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Application Questions and Answers about the Grant Grant Will Address Critical Shortage of Special Education Teachers
The three-year grant, titled “Improving and Expanding Preparation of Highly Qualified High Incidence Personnel: Meeting Rural Georgia Special Education Needs,” was awarded to Georgia College & State University under the direction of Dr. Amy Childre, associate professor of special education and administration at the university. It is funded by the federal government through the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. High incidence students are those taking the regular academic curriculum who have mild disabilities, which may include learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and mild intellectual disability, Childre explained. The grant will address the critical shortage of qualified special education teachers in rural middle Georgia by training special education teachers at the master's level It specifically targets the middle Georgia counties of Washington, Wilkinson, Johnson, Hancock, Jefferson, Baldwin, Laurens, and Putnam. The certification program specifically recruits people with undergraduate degrees in areas outside of education who are interested in entering the education field. The program, in collaboration with the Oconee Regional Educational Service Agency and middle Georgia school systems, will train special education teachers to use research-proven practices with students with disabilities, and in content areas such as math, science, social studies, language arts, and reading In order to accomplish these goals, the project will:
Upon certification in special education, participants will be employed and retained long-term within middle Georgia rural school systems as special education teachers. “The greatest benefit is to our local community,” said Childre. “The shortage of special education teachers is so critical in this rural area that each year systems must hire teachers who are not certified. Our program is designed to provide the training and intensive field support needed to ensure success of special education teachers. In addition, the teachers in this program must make a commitment to work in middle Georgia rural school systems serving special education students for a minimum of six years after program completion.” The benefits to students are equally as advantageous, Childre pointed out. The program will fully fund 18 students throughout this three-year program. “Support covers expenses such as tuition, books, and national training conferences,” she said. “Furthermore, off-campus sites and web-based instruction will be used to reduce travel for rural area students.” The School of Education will begin taking applications in spring semester 2006 for fall 2006 enrollment in the program.
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