TAP for Equity

The Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) for Equity at NYU Metro Center is a project funded through the New York State Education Department’s Office of Special Education as part of its efforts to ensure equitable results for students with disabilities in New York.

As part of the broader OSE Educational Partnership, the TAP for Equity at NYU Metro Center provides specialists at the state’s Regional Partnership Centers and Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Centers with a critical understanding of bilingual special education and culturally responsive-sustaining education.

Commitment

Launched in 2024 as an NYU Metro Center subunit, the TAP for Equity is funded with the mandate to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Blueprint for Improved Results for Students with Disabilities, aligning their implementation support with the state’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Framework.

Mission and Vision

Mission

Our mission is to support and empower educational organizations, families, and communities to work toward equity, access, opportunities, and improved outcomes for all students with disabilities in New York State.

Vision

The TAP for Equity works to cultivate and champion educational systems that affirm the humanity and collective power of their stakeholders, building their capacity to sustainably support students with disabilities in achieving academic and social success.

Bilateral Approach

The TAP for Equity at NYU Metro Center serves two primary purposes: developing professional learning materials (i.e., trainings, tools, and resources) for families and professionals, and offering direct support (i.e., training, coaching, and technical assistance) to the specialists within the OSE Educational Partnership. In addition to sharing tenets of bilingual special education and culturally responsive-sustaining education, the TAP for Equity at NYU Metro Center aims to ultimately build the capacity of the OSE Educational Partnership to address long-standing academic and social gaps for students with disabilities, particularly for students with disabilities who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Goals

Promote human-centered and culturally responsive-sustaining approaches that facilitate systems change and sustainability in educational organizations across New York State;
Encourage culturally responsive-sustaining practices that engage families and communities as valued partners in education;
Promote greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of high-quality professional learning to families and professionals;
Establish a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team approach focused on principles from NYSED's Blueprint for Improved Results for Students with Disabilities that supports our stakeholders; and
Engage in data-based problem-solving and decision-making, as well as the use of evidence-based practices, to achieve equitable outcomes for students with disabilities.