Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education announced more than $13.4 million in grants to higher education institutions to fund quality personnel preparation programs to help improve services and results for students with disabilities.

“We are committed to promoting equity and excellence at every level of the education system,” said Sue Swenson, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.  “These grants will give special education teachers and leaders the skills to help America’s students with disabilities achieve their academic potential.”

Of the $13.4 million, more than $4.1 million is being awarded under the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities – Leadership Personnel program. The funds will go to higher education institutions to prepare doctoral students for faculty and administrator positions in special education, early intervention and related services.  

The remaining $9.3 million in support is being provided under the Combined Priority for Personnel Development to help address state-identified needs for highly qualified personnel in special education, early intervention and regular education programs that serve children with disabilities. The funds will help train teachers and direct service providers in such areas as early childhood, low-incidence disabilities, related services and transition services.

The Office of Special Education Programs is a primary source of federal funding for training in special education, early intervention and related services.  Below are the grant recipients.

Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities - Preparation of Leadership Personnel

State

City

Recipient

Amount

AZ

Tucson

Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona

$185,227

FL

Gainesville

University of Florida Board of Trustees

$250,000

FL

Orlando

University of Central Florida

$250,000

HI

Honolulu

University of Hawaii

$249,308

IL

Chicago

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

$230,423

KS

Lawrence

University of Kansas Center for Research Inc.

$248,510

MA

Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst

$249,704

MI

Ann Arbor

Regents of the University of Michigan

$246,806

MN

Minneapolis

Regents of the University of Minnesota

$245,847

MO

Columbia

The Curators of the University of Missouri

$249,965

NC

Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

$250,000

OH

Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

$250,000

OR

Eugene

University of Oregon

$250,000

OR

Corvallis

Oregon State University

$248,849

UT

Salt Lake City

University of Utah

$239,735

UT

Logan

Utah State University

$247,892

WA

Seattle

University of Washington

$250,000

Total

 

 

$4,142,266

Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities - Combined Priority for Personnel Development

Focus Area - Early Childhood

State

City

Recipient

Amount

FL

Coral Gables

University of Miami 

$247,460

KS

Lawrence

University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc.   

$249,936

MN

Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato 

$176,336

MO

Columbia

The Curators of the University of Missouri

$250,000

NC

Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

$249,380

WI

Milwaukee

Board of Regents of UW System for UW—Milwaukee

$246,756

Total

 

 

$1,419,868

Focus Area - Low Incidence

State

City

Recipient

Amount

AR

Little Rock

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

$249,746

CA

Sacramento

University Enterprises, Inc., on behalf of CSU Sacramento  

$249,266

DC

Washington

The George Washington University

$249,997

IL

Chicago

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Chicago

$241,865

IL

DeKalb

Northern Illinois University

$250,000

KS

Lawrence

University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc.  

$249,997

MA

Boston

University of Massachusetts Boston

$250,000

MN

St. Paul

University of St. Thomas

$232,998

MO

St. Louis

Fontbonne University

$249,926

NE

Lincoln

Board of Regents, University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

$242,265

NY

Hempstead

Hofstra University

$249,963

NY

Rochester

Nazareth College of Rochester

$235,833

OR

Portland

Portland State University

$249,494

SC

Columbia

University of South Carolina

$199,057

TX

Beaumont

Lamar University

$222,017

Total

 

 

$3,622,424

Focus Area - Related Services

State

City

Recipient

Amount

AZ

Tempe

AZ Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University

$244,292

IN

Bloomington

Trustees of Indiana University

$181,188

KY

Lexington

University of Kentucky Research Foundation

$233,631

MT

Missoula

University of Montana

$244,968

NE

Lincoln

Board of Regents, University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

$214,338

VA

Richmond

Virginia Commonwealth University

$249,997

WA

Seattle

University of Washington

$250,000

WI

La Crosse

University of Wisconsin—La Crosse

$249,990

Total

 

 

$1,868,404

Focus Area - Minority Institutions

State

City

Recipient

Amount

CA

Carson

California State University Dominguez Hills

$248,573

CA

Northridge

California State University Northridge

$241,512

CA

Seaside

California State University Monterey Bay

$249,998

FL

Miami

Florida International University

$250,000

Marshall Islands

Majuro

College of the Marshall Islands  

$249,998

MD

Bowie

Bowie State University

$248,025

MS

Jackson

Jackson State University

$250,000

NC

Greensboro

North Carolina A&T

$174,299

NY

Brooklyn

Medgar Evers College/CUNY

$250,000

NY

Flushing

Queens College/CUNY

$250,000

Total

 

 

$2,412,405

FY 2016 Grand Total - $13,465,367