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# U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $35 Million to Develop Personnel in Support of Children with Disabilities

# U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $35 Million to Develop Personnel in Support of Children with Disabilities

September 26, 2023

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) Office of  Special Education Programs (OSEP) has awarded more than $35 million in funding  for 138 new awards supporting personnel preparation, ongoing professional  learning, and leadership development to increase the number of well-prepared,  diverse and effective personnel serving children with disabilities.

OSEP’s Personnel Development Program, authorized by the  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part D, funds  activities that recruit, prepare, and retain personnel who serve and support  infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families.  Personnel include early intervention providers; teachers; related services  providers; administrators leading early intervention programs, schools, or  local and state agencies; and university faculty who are preparing future  generations of personnel to serve children with disabilities.

“Investing in the  preparation and professional development of a strong, diverse workforce to  serve children with disabilities is critical, not only to the well-being  of individuals with disabilities, but to improve outcomes for all  children. Special educators, early intervention providers, and  related services providers are essential professionals in our schools, early  childhood programs, and communities, but far too many states are struggling to hire  qualified personnel in these roles,” said Glenna Wright-Gallo, assistant  secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. “The  Department is working to Raise the Bar by improving learning conditions  for all children through uplifting the teaching profession  and eliminating personnel shortages. OSEP’s Personnel Development  Program grants play a key role in meeting this challenge by helping develop  well trained, fully credentialed personnel who have the necessary skills and  knowledge to successfully serve children with disabilities and their  families.”

Data released in 2022 from the National Center  for Education Statistics revealed 45% of U.S. public schools operated without a  full teaching staff in October 2022, and special education teaching positions  had the highest vacancy rates.

The 126 personnel preparation grants awarded require  universities to use at least 65% of the federal funds for “scholar support,”  which includes scholarships, tuition and fees, or other support to cover the  costs required to complete the preparation program.

Additionally, 11 awards support personnel development  through preservice program improvement grants, and one award funds a new  national center to support school and early intervention program administrators  to effectively implement the IDEA and improve systems serving children with  disabilities.

Federal funds are awarded annually to support five-year  grant projects. The following table identifies this year’s grants, grant title,  number of new awards made for federal fiscal year 2023 (FFY 23), the funding  level for FFY 23 and the five-year total funding.

 

**84.325    Grant Programs**

**Title**

**Number    of New Awards for 2023**

**Funding    from FFY 23 Funds**

**5-Year    Total Funding**

**84.325D**

Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention,    and Related Services Leadership Personnel (Doctoral Preparation)

20

$8,532,569

$47,059,059

**84.325K**

Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education    Personnel Serving Children With Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs

41

$8,870,090

$48,288,334

**84.325M**

Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early    Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges    and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other    Minority Serving Institutions

34

$6,589,389

$40,395,227

**84.325R**

Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving    Children With Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs

31

$6,338,229

$36,328,194

**84.325N**

Associate Degree Preservice Program Improvement Grants    to Support Personnel Working with Young Children with Disabilities

11

$2,072,412

$10,138,594

**84.325Z**

National Center for Supporting School Building and    Early Intervention Program Administrators To Effectively Implement IDEA and    Improve Systems Serving Children With Disabilities

1

$3,000,000

$15,000,000

**Total    84.325 Awards and Funding**

** **

**138**

**$35,402,689**

**$197,209,408**

 

Learn more about the 84.325 program and this year’s award  recipients here.
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