National University has been awarded a grant in the amount of $789,419 from the United States Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.
The grant is part of national movement to prepare Special Education Teachers and is entitled the "Para-educator to Special Educator Pipeline" (PSEP) project. Funds from the four-year grant will be used to help educators complete baccalaureate degrees and university internships while obtaining teaching credentials for special education.
The grant will have five specific objectives: recruiting thirty (30) highly-qualified para-educators to earn bachelor's degrees and university internships while completing their teaching credentials; providing financial support to scholars as they are completing their studies via stipends; offering mentorship and support to program participants; conducting comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the project; and disseminating data and best practices to colleges and universities.
Gloria Johnston, Dean of the National University School of Education, is the managing dean for the project. Joy Kutaka-Kennedy from the Department of Special Education in the School of Education at National University's San Jose campus will be the project director, and co-faculty member Joan Sebastian will serve as the project evaluator.
As part of the grant, National University will partner with Alum Rock Union Elementary School District; the San Jose Unified School District; the Santa Clara County Office of Education and; the "Parents Helping Parents" group, a non-profit organization.
For more information about the National University School of Education, visit http://www.nu.edu/Academics/Schools/SOE.html.
The grant is part of national movement to prepare Special Education Teachers and is entitled the "Para-educator to Special Educator Pipeline" (PSEP) project. Funds from the four-year grant will be used to help educators complete baccalaureate degrees and university internships while obtaining teaching credentials for special education.
The grant will have five specific objectives: recruiting thirty (30) highly-qualified para-educators to earn bachelor's degrees and university internships while completing their teaching credentials; providing financial support to scholars as they are completing their studies via stipends; offering mentorship and support to program participants; conducting comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the project; and disseminating data and best practices to colleges and universities.
Gloria Johnston, Dean of the National University School of Education, is the managing dean for the project. Joy Kutaka-Kennedy from the Department of Special Education in the School of Education at National University's San Jose campus will be the project director, and co-faculty member Joan Sebastian will serve as the project evaluator.
As part of the grant, National University will partner with Alum Rock Union Elementary School District; the San Jose Unified School District; the Santa Clara County Office of Education and; the "Parents Helping Parents" group, a non-profit organization.
For more information about the National University School of Education, visit http://www.nu.edu/Academics/Schools/SOE.html.