As part of the Department's function of providing assistance to schools and school systems, the Regional Education Service Centers (RESCs) provide to the local education agencies(LEAs) services that can best be organized, coordinated, managed, and facilitated at a regional level. The RESCs provide a structure for establishing a shared partnership between the State Department of Education (SDE), the Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), and the LEAs. The partnership joins the different educational units together to form an appropriate and effective working relationship to improve the effectiveness of schools increasing the opportunity for all students to achieve at a higher level.

The RESCs primary role is to implement certain state mandated programs which impact student achievement. Additional services provided by RESC staff which address specific needs of the region are determined through collaborative planning and coordination with LEAs. Specific services provided through each RESC are dependent upon staffing available at the individual RESC and the identified regional needs.