May and Domaracki Awarded Special Education Program Improvement Grant

One of nine Special Education Pre-service Program Improvement Grants awarded nationally this year, the project will involve improving and restructuring the pre-service teacher preparation programs in special education at the University at Albany.

Grant activities will include course revisions; induction and mentoring for graduate students in expanded clinical experiences in diverse settings including high-need, high poverty and low performing schools; as well as opportunities for preparation to teach students with disabilities in grades 7-12. The project will follow program graduates as they enter the teaching field and analyze the learning outcomes of their students to determine the effectiveness of the pre-service program, as well as program areas in need of continued revision.

The development, restructuring, and evaluation of the pre-service special education teacher preparation programs will involve the collaboration of multiple groups including an advisory panel of parents and school district teachers and administrators, the Child Research and Study Center, the Evaluation Consortium, as well as faculty from the School of Education.