The Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (Personnel Preparation) program helps meet state-identified needs for adequate numbers of fully certified personnel to serve children with disabilities by supporting competitive awards to:
- Provide research-based training and professional development to prepare special education, related services, early intervention, and regular education personnel to work with children with disabilities; and
- Ensure that those personnel are fully qualified, and possess the skills and knowledge that are needed to serve children with disabilities.
The Department is required to make competitive grants that support training activities in a few high priority areas, including:
- general personnel development and preparing beginning special educators,
- personnel serving children with low incidence disabilities, and
- leadership personnel.
Establishes a Center to increase IHE and SEA capacity to educate, train, and evaluate personnel serving children with disabilities (ALN: 84.325A).
Establishes a TA center that supports HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs in diversifying the workforce that serves children with disabilities (ALN: 84.325B).
Supports doctoral degree programs to prepare and increase the number of personnel in leadership positions focused on special education (ALN: 84.325D).
Funds a Center that translates research-to-practice for capacity-building special education personnel to use evidence-based practices (ALN: 84.325E).
Funds doctoral training consortia to increase personnel in leadership positions as researchers and special ed personnel preparers (ALN: 84.325H).
Supports registered apprenticeship programs that prepare and retain special education teachers or early intervention personnel (ALN: 84.325J).
Funds interdisciplinary projects to prepare personnel in two or more graduate degree programs in SPED, EI, and related services (ALN: 84.325K).
Funds projects designed to empower leaders and their stakeholders to better serve children with disabilities and their families (ALN: 84.325L).
Supports special education degrees and certifications at HBCUs, TCCUs, and other MSIs to increase personnel in those fields (ALN: 84.325).
Funds preservice improvement programs to support personnel working with young children with disabilities, including early childhood (ALN: 84.325N).
Funds programs that increase the capacity of State, regional and local systems to retain special ed and early intervention personnel (ALN: 84.325P).
Funds projects that prepare scholars achieve a postsecondary degree for professional practice serving children with disabilities (ALN: 84.325R).
Funds preservice improvement enhancement programs to support related service providers to effectively serve children with disabilities (ALN: 84.325S).
Supports HBCUs, TCUs, and other MSIs to diversify personnel serving children with disabilities (ALN: 84.325X).
Establishes a center to help SEAs and Part C lead agencies effectively implement IDEA by increasing EIP and school building capacity (ALN: 84.325Z).