UAB Wins $800,000 Federal Grant for Special Education Graduate Program

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Education has received an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop a graduate program to attract and train early-childhood special educators and early-intervention specialists in critical areas of need.

November 19, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Education has received an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop a graduate program to attract and train early-childhood special educators and early-intervention specialists in critical areas of need.

UAB Professor of Special Education Jennifer Kilgo, Ed.D., the principal investigator on the grant, is collaborating with faculty from the UAB departments of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy to create the Project TransTeam - Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program.

UAB also will implement a recruitment and retention program targeting under-represented groups of graduate students from diverse cultural backgrounds and those with disabilities. The program will provide tuition during a four-year period for a total of 60 students working toward a master's degree in these fields. Students also will be mentored by UAB faculty and gain direct experiences on early-intervention and education teams.

High rates of attrition are a continuing problem for special education, according to a report, "The Teacher Shortage in America: Pressing Concerns," in the 2009 issue of the National Forum of Teacher Education Journal.

"Project TransTeam EI/ECSE addresses several critical areas of need," said Kilgo. "These include early-intervention specialists and educators who are skilled in working with young children with disabilities and their families and those who are able to work in teams with professionals from various agencies and disciplines.

"We also need more teachers from diverse backgrounds who are knowledgeable and skilled in working with young children and families from culturally diverse backgrounds," she said.

For more details about Project TransTeam-EI/ECSE, contact Kilgo at jkilgo@uab.edu or 205-975-9613.

About the UAB School of Education

The UAB School of Education offers programs in early childhood, elementary and high-school education, as well as urban education, physical and health education, special education, counseling and educational leadership and foundations. The school also offers professional development courses for working teachers and school leaders.