchronous Courses in NCEES
- NCSIP courses such as Reading Research to Classroom Practice and Foundations of Math are offered across the state throughout the year by certified instructors. You can access all offering on the NCSIP Calendar of Events.
Don't see the resource you are looking for regarding support for students with disabilities at the district, school, or classroom level? Use our Professional Learning, Technical Assistance, and/or Coaching Request Form to submit your request.
Please note that only district or school level leadership should submit a professional learning request. If the EC Administrator does not submit the request, they will be notified and included in all follow-up conversations.
EC Annual Conference
The Exceptional Children Division of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, through its strategic plan, is committed to increasing the performance of students with disabilities, thereby enhancing their ability to graduate and achieve productive post-secondary outcomes. It is critical that all who have a stake in impacting the lives of our students – parents/families, special education teachers, related service personnel, psychologists, regular education teachers, administrators – collaborate to help them thrive each day and into the future.
The Exceptional Children Division is pleased to invite colleagues from across the state to join us for the Annual Conference on Exceptional Children. This annual collegial event is an opportunity to share and learn about innovations and exciting practices to help exceptional children achieve.
Numerous enriching activities include:
- An uplifting Plenary Session with inspiring keynote presentation;
- 90+ informative Instructional Sessions covering the broad spectrum of exceptional children education;
- Educators of Excellence reception honoring outstanding North Carolina special educators;
- Poster Display of innovative programs and practices;
- School-Based Enterprise Bazaar showcasing products created and marketed by North Carolina Public School students with disabilities;
- Exhibitor/Vendor area that offers interactions with organizations and companies specializing in serving exceptional children.
Come be an integral part of this annual gathering in Greensboro of more than 3,000 professionals and parents, all working together to improve educational outcomes for all students!

Conference Theme: Charting the Course to Exceptional Outcomes
Save the Dates!- Annual OEC Conference on Exceptional Children
- Wednesday, November 13, 2024
- Pre-Conference Institutes
- Recruitment Fair (pm)
- Thursday, November 14, 2024
- General Conference
- Educator of Excellence (pm)
- Friday, November 15, 2024
- ½ Day General Conference
- ½ Day Special Meetings
Participant Registration
General Conference Strands, Sessions, and Schedule
- Instructional Practices - Academic and Behavior
- Early Childhood
- Parent Involvement
- Transition
To learn more about our general conference session for the 2024 Conference on Exceptional Children explore our 2024 Conference on Exceptional Children General Conference Sessions Spreadsheet. Additional, details about our 2024 Conference can be found in our 2024 Conference Schedule.
Educator of Excellence (EOE) Nominations
Vendor/Exhibitor Registration
Recruitment & Retention
2023 Summit Resources
- GET-Growing Excellent Teachers-Keynote
- Attracting, Recruiting and Retaining Related Service Providers
- Beginning Teachers' Perspectives
- Building a Sustainable Program to Support New EC Teacher Retention
- Creative Solutions to Recruit and Retain Teachers in the Outer Banks
- District Social-Emotional/Behavioral Health and School Psychology Teaming: Capacity Building via General Education
- Growing Greatness: Recruiting Future Teachers from the Ground Up
- Supporting Special Education Teachers: A Continuum of District Level Support
- More (em)Power to You: Empowering Teachers to Soothe Burnout Through Coaching
- Recruiting/Retaining Our Own: IDEAS+ at UNCG
- Retaining Special Education Teachers through a Comprehensive Coaching Model
- TA's to Teachers in NC
- 20 Years Pirate Strong…Grow your own Teachers with ECU’s Partnership Teach ONLINE Program
- With Change Comes Opportunity- CEC Opportunities/Recording
- You Can't Give from an Empty Cup: Addressing Secondary Trauma & Burnout in the Public Education/power point
- You Can't Give from an Empty Cup: Addressing Secondary Trauma & Burnout in the Public Education/Article
2021 Summit Resources
- The Future is Local Leveraging: Grow Your Own Programs to Address Shortages in Your Community - Summit2021
- You Can't Give from an Empty Cup: Understanding the Intersectional Impacts of Trauma-Support Work on Educators - qPM6QRNj
- Recruiting and Retaining the Best: Leveraging HLPs for Face-to-Face and Remote Instruction - no password
- Panel of Diverse Teachers Telling Their Stories - Why be an educator? - 5vFMfFWM
- Top Ten Financial Things that Early Career Teachers Need to Know: How Administrators Can Keep Them in It to Win It! - UexCbYz3
- Recruiting and Retaining Career Changers in Special Education - no password
- Recruitment and Retention of Low Incidence Disability Professional: Hearing and Vision - LowIncidence1
- Diversifying the Profession: How AACTE is engaging EPPs to Recruit and Retain Diverse Educator Candidates - no password
- How NC SIP Leadership Supports Recruitment and Retention - Summit21
- NC Pathways to Teaching Excellence - no password
- Teacher Retention and Recruitment in the Virtual Setting - Virtual2
- Obtaining and Maintaining Talented School Psychological Service Providers - yRJX5NnP
- Western Governors University and Bladen County Schools Partnership - EeCZ53w4
- A Winning Collaboration: EPP/LEA Education Taskforce - MppnX2Ym
- Recruiting and Retaining Arizona Special Educators - Summit21
- Preparing the First Year Special Education Teacher - no password
- Voices from the Field: Strategies for Recruiting and Supporting African American Teachers - PdpHPwF5
- Call Me MiSTER & STEP at WCU: Tale of Two Teacher Recruitment Programs to Diversify the Pipeline - RRSummitRecording1
- Mindfulness as a Tool for Longevity in the Field - no password
- Recruiting and Retaining Significant Cognitive Disabilities Teachers - 4GpYK8Zm
- PROGRESS Center: Resources and Supports for Local Educators - 3nQMEAqa
- Keynote-- Dr. Mary T. Bronwell: "Attract, Prepare, and Retain: A Three Part Strategy for Addressing Shortages" - no password
- Keynote-- Dr. Cathy Kea: "Leavers, Movers, or Stayers: It's Not About Recruitment, but Retention - no password
EC Administrators Spring Institute
The Office of Exceptional Children annually provides an opportunity for professional development, policy, and initiative updates to EC Administrators and their administrative staff through sessions at the Spring Institute. This professional development is designated to provide opportunities for EC administrators to improve, enhance, and support their delivery of special education and related services.
This page is under construction.
Summer Institutes
The 2024 Office of Exceptional Children Summer Institutes is now open for registration. This year we are hosting two weeks of virtual institutes. Please reference the Summer Institutes Guide for information around the institutes offered, registration, payment, and much more!
Registration closed on June 25, 2024.
Annually, the Office of Exceptional Children schedules a series of Summer Institutes that hosts a wide variety of topics. This professional development is designed to provide opportunities for administrators, teachers and related services personnel seeking in-service training in the education of exceptional children. A list of summer institutes is provided, and registration may include a minimal fee for this professional development.
Federal Reporting Office Hours
The Office of Exceptional Children will have staff available for Federal Reporting Office Hours to provide additional support to districts with Federal Reporting questions. Student level data cannot be shared in an open forum; therefore, only general reporting and data correction questions may be addressed during the office hours. Student level data questions must be submitted via a ZenDesk ticket. To ask questions about upcoming federal reporting, join the call using the links listed below.
August 14, 2024
Federal Reporting Office Hours 08/14/2024 Recording Password: 43uFhWrG
October 2, 2024
Federal Reporting Office Hours 10/02/2024 Recording Password: cKYpijD9
December 2, 2024
Federal Reporting Office Hours 12/02/2024 Recording Password: Wfa9aSSP
February 5th, 2025
Federal Reporting Office Hours 02/05/2025 Recording Password: UmhMSmt5
April 2, 2025
10:00-11:00 am
2:00-3:00 pm
Federal Office Hours 2024 Resources and FAQs
Federal Reporting Office Hours FAQs
May 2024
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - May 2024
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 05/01/2024
Password: JhhVCSj5
April 2024
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - April 2024
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 04/03/2024
Password: MpeqCUg3
March 2024
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - March 2024
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 03/06/2024
Password: 7mKpJh3f
February 2024
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - February 2024
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 02/07/2024
Password: JifPuhs2
Federal Office Hours 2023 Resources and FAQs
Federal Reporting Office Hours FAQs
December 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - December 2023
- Federal Reporting Office hours 12/06/2023
Password: 42Ejxsmb
November 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - November 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 11/01/2023
Password: wSj2smsn
October 2023
- ECATS Institute 23ECCon PPT
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - October 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 10/04/2023
Password: VpM7Yt2Q
September 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - September 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 09/06/2023
Password: TmNUXMH4
August 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - August 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 08/02/2023
Password: Uf2NxpZU
July 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - July 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 07/05/2023
Password: SkSrA5cQ
May 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - May 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 05/03/2023
Password: 7JyyD4Ji
April 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - April 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 04/05/2023
Password: KjSmpfM3
February 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - February 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 02/01/2023
Password: UikNkzR3
January 2023
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q & A - January 2023
- Federal Reporting Office Hours 01/04/2023
Password: xSpQbmX3
Federal Office Hours 2022 Resources and FAQs
Federal Reporting Office Hours FAQs
December 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - December 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours morning session - 12/07/2022
Password:gPTFNBh8 - Federal Reporting Office Hours afternoon session - 12/07/2022
Password: hAPMpMP6
November 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - November 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours morning session - 11/02/2022
Password: cMCcTmC4 - Federal Reporting Office Hours afternoon session - 11/02/2022
Password: TpVSfvX2
October 2022
September 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours September 2022
- Federal Report Office Hours Session - Password: fSu933ec
August 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours August 2022 - Tips & Reminders
- Federal Reporting Office Hours Session 08/03/2022 - Password: vC2KA75G
July 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours July 2022 - Tips and Reminders
- Federal Reporting Office Hours session 07/06/2022 - Password: bPukTbH6
June 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A -June 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours session 06/01/2022 - Password: Zu4VFqdM
May 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - May 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours session 05/04/2022 - Password: mDXjSid4
April 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - April 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 04/06/2022 - Password: wJ2bx26r
March 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - March 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 03/02/2022 - Password: 65hXJUFG
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 03/02/2022 - Password: pTMiTpP9
February 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - February 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 02/02/2022 - Password: bCASwTZ9
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 02/2/2022 - Password: JkniViZ3
January 2022
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - January 2022
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 01/03/2022 - password AbUdExp2
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 01/03/2022 - password yVtJpUx3
Federal Office Hours 2021 Resources and FAQs
Federal Reporting Office Hours FAQs
December 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - December 2021
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 12/01/2021 - password eMmMMuG7
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 12/01/2021 - password MhPMC57M
November 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - November 2021
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 11/03/2021 - password nWjVMyV7
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 11/03/2021 - password 538AwQNP
October 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - October 2021
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 10/06/2021 - password wMMjZ9Tk
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 10/06/2021 - password uJ3RMT7b
September 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - September 2021
- Federal Reporting Office Hours am session 09/01/2021 - password JtBUTN32
- Federal Reporting Office Hours pm session 09/01/2021 - password hNnJnxQ8
August 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - August 2021
- Federal Reporting Hours AM Session 08/4/2021 - password Nnz4d8ju
- Federal Reporting Hours PM Session 08/04/2021 - password rPyNvtH2
July 2021
- Welcome to Federal Data Q&A - July 2021
- Federal Reporting Hours AM Session 07/07/2021 - password yPFBMB23
- Federal Reporting Hours PM Session 07/07/2021 - password hN6tb5vD
June 2021
- Welcome to the Federal Data Q&A - June 2021
- Federal Reporting Hours AM Session 06/02/2021 - password 2Hr32TyN
- Federal Reporting Hours PM Session 06/02/2021 - password SpBGqGG3
NC SIP
For almost 25 years, the NC Office of Exceptional Children has been the recipient of a US Department of Education State Personnel Development Grant. The focus of of the North Carolina State Improvement Project (NC SIP) is to provide the teachers of our state with the knowledge and support to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities.
You can find more information about the grant along with professional development opportunities and resources on our new website: TIPS!