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PITTSFIELD -- On Monday, Berkshire County became the first of six regions in the commonwealth to launch a state District & School Assistance Center.

Going by the acronym DSAC, the new initiative of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), is aimed at providing regionally-based professional development, training and planning assistance to struggling grade schools.

The remaining DSACs will be launched over the next two weeks.

All six DSACs are headed by recently retired superintendents known as regional assistance directors, who work on a half-time basis. For the Berkshires, that point person is Donna L. Harlan, former superintendent of Dalton-based Central Berkshire Regional School District.

She and DSAC members have use of office space at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Berkshire Community College’s main campus in Pittsfield, and BCC’s South County Center in Great Barrington.

"At some point today, I want you all in your notes to write down and underline the word ‘serve.’ That is what we’re here for," said Harlan, in addressing about 35 local school administrators, principals and educators. Monday’s audience also included other members from the region’s DSAC, local college delegates and representatives from educational organizations in the state.

Overall, the state DSACs are looking to assist schools with the greatest

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needs for improvement, based on their ability to reach state levels of achievement and standards under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. These standards are primarily measured by students’ state test scores and attendance.

DSACs will offer assistance on a tiered priority system. Massachusetts school districts can range between a Level 1, meaning it meets regulation standards and a Level 5 school district, which "needs substantial intervention" to improve.

According to state data, 41 percent of public school systems in the state are at a Level 3, meaning they are in need of some technical assistance and overall support.

The state recognizes 18 school districts in Berkshire County, five of which are considered Level 3 districts: Adams-Cheshire, Berkshire Hills, Lee, North Adams and Pittsfield. There are no Level 4 or 5 school systems in the county.

"These districts need help. But when nobody’s there to help support and fix things, that’s a problem," said DESE Associate Commissioner Lynda Foisy.

Rose Ellis, superintendent of School Union 71 (Lanesborough and Williamstown), said local school districts are pleased to have the newfound state support for teachers and administrators. She said the help offered by DSACs will trickle down to children.

"In the end, it’s all about the students," said Ellis, who also heads the Berkshire County Superintendents’ Roundtable. "The education of a child is only as good as the teachers and the administration leading the school."

In addition to Harlan, Berkshire districts can access part-time state-hired data, literacy, mathematics and leadership specialists at part of their DSAC team. The higher the level of need, the more support districts will get.

Each district has a "menu" of services it can receive, which was put together by the state. Among the options are classes where educators can learn the best practices for teaching algebraic teaching, improving literacy for non-English speaking students and using data.

All participation is voluntary, and is at no cost to high-level schools.