OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENTAL
PROJECTS
The Office of Developmental Projects devel-
ops and coordinates systems and programs in
the following functional areas: operating the
"Maryland Professional Development Acade-
my"; coordinating inservice professional devel-
opment for LEA personnel offered by MSDE
units or by LEAs where certification credit or
state-managed funding is involved; identifying
MSDE staff training needs and providing
programs to meet these needs; managing the
MSDE tuition reimbursement program; revising
as necessary and coordinating the Agency Per-
formance Plan (APP) and the related Staff De-
velopment and Performance Report (SDPR);
providing liaison with the State Executive Plan-
ning Process; coordinating and monitoring
MSDE research and evaluation efforts; locating
external funding to support MSDE priority
programs; providing staff support and coordina-
tion for the projects and activities of the Edu-
cation Coordinating Committee; and developing
and improving the MSDE capacity for dissemi-
nation of information regarding quality instruc-
tional and administrative practices.
DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Division of Special Education is responsi-
ble for the overall administration, management,
and budgetary development of State and Federal
programs for handicapped children and youth.
The Division assists local education agencies in
providing appropriate educational programs for
all handicapped children and youth in Maryland
in compliance with State and Federal mandates.
It is the responsibility of the Division to insure
compliance with State and Federal legislation that
mandate service be provided for all handicapped
children. The Division offers assistance to parents
seeking a free, appropriate, special education for
their handicapped children, and cooperates and
collaborates with other State agencies in order to
provide a comprehensive service network to
handicapped children.
The Division provides programmatic assistance
to LEAs in such areas as individual educational
plans, non-discriminatory testing, early childhood
programs, personnel development, and program
evaluation. The Division also supervises educa-
tional programs and services in approved
nonpublic and State institutions and the adminis-
tration of assessment of children having profound
or complex handicaps.

DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHA-
BILITATION
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is
responsible for the supervision of a program of
direct services to handicapped persons; the devel-
opment of a Statewide plan to provide rehabilita-
tion services to all the State's handicapped
citizens; and the implementation of plans for
establishing, staffing, and supervising workshops
and rehabilitation facilities.
The Division offers services at regional and lo-
cal offices located strategically throughout the
State. The primary purpose is to provide diagnos-
tic counseling, physical restoration, training, and
placement services for every Maryland resident
with a vocational handicap resulting from disabil-
ity.
The Division is also directly responsible for the
administration and operation of the Maryland
Rehabilitation Center, a multi-million dollar fa-
cility in which eligible handicapped persons may
undergo a comprehensive program of evaluation,
counseling, and training while residing on the
premises.
Consultative services are available to
workshops and facilities that may be used for
federally-funded programs.
The Division's professional personnel also
work with community organizations in develop-
ing research and demonstration projects
designed to improve services to handicapped
persons.
DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNI-
CAL EDUCATION
The Division of Vocational Technical Educa-
tion is responsible for the administration, su-
pervision, and evaluation of Vocational-
Technical Education in the State. In carrying
out this responsibility, the Division provides
leadership and assistance to educational and
related agencies, institutions, organizations,
business, industry, and commerce in the plan-
ning, development, improvement, evaluation,
and expansion of educational and training
programs.
Programs administered by the Division are of-
fered in both public and private institutions and
are available to both school age and adult citizens
of Maryland.