The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of $7 million in grants to seven states to help recruit and train teachers, principals and other personnel to provide quality education for children with disabilities. States receiving grants are: Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina and Oregon.
The State Personnel Development Grants Program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides funds to assist states in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development. It focuses on the areas of early intervention, education, and transition services in order to enhance results for children with disabilities.
“It is critical that we support our nation’s educators and elevate the teaching profession by supporting strong teacher and principal preparation and professional development,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “These awards help educators learn practices that will improve outcomes for all children, including children with disabilities.”
Under the program, states must partner with at least one higher education institution to implement the terms of the grant. States must also join with at least one local education agency and either a Parent Training and Information Center or a Community Parent Resource Center.
Grant awards will support several types of projects, including: recruitment and retention of highly qualified special education teachers; training in how to provide students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum; teacher coaching and mentoring; comprehensive online professional development; and training in increasing reading achievement for students with specific learning disabilities.
The grants are being funded under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. For information about the specific grants, please visit Signetwork, the State Personnel Development Network.
Following is a list of the grants and the amount of each award:
