Spedster × DRC
Combining the gold standard in educational assessment with the most advanced AI-driven special education platform in the nation.
Presented by Dr. Kurt E. Hulett
Founder & CEO, Hulett and Sheffield Consulting Services LLC (DBA: Spedster)
A Career Forged in Purpose
My journey began as a teenager volunteering alongside a best friend with a severe disability. That experience planted a conviction that has shaped every professional decision since: true advocacy for children with disabilities is rooted in the law.
That conviction carried me into college and a formal internship with the Council for Exceptional Children's Department of Public Policy, where I discovered my calling at the intersection of law, policy, and direct advocacy.
For over three decades, I have dedicated my entire adult career to special education — advocating at every level including federal, state, and district policy.
From the Classroom to the C‑Suite
An Extremely Rare Convergence of Expertise
Very few professionals in the country hold deep, practiced expertise across all four of these domains simultaneously. This convergence is what makes Spedster possible.
Special Education Law & Policy
Federal & state compliance, IDEA, expert witness testimony, legal authorship
Educational Leadership & Practice
Teacher → Principal → District Executive — 17 years of direct school system experience
Psychometrics & Assessment Science
Pearson Clinical R&D, AIMSweb creation, doctorate in evaluation & psychometric measurement
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
3.5 years of focused R&D applying AI to educational data analysis, curriculum design & assessment
The Genesis of Spedster
Spedster was created in its current form one week after the commercial launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. I recognized immediately that artificial intelligence would fundamentally transform how we serve children with disabilities.
For the past three and a half years, a small, dedicated band of researchers has worked relentlessly to pioneer the application of AI into the domains where I have spent my entire career.
Core R&D Focus Areas
- Data Analysis & Machine Learning — Extracting actionable insight from complex student data sets
- Educational Curricular Design — AI-generated, individualized instructional content
- Assessment Creation — Psychometrically sound, AI-driven assessment development
- Innovative Psychometric Properties — New measurement approaches built for the capabilities of AI and ML
- Legal Compliance Engines — Automated IDEA compliance verification at every step
What Spedster Delivers Today
IEP Document Creation
100% legally compliant, educationally excellent IEP documents generated in under 4 minutes
Psychometric Data Analysis
Complex student data extraction, analysis, and interpretation powered by advanced AI
Curricular & Assessment Resources
Individualized specially designed instruction and assessment resources driven by student data
Proprietary AI Frameworks
IEP Companion — The Market Breakthrough
IEP Companion is the most advanced IEP management and writing system ever built. It doesn't just manage IEPs — it writes them, with 100% legal compliance and educational excellence.
The Problem It Solves
- Every special education student in the U.S. requires an IEP — 7.5 million+ students
- Existing platforms produce errors that lead to costly litigation
- New Supreme Court cases have raised the compliance bar
- Teacher crisis compounded by 9.5 hours per IEP of writing time
- Market frustration with current tools is at an all-time high
Full IEP draft generated inside the management system — legally compliant, educationally sound, individually tailored.
Houston ISD Partnership
3-year contract · 36-school pilot launching March 2026 · Full implementation April 2026 · Additional large Texas districts in pipeline
The Market Is Ready
Pain Points Driving Demand
- Legacy platforms are functionally limited
- Error-prone systems increase litigation exposure
- Rising Supreme Court compliance standards
- National special education teacher shortage
- Customer frustration at historic levels
Spedster's Competitive Edge
- AI-written IEPs: 9.5 hours → under 4 minutes
- 100% legal compliance built into every document
- Individualized curriculum & assessment creation
- Proven with Houston ISD (3-year contract)
- No comparable product exists on the market
Why DRC + Spedster
DRC has the relationships, reputation, and psychometric rigor.
Spedster has the AI innovation, products, and market traction.
Together, we accelerate both.
What DRC Brings
- National Sales & Distribution — Established presence at state and local levels across all 50 states
- Gold-Standard Reputation — Decades of trust with education decision-makers
- Psychometric Excellence — TerraNova, LAS Links, TABE, DRC BEACON
- ELL Assessment Leadership — LAS Links and WIDA partnerships
- Operational Maturity — Infrastructure to support rapid scaling
What Spedster Brings
- Breakthrough AI Products — IEP Companion with proven market traction
- Proprietary Frameworks — HDAIR, HAICAM, and advanced cognitive models
- Deep Domain Expertise — Legal, psychometric, and pedagogical authority
- Product Innovation Velocity — AI-native development at startup speed
- Technology Consulting — Expertise to modernize product software & applications
Four Pillars of Partnership
1 — Sales & Distribution
Leverage DRC's established national sales force and state-level relationships to bring Spedster products to market at scale. DRC's existing customer base of 50,000+ schools represents an immediate distribution channel for IEP Companion and future products.
2 — Product Integration
Build AI-powered applications that wrap around DRC's high-caliber assessment products — particularly in the ELL category with LAS Links. Spedster's AI can transform assessment data into individualized curricular resources and instructional planning.
3 — Technology Consulting
Spedster consults with DRC on product software and applications, bringing AI-native expertise to accelerate DRC's innovation roadmap. Our team can markedly move the dial on product capabilities and content modernization.
4 — Mutual Acceleration
DRC gains cutting-edge AI capabilities and access to the fastest-growing segment of EdTech. Spedster gains the mature infrastructure, credibility, and distribution network needed to scale nationally while staying focused on R&D and product excellence.
Where the Products Converge
| Domain | DRC Strength | Spedster Enhancement |
|---|---|---|
| ELL Assessment | LAS Links — industry-leading language proficiency assessment suite | LinguaLinks AI platform wraps around assessment data to generate individualized ELL instructional resources |
| K–12 Achievement | TerraNova 3, DRC BEACON interim assessments | AI-driven data analysis converts assessment results into specially designed instruction and curriculum |
| Special Education | Limited direct presence — opportunity gap | IEP Companion, H-Theory curriculum, full IEP management — the largest underserved segment in EdTech |
| Adult Education | TABE — leading adult basic education assessment | AI-generated transition planning and post-secondary readiness resources for students with disabilities |
| Technology Platform | DRC INSIGHT — proven, reliable online testing platform | AI-native architecture, cognitive modeling, and rapid product development capabilities |
Partnership Impact Projection
Combined Market Reach
Why This Partnership Wins
For DRC
- Enters the $2.4B+ special education software market
- AI-powered enhancement of existing assessment portfolio
- Accelerated product innovation without internal R&D investment
- New revenue streams from curriculum & IEP management
For Spedster
- National distribution through established channels
- Operational infrastructure for rapid scaling
- Brand credibility of a gold-standard assessment partner
- Focus on R&D while DRC handles distribution
Current Traction & Proposed Path Forward
Proven Momentum
36-school pilot: March 2026 · Full implementation: April 2026
Tentative commitments in pipeline
Proprietary AI frameworks, tested and validated
Proposed Next Steps
Two Companies. One Mission.
Extraordinary Outcomes for Every Child.
DRC's decades of assessment excellence, combined with Spedster's AI-powered innovation, creates a partnership positioned to transform how America serves its most vulnerable students.