By Abigail Lefin
Kennedy Krieger Institute has big plans for the next generation of educators—and for education itself.
The Institute is preparing to open a new Center for Specialized Education Innovation that combines research and education to codify and develop the very best practices for teaching students with complex learning needs. Those practices, it is hoped, will transform education in Maryland—and across the country.
For Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, director of Kennedy Krieger’s long-established Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education and a former chair of the Institute’s board of directors, this step has been long in coming.
“Teaching is a very important dimension of our society, because ultimately, it makes every other profession possible,” explains Dr. Grasmick, who served for 20 years as Maryland state superintendent of education before coming to Kennedy Krieger.
Research at the new center will focus on developing evidence-based methods of educating children with unique learning needs—for example, through inclusion in mainstream classes—and on sharing these methods with educators and policymakers.
Our goal is for children everywhere to have the opportunity to learn.” – Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick
A National Leader in Education
Kennedy Krieger operates five schools in Maryland for children, teens, and young adults up to age 21 whose special learning needs cannot be served by their local school systems. The schools are unique—and are already national models. In June 2026, half of Kennedy Krieger School Programs’ graduating students received a Maryland High School Diploma, while the others each earned a certificate of completion.
“Validating the techniques that have driven this measurable success will mark a meaningful turning point in special education,” Dr. Grasmick says. That’s what the new center will take on: corroborating and sharing what the Institute has learned to benefit schools and students across the country.
“This will give teachers a higher level of competence,” Dr. Grasmick adds. “Just imagine what we might anticipate in terms of the success of their students.”
A Commitment to the Children
The center will also be led by the future occupant of Kennedy Krieger’s newest endowed chair. “This position will provide funding in perpetuity and will signal the Institute’s long-term commitment to the center’s important work,” says Kennedy Krieger President and CEO Dr. Bradley L. Schlaggar.
Yet, additional funding will be needed. “This is an expensive proposition. To be able to do this kind of work, we need to bring on a whole team of people,” Dr. Grasmick adds.
“Our goal is for children everywhere to have the opportunity to learn,” she says. “We’re already successful at that with our own students. It’s time, now, to give every child in the U.S. that opportunity.”
Above: Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick reads to students of Kennedy Krieger School Programs.