Donna Sacco

Donna Sacco has over 20 years of experience supporting special education and English learner initiatives at the national, state, and local levels. She currently works with the Northeast Comprehensive Center and the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast and West.

Dr. Sacco has contributed to multiple Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research studies, including evaluations of the Self‑Determined Learning Model of Instruction for transition‑age students with disabilities and early literacy initiatives. She also served as project director for the Wyoming Special Education Learning Modules Project, leading the development of 25 interactive, self‑paced learning modules for statewide use.

At AIR, Dr. Sacco has developed tools and resources for several OSEP‑funded national centers, including the PROGRESS Center, the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII), and the CEEDAR Center. Before joining AIR, she was a clinical assistant professor of special education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Dr. Sacco has written and presented widely on special education and English language acquisition and is a co‑author of Exceptionality in Schools and Society: A Guide for Future Educators (4th ed.). She spent 12 years teaching special education and English as another language in Arlington, Virginia, and holds National Board Certification in Exceptional Needs (birth–21).

Dr. Sacco serves on the board of trustees for the Council on Learning Disabilities, where she leads the Leadership Institute. Her work focuses on supporting students who are both English learners and students with disabilities.