W. Alan Coulter is the Co-Director of the Data Accountability Center (DAC)  a project funded by the U. S. Office of Special Education Programs and operated by WESTAT (with HDC subcontractor) and a Senior Manager at the Human Development Center (HDC) in New Orleans.  Dr. Coulter is actively involved in the design and implementation of early intervening services (EIS) and response to intervention (RtI) and the development of policy to support those efforts.  He is also engaged in the study of accountability for EIS and RtI related to non-discriminatory identification of disabilities.  Dr. Coulter served on the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education in 2001-02.  With several other commissioners, Alan worked to emphasize recommendations that would both support more focus for accountability and an emphasis on early intervening services to prevent inappropriate identification.  Alan has provided training and keynote presentations at state, regional, and national conference including the LRP Special Education Law Conference and the International Dyslexia Association, Southwest Chapter.
Prior to his six year tenure as Director of the National Monitoring Center (NCSEAM) (2002-2008), Alan was (and remains) a Senior Manager at the Human Development Center, LSU Health Sciences Center.  He currently directs the T.I.E.R.S. Group (Teams Intervening Early to Reach all Students) who assist local schools where early intervening services are being implemented.  Alan also maintains active involvement in accountability issues related to Response to Intervention through his role in the national Data Accountability Center (DAC) where he is the Lead for Technical Assistance.  Previously, Alan was the Director of the Support & Appraisal Services in the New Orleans Public Schools (1993 – 19900 and the Director of Pupil Appraisal and Support Services (PASS), a special project for the  Recovery District of Louisiana (2006 – 2008). 
Dr. Coulter has had a thirty-nine year interest in early intervening services and appropriate, nondiscriminatory identification of disabilities.  In the 1970s, Alan worked with colleagues to formulate procedures and design appraisal systems that incorporated contemporary measures including curriculum-based assessment and measures of adaptive behavior.  In the 1980s, Alan worked through the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP President 1984-85) with other organizations including advocacy groups to formulate advocacy for early intervening services (Rights Without Labels & Advocacy for Services for All Children).  In the 1990s, Alan worked to develop accountability procedures and systems to increase awareness of identification processes and results.  Beginning in 1999 and continuing today, he is actively working with colleagues on the refinement of focused monitoring and measures of implementation integrity for early intervening services.  Throughout his professional career, Alan has maintained an interest in policy development and implementation integrity in early intervening services.  Alan has served as an court-appointed expert in three state-level actions concerning appropriate identification of disabilities (Emma C , <California>.; P.J. et al, <Connecticut> & Mattie T. <Mississippi>).  Alan is the recipient of Child Advocacy Award from the National Association of School Psychologists, a past president of the National Association of School Psychologists.  Alan has provided continuing professional development on topics of early intervening services, nondiscriminatory assessment and accountability in more than 47 states and is currently licensed as a psychologist in Louisiana.