UM Receives $1.25 Million Grant For Special Education Training

The University of Montana has received a five-year, $1.25 million grant to provide in-depth preparation and training for special education teachers in the state.

The grant will fund a collaborative project of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Rural Institute on Disabilities called Training Teachers to Ensure Achievement and Membership for Children and Youth with Low Incidence Disabilities.

It will cover the cost of tuition, books, assistive technology starter kits and stipends for qualifying graduate students while they learn to work with children and youth with various special needs, including those who are deaf, blind, autistic or have physical disabilities.

"We have designed a program that blends online instruction with face-to-face, on-campus coursework during the summer," said Gail McGregor, research professor at the Rural Institute for Disabilities. "This will allow us to recruit participants from across Montana, impacting schools, students and families statewide."

McGregor and Morgen Alwell, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, will lead the project at UM.

"We are thrilled to receive this award," Alwell said. "It will allow us to collaborate to provide specialized training for graduate students and teachers in the field and impact the quality of educational services received by children and youth with disabilities in Montana."

Full Story: http://news.umt.edu/2011/10/102411grnt.aspx