Regional Special Education Network (RSN)

The Regional Special Education Network

The Regional Special Education Network (RSN) was established in 1984 and acts as a liaison providing linked communication between the Department of Public Instruction and local education agencies (LEAs). The purpose of the RSN is to support Wisconsin LEAs in advancing the academic achievement and social and emotional competencies of students with disabilities by:

• Providing coordinated technical assistance that promotes continuous systems improvement;
• fostering collaboration; and
• developing educational leadership capacity.

The RSN engage in the following essential functions in order to fulfill the purpose of the network

1. Regional Special Education Network (RSN) Directors support systems improvement and systems change by developing LEAs’ capacity to use data for analysis and action planning so that practices are implemented effectively in order to advance educational achievement for students with disabilities within an equitable multi-level system of support.
2. Develop leadership capacity by providing support and training around technical and adaptive change so that LEAs know the conditions under which effective teaching and learning happen.
3. Develop collaborative relationships so that LEAs' efforts to promote academic, career, and community-based opportunities for students with disabilities are coordinated and aligned.
4. Engage in ongoing professional learning to develop and apply knowledge of initiatives and skills that impact adult practices to advance educational achievement for students with disabilities.

Services provided by the RSN, are free of charge regardless of CESA membership.

State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicators

The RSN primarily supports the Wisconsin State Performance Plan Indicator 3C. The grant project also supports the following Wisconsin State Performance Plan Indicators: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, and 17.

For more information, contact your local RSN director: