College of Education Receives Three OSEP Grants Totaling $3.7 Million

Drs. Kristin Powers, Edwin Obilo Achola & Kelli Sanderson from the Advanced Studies in Education & Counseling Department in the College of Education were awarded a $1.25 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education. This grant will provide full scholarships to 24 graduate students over 5 years enrolled in the College’s Special Education or School Psychology degree programs and will focus on culturally appropriate transition planning, and youth in foster care. The grant aims to increase the number of culturally competent school psychologists and special educators who are highly qualified to implement and assist in the implementation of evidence-based, multicultural transition practices to meet personnel shortages and gaps in services provided by current school psychologists and special educators.

Drs. Edwin Obilo Achola, Jacob Olsen & Kristin Powers were awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a new interdisciplinary project, Culturally Responsive Transition Support in School Counseling and Special Education (CREST), which will support 28 graduate students enrolled in the Special Education or School Counseling degree programs over 5 years, providing full scholarships and training in culturally appropriate transition planning. A key focus of the new grant is on promoting inclusive practices for students with disabilities through participation in Linked Learning pathways. Project CREST will prepare fully qualified School Counselors and Special Education teachers to implement culturally congruent, evidence-based career/transition interventions for youth with significant support needs in a variety of settings. 

Drs. Kristi Hagans, Cara Richards-Tutor, and Alejandra Priede were awarded a $1.2 million, 5-year OSEP training grant to recruit, train, and graduate 12 school psychologists and 12 dual credentialed teachers who are highly qualified to implement evidence-based, intensive Tier 3 academic assessment and instructional practices to improve outcomes of students with disabilities, as well as culturally diverse students and English learners. Project completers will be skilled in interdisciplinary collaboration, collecting instructionally relevant assessment data and engaging in data based decision-making, designing and delivering evidence-based intensive instruction, and facilitating systems change to implement and sustain Tier 3 intervention practices to improve the academic outcomes of students with disabilities and those from culturally- and linguistically-diverse backgrounds with intensive academic needs.