Technical Assistance and 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
• NC SIP 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.

The Office of Exceptional Children 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 Office of Exceptional Children 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!

Come celebrate 75 years of the North Carolina Conference on Exceptional Children:  Brilliant Past. Bold Future: 75 Years of Exceptional Children

Where and When?

Koury Convention Center, 3121 West Gate Blvd, Greensboro, NC 

Week of November 3-6, 2026

• November 3, 2026: Special Meetings
• November 4, 2026: EC Institutes
• November 5, 2026: EC Conference Opens, School-Based Enterprise Showcase, Educator of Excellence Showcase
• November 6, 2026: EC Conference continues

School-based Enterprise Showcase: 75th Conference on Exceptional Children

The Office of Exceptional Children is extending an invitation to submit an application to display and sell the products that students create in their School-based Enterprises (SBE) at the 75th annual Conference on Exceptional Children, November 5-6, 2026. The SBE Showcase date is November 5, 2026, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM. All tables should feature products that have been created and marketed by students with disabilities as part of their instructional program. There is no cost associated with having a table.

Applications will be approved on a first come, first served basis and notification of acceptance will be emailed to the contacts listed on the application by Friday, August 21, 2026. There will be a limited number of tables in the Colony Room. Once the number of approved applications exceeds fourteen (14), additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notified if space becomes available. Tables are assigned and limited to one table per LEA/PSU. If multiple School-based Enterprises within the district would like to showcase products, please collaborate and submit one application that includes all schools participating in this event. All participating school-based enterprises will be recognized and listed in the conference program.

To apply, please complete the online application by July 1, 2026. Questions may be directed to Beverly Colwell. Please place "2026 School Based Enterprise Showcase" in the subject line when emailing any questions or concerns.

Call for Proposals:  75th Conference on Exceptional Children

The call for general conference proposals for the 75th Conference on Exceptional Children opened April 3, 2026, and closes on July 17, 2026. This year’s theme is Brilliant Past. Bold Future: 75 Years of Exceptional Children. The goal of the conference is to highlight evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Special Note: PSU staff, employed or contracted, are required to submit a signed District Level EC Administrator Signature form during the submission process. Additionally, the OEC is unable to reimburse any costs associated with presenting. Questions regarding the call for proposals may be directed to ECConfProposals@dpi.nc.gov.

This section is currently under construction.

This section is currently under construction.

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.

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.

All institutes will center around four main topics: The Diverse Learner, Policy and Procedures, Classroom Management, and Specially Designed Instruction. Please reference the Summer Institutes Guide for information around the institutes offered, registration, payment, and much more.  Registration ends on May 22, 2026.  At this time, participants will only be able to register for the sessions in their region, but once sessions fill up, there will be an option to be added to a waiting list.  After May 1, 2026, any seats still available will open to all participants, regardless of the region where they are employed. 

04/23/2026 Update

We are excited that registration is already reaching capacity for some regions and/or days for the 2026 Office of Exceptional Children Regional Summer Institutes! We strongly encourage interested participants to use the Wait List feature. Registered participants will be receive an email on May 26 and must respond to the email by May 29, 2026 confirming attendance to hold their seat. Any seats that are released will be filled by those on the wait list. 

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. Please see the Weekly EC Administrator Updates for more information.

For over 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!