The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is soliciting subgrant applications for the State Personnel Development Grants Program awarded under 20 U.S.C. 1451-1455 of Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Pub. L. 108-446) (CFDA Number 84.323A).
Donor Name: Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
State: District of Columbia
City: Washington D.C.
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/12/2022
Size of the Grant: $200,000
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
According to the DC School Report Card, the District of Columbia is home to approximately 99,000 school-aged children who are enrolled in either DC public or public charter schools where students with disabilities (SWD) comprise 17 percent of the total student population. As demonstrated by the Students with Disabilities in the District of Columbia Landscape Analysis, there is a vast achievement gap between SWD and their nondisabled peers. From 2016 to 2019, the percentage of students without disabilities who performed on grade level increased by 14 percentage points, but SWD increased by only 3 percentage points on the English language arts (ELA) statewide assessment.
Research indicates that nearly all SWD can perform on grade level, when provided with appropriate services and supports, yet the achievement gap between SWD and their peers continues to widen. Several student indicators suggest this overall achievement gap for SWD may be related to their exclusion from all that school has to offer in the general education curriculum and setting. First, just over half of the District’s SWD spend at least 80 percent of their time in general education classrooms, suggesting far too few SWD are included in the opportunities offered by the general education curriculum. Second, SWD are more than twice as likely to be disciplined than their grade level peers (after controlling for other demographic factors), which further removes them from the learning opportunities in their schools. Third, on average, students who receive more hours of specialized services attend school at a lower rate than other students, suggesting a systemic issue that could be addressed to increase their access to learning.
The program objectives of the grant are for OSSE to work with their IHE partner and other stakeholders, to:
- Develop a state-wide professional learning framework to guide all personnel development and professional learning to (1) promote an active approach to achieving equity and (2) improve implementation of inclusive practices to increase achievement for students with disabilities (SWD).
- Ensure sustainability of project outcomes by: (a) establishing a clear mechanism of documented continuous improvement at each level of the system (SEA, LEA, School), (b) ensuring fidelity of implementation of inclusive practices using evidence-based measures, and (c) building team capacity as determined by ongoing assessment.
- Improve equity of access to high-quality educational experiences in the individual least restrictive environment for students with disabilities, particularly students of color.
Funding Information
- The total funding available for this award is $200,000 each year over four years, subject to continued availability of funding.
- This is a four-year grant, subject to continued availability of funding. The grant period will begin on June 10, 2022 and end on Sept. 30, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
- To apply for this subgrant, the applicant must be an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) as defined by P.L. 105-244, the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title I, Sec. 101, as amended.
For more information, visit Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
