Education Department Awards $11.5 Million in Grants for Training of Special Educators to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education announced today $11.5 million in grants to help train educators to improve services and results for children with disabilities.

The Special Education--Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program provides funds that help address state-identified needs for highly qualified personnel in special education, related services, early intervention, and regular education programs that serve children with disabilities.

"Students with disabilities deserve the same world-class education as their non-disabled peers," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "These grants will move us closer to that goal by giving special educators valuable training."

Funding will help train educators in such areas as: early intervention, early childhood; low-incidence disabilities; related services, speech/language and adapted physical education and secondary/transition services.

For more on the Special Education--Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program, see http://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepprep/index.html.

Following is a list of the grant recipients.

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
Office of Special Education Programs
Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities/Combined Priority (CFDA 84.325K)

Focus Area A - Preparing Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool -Age Children with Disabilities:

• AL -- Birmingham -- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Jennifer Kilgo, jkilgo@uab.edu, $248,930.
• FL -- Miami -- University of Miami, Elizabeth Harry, bharry@miami.edu, $236,073.
• FL -- Tallahassse -- Florida State University, Mary Frances Hanline, mhanline@fsu.edu, $249,937.
• GA -- Athens -- University of Georgia, Cynthia Vale, cvail@uga.edu, $244,622.
• MO -- Columbia -- University of Missouri, Rebecca McCathren, McCathrenR@missouri.edu, $250,000.
• NY -- NYC -- Teachers College, Columbia University, Mariana Soutu-Manning, ms3983@columbia.edu, $249,753.
• NC -- Chapel Hill -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harriet Able, hable@email.unc.edu, $236,371.
• OR -- Eugene -- University of Oregon, Jane Squires, jsquires@uoregon.edu, $249,630.
• PA -- Pittsburgh -- University of Pittsburgh, Louise Kaczmarek, kaczmk@pitt.edu, $250,000.

Focus Area B - Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Low- Incidence Disabilities:

• AZ -- Tuscon -- University of Arizona, Shirin Antia, santia@u.arizona.edu, $249,890.
• CA -- Thousand Oaks -- California Lutheran University, Maura Martindale, mmartind@callutheran.edu, $238,197.
• DC -- Washington -- George Washington University, Carol Kochar-Bryant, kochhar@gwu.edu, $249,935.
• MT -- Missoula -- University of Montana, Gail McGregor, gmcgrego@selway.umt.edu, $250,000.
• NY -- Rochester -- University of Rochester, Julia White, jwhite@warner.rochester.edu, $249,878.
• NY -- Rochester -- RIT/National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Gerald Bateman, $249,014.
• NC -- Charlotte -- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Fred Spooner, fhspoone@uncc.edu, $241,608.
• OR -- Monmouth -- Western Oregon University, Elisa Maroney, maronee@wou.edu, $250,000.
• TX -- Lubbock -- Texas Tech University, Nora Griffin-Shirley, n.griffin-shirley@ttu.edu, $249,999.
• WA -- Seattle -- University of Washington, Carol Davis, cadavis1@u.washington.edu, $249,926.
• WI -- Milwaukee -- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Roger Smith, smithro@uwm.edu, $184,296.

Focus Area C - Preparing Personnel to Provide Related Services to Children, including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities:

• CA -- Chico -- The California State University, Chico Research Foundation, Rebecca Lytle, rlytle@csuchico.edu, $250,000.
• CA -- San Francisco -- San Francisco State University, Betty Yu, bettyyu@sfsu.edu, $249,272.
• FL -- Tampa -- University of South Florida, Kwand-Sun Blair, kwangsun@usf.edu, $133,994.
• HI -- Manoa -- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Nathan Murata, nmurata@hawaii.edu, $244,575.
• KS -- Lawrence -- University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc, Jane Wegner, jwegner@ku.edu, $244,409.
• NY -- Syracuse -- Syracuse University, Linda Milosky, milosky@syr.edu, $249,979.
• NC -- Chapel Hill -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elizabeth Crais, bcrais@med.unc.edu, $235,575.
• PA -- University Park -- Pennsylvania State University, Janice Light, jcl4@psu.edu, $249,927.
• UT -- Salt Lake City -- University of Utah, Hester Henderson, hester.henderson@health.utah.edu, $233,121.

Focus Area D – Preparing Personnel in Minority Institutions to Serve Children, including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities:

• CA -- Los Angeles -- California State University, LA University Auxiliary Services, Cheryl Kamei-Hanna, $250,000.
• CA -- San Jose -- San Jose State University, Research Foundation, June McCullough, June.McCullough@sjsu.edu, $250,000.
• CA -- Santa Barbara -- The Regents of the University of California, Santa Barbara, George Singer, singer@education.ucsb.edu, $250,000.
• DC -- Washington -- Gallaudet University, Amy Hile, Amy.Hile@gallaudet.edu, $142,746.
• DC -- Washington -- Howard University, Kay Payne, kpayne@howaed.edu, $249,675.
• FL -- Tampa -- University of Central Florida, Linda Rosa-Lugo,lrosa@mail.ucf.edu, $225,740.
• MA -- Boston -- University of Massachusetts, Boston, Angela Stone-Macdonald, angela.stone@umb.edu, $186,355.
• MA -- Boston -- University of Massachusetts, Boston, Debra Hart, debra.hart@umb.edu, $249,999.
• MI -- Detroit -- Wayne State University, Suzanna Dillon, sdillon@wayne.edu, $233,594.
• NY -- Flushing -- Queens College/ CUNY, Peishi Wang, $250,000.

Focus Area E - Preparing Personnel to Provide Secondary Transition Services to School-Age Children with Disabilities:

• CA -- San Diego -- San Diego State University, John Johnson, johnson7@mail.sdsu.edu, $249,998.
• DC -- Washington -- George Washington University, Pam Leconte, pleconte@gwu.edu, $249,742.
• IL -- Chicago -- Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Lisa Cushing, lcushing@uic.edu, $246,155.
• MD -- College Park -- University of Maryland, Philip Burke, pburke@educ.umd.edu, $249,920.
• OK -- Norman -- Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, Kendra William-Diehm, klwd@ou.edu, $238,108.
• OR -- Portland -- Portland State University, Ann Fullerton, fullertona@pdx.edu, $241,759.
• SC -- Columbia -- University of South Carolina, Anthony Plotner, plotner@mailbox.sc.edu, $157,217.