Grant opens services and opportunities for students with disabilities in Southwest Dubois County schools

Southwest Dubois County School Corporation is one of seven schools in the state receiving funding through a grant program from Indiana University.

The funding is part of a $6 million grant the university received to be used for rural schools to provide better services for students with disabilities.

“The grant aligns well with our mission and vision for schools; to ensure equitable access for all students to high-quality instruction,” said Sandi Cole, director of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, one of seven research centers at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. “We are extremely excited to begin our work the selected rural districts.”

Through this grant, the Indiana Center on Teacher Quality will work to:

• Increase the number of teachers delivering high-quality instruction to students with disabilities in the general education classroom through job embedded professional development at the state, regional, and district levels;

• Maintain and increase the number of licensed special education teachers with improved recruitment, support and retention of teachers for student switch disabilities;

• Increase the capacity of school leaders at the school and district level to develop, implement and sustain inclusive practices through systems of support implemented through the framework of implementation science; and

• Increase support for families of students with disabilities through effective partnerships that support teacher development and student and school improvement.

“Our partnership with the Indiana Department of Education spans over three decades,” Cole said, “and we are honored to continue this partnership with a new opportunity to focus on rural Indiana school districts.”