KU part of collaborative grant to prepare new generation of special education leaders

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas is part of a new program designed to boost collaboration among universities to prepare a new generation of leaders in special education.

Two KU researchers will partner with colleagues at Wayne State University and the University of Arizona on Collaborative Approaches to Impactful Special Education Leadership, funded by a four-year, $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Special Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. Students at each of the institutions will work with one another as well as faculty at all three locations to prepare for a leadership post.

“There is a pressing need to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Preparing doctoral students to take leadership roles, we believe, will help improve those outcomes,” said Alison Zagona, assistant professor of special education at KU and one of the principal investigators for the grant. “They will complete this program with the skills needed to be leaders in teaching, research or collaborative administration. One of the biggest jobs of special education leaders is networking and building collaborative partnerships, and our students will get that through this program.”

Researchers at the three institutions will recruit scholars who already hold a master’s degree and have experience in special education teaching or a comparable field who want to complete a doctorate and advance in an education career. Those selected must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will receive full tuition coverage for four years, a living stipend, health insurance and funds for organizational membership and travel funds.

“Scholars will receive the financial support necessary to complete the program, and what I think is most exciting is they will have the chance to work on research with the faculty at the partner institutions,” said Zagona, who is also a researcher at the KU Life Span Institute. “We have a wide range of research specialties they will have the chance to take part in and learn from, and they will also be able to explore their own research interests.”

Those selected for the program will work with classmates and colleagues as well as educators in their respective regions. Students will fulfill internships at high-need schools in their areas to both learn from educators in the field and collaborate on projects with the schools’ leadership.

“It will have a real impact on the schools, and the students will be able to draw on that experience in their future roles,” Zagona said.

Zagona and Jennifer Kurth, professor and chair of the Department of Special Education, will be principal investigators for KU’s portion of the program. Anyone interested in the program can find more information and apply at the department's funding opportunities website.