Special Education Teacher Preparation Partnerships

Special Education Teacher Preparation Partnerships Grant

After November 8, 2024, visit the Grant Administration Implementation and Navigation System Home (GAINS) site and log in to access the grant application. Before applying, Interested applicants must complete an Intent to Apply document. Once CDE personnel receive this document, they will verify eligibility and grant access to the application within one to two days.

Special Education Teacher Shortage RFA (PDF)

Partnerships between the Exceptional Student Service Unit of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) are crucial for improving outcomes for students with disabilities. For many years, these relationships have proven to be vitally important. Here are examples highlighting their value:

Enhance Professional Development: These partnerships provide ongoing professional development for special educators, ensuring they are equipped with the latest strategies and tools to support students with disabilities effectively.
Innovation: Collaborations between the CDE and IHEs foster research and the development of innovative practices. This can lead to the creation of new instructional methods and technologies tailored to the needs of students with disabilities. CDE partnered with the CEEDAR Center to promote and support innovative special education course development.
Policy and Advocacy: Joint efforts can influence policy changes at local, state, and national levels, promoting inclusive education and ensuring that the needs of students with disabilities are prioritized. CDE has partnered with special education IHE leaders to develop the Community of Practice for Special Education Teacher Preparation Partners
Resource Sharing: Partnerships enable the sharing of resources, such as specialized training programs, assistive technologies, and instructional materials, which can be costly for individual schools to acquire on their own.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: By working together, the CDE and IHEs can collect and analyze data to identify effective practices and areas needing improvement, leading to more informed decision-making and better outcomes for students. Recently, CDE and IHE partners identified the need to support tuition reimbursement strategies for special education teacher candidates. As a result, CDE developed the Special Education Teacher Shortage RFA.

These partnerships are essential for developing special educators skilled at developing inclusive and supportive educational environments that allow students with disabilities to thrive.

Join us for the Special Education Teacher Shortage Request for Applications Webinar, on November 13th, 2024; 9:00-10:00 am

Special Education Teacher Shortage webinar handout

Special Education Teacher Shortage webinar recording - COMING SOON!

The application window will open in GAINS on Friday, November 8, 2024, and will close on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 4:00 pm
More information about GAINS is available on CDE’s website.

The Community of Practice (CoP) for Special Education Teacher Preparation Partners

The Community of Practice (CoP) for Special Education Teacher Preparation Partners aims to engage and build lasting relationships with special education teacher preparation partners across Colorado. This partnership between members of CDE’s Office of Special Education and special educator preparation practitioners creates a forum where dialogue, learning, and action come together for the benefit of all partners. Quarterly meetings are held using virtual, in-person, and hybrid formats.

Registration to attend (CoP) Special Education Teacher Preparation Partners Meetings

Meeting dates for SY 2024-25:

September 27, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm (In-person)
November 15, 2024, 9:00-11:30 am (Virtual)
February 28, 2025, 1:00-3:00 pm (Virtual)
April 25, 2025, 9:00 -12:00 pm (In- person location TBD)

Special Education Teacher Shortage Information:

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is asking states to address the critical shortage of special education teachers.  According to McVey and Trinidad (2019), states identify the lack of special education teachers as the most cited shortage every year since the late 1990s. To combat this challenge, the Office of Special Education at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) will offer 2024-2025 IDEA grant funding to administrative units / local education agencies to support a cohort of special education teacher candidates in reducing the shortage of licensed personnel. These candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree, are seeking to attain their Master of Arts degree and endorsement in special education. The funds will support these candidates through one year of a two-year program. After completing the program, graduates will be fully prepared to reduce the teacher shortage and fill hard-to-staff special education teaching positions across Colorado. Grantees accepting these funds must implement a mechanism to contractually bind the special education teacher candidates to work for the district for 36 months (3 school years) after completing their coursework. If the teacher candidate fails to meet this requirement, they must return prorated tuition funds to the grantee fiscal agent, who will then return the funds to the CDE.

Grant Application Information:

What are the project’s priority areas?

The purpose of these funds is to aid AUs / LEAs by incentivizing and recruiting potential special education teacher candidates to complete their certification and enter the workforce, thereby reducing teacher shortages. Available grant funding will be distributed to Colorado Administrative Units / Local Education Agencies (AUs / LEAs) demonstrating high need based on priority criteria. Preference will be given to the applicants who can provide evidence in the following areas:

Regional collaborative efforts that authenticate an existing partnership between AUs/LEAs and Institutes of Higher Education (IHE). The LEA / AU must provide evidence of an established successful partnership with an educator preparation program to support teacher candidates such as ongoing mentorship, access to rural-specific professional development, and tailored support services to overcome geographical and financial barriers.
IHEs or agencies may not apply for the RFA apart from an administrative unit as the fiscal agent.
The LEA/ AU has successfully used teacher stipends/tuition reimbursement grants or other educator talent funding opportunities to recruit and incentivize potential teacher candidates.
The LEA will develop a process by which they will secure a commitment from teacher candidates to teach in hard-to-fill special education positions. The plan may include the student's completion of the program, supervision, graduation, Praxis, induction, mentorship, and a 3-year post-graduation commitment.
Applicants will address each of the following four objectives:
a. Reduce the financial burden of candidates to become fully trained special education teachers.

b. Identify how equal measures of in-kind funding (i.e., tuition reimbursement, travel expenses, fees, professional development costs, etc.) are shared by the LEA, the IHE, and other sources to reduce or offset the financial burden of the teacher candidate.

c. Matching funds from the LEA /AU and other sources (i.e., Local, State, IDEA, Grants) are used to augment grant funds and defray long-term debt incurred by the teacher candidate.

d. Provide a timeline on how funds will be strategically dispersed to decrease the likelihood that teacher candidates will not incur long-term debt.
The LEA or Administrative Unit (AU) must demonstrate that they conducted a search for a fully qualified teacher and determined that no certified teacher holding the appropriate endorsement was available to staff hard-to-fill special education teacher positions. Evidence verifying that the LEA / AU has attempted to fill positions may include one or more of the following factors: The LEA or Administrative Unit (AU) must demonstrate that they conducted a search for a fully qualified teacher and determined that no certified teacher holding the appropriate endorsement was available to staff hard to fill special education teacher positions. Evidence verifying that the LEA / AU has attempted to fill positions may include one or more of the following factors:
a. Geographic Location: Rural or remote areas struggle to attract qualified special education teachers.

b. High Demand: Areas with a high number of students requiring special education services have more unfilled positions than available qualified teachers.

c. Specialized Skills: Positions requiring specific expertise, such as working with students with severe disabilities or those needing bilingual special education services, are harder to fill.

d. Work Environment: Schools with challenging work environments, such as those with high turnover rates or limited resources, find it difficult to retain special education teachers.

e. Salary and Benefits: Competitive salaries and benefits are crucial. Positions offering lower compensation compared to other districts struggle to attract candidates.
The LEA must provide assurances to ensure supervision and mentorship programs will be provided to novice teachers from a fully licensed special educator.
Identify the plan to ensure potential teacher candidates will hold a valid Colorado Teacher Certificate or Temporary Educator Authorization (TEE) before working for the district.
Prior to applying for this grant, AUs / LEAs must follow the Special Education Temporary Educator Eligibility authorization (TEE) process for employing teachers under temporary authorization. More details and information can be found on the Temporary Educator Eligibility Authorization (TEE) webpage.
Application for the Special Education Teacher Shortage RFA is submitted by a district administrator (not a teacher) and is supported by the district’s special education director.

Grant Resources

Other Education Talent Grant Funding Opportunities:

For more information about the Special Education Teacher Shortage RFA, please contact:

Michael Ramirez

720-460-6251

Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center

Since 2017, the Colorado Department of Education has partnered with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center to promote equitable outcomes for students with disabilities. The CEEDAR Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), works with states to build the capacity of their personnel preparation systems to prepare teachers and leaders to implement evidence-based practices for students with disabilities.

Colorado’s CEEDAR team called the Colorado Preparing Excellent Educators and Leaders (CO-PEEL) Network, consists of a partnership between the Colorado Department of Education and the following Colorado institutions of higher education:

Colorado Christian University
Colorado College
Colorado Mesa University
Fort Lewis College

University of Colorado—Colorado Springs
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado

The mission of the CO-PEEL Network is to ensure that Colorado’s special education teachers, general education teachers, and educational leaders are equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively serve students with disabilities. For a summary of the team’s reach and accomplishments, see our 2024 infographic (coming soon).

To advance its mission, the CO-PEEL team is currently engaged in the following activities:

A professional learning community on “Exploring Educational Leadership Preparation with an Equity Mindset” for faculty from Colorado’s principal preparation programs.
A community of practice for special education teacher educators aimed at strengthening the statewide pipeline of special education teachers.
A series of projects led by partner institutions of higher education to create and disseminate high-quality resources and materials for teacher and leader candidates and educator preparation faculty. Click below to see descriptions and materials from these projects.

For more information, please contact:

Michael Ramirez
Equity Projects Specialist
Phone (720) 460-6251
Email Michael Ramirez

2023-2024 CEEDAR Projects

2021-2022 CEEDAR Projects

2020-2021 CEEDAR Projects

2019-2020 CEEDAR Projects

*External links disclaimer: site owner is not responsible for the currency, accuracy, or legality of the content from external links on the site.

2023-2024 CEEDAR Projects

Title: ABC for ALP: An Asynchronous “Boot Camp” for Colorado Special Education Alternative Licensure Program Candidates

Faculty Contacts:

Jennifer Fox, University of Colorado Denver
Marla Lohmann, Colorado Christian University
Kathleen Randolph, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Description:

This project assists Colorado designated agencies for special education alternative licensure preparation in supporting the initial instruction of candidates through the use of an asynchronous “boot camp” that candidates can complete before their initial teaching position begins or during their alternative licensure coursework. The boot camp includes five topic areas:

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
Classroom management and addressing challenging behaviors
Evidence-based instructional practices, including the science of reading and the science of mathematics
Progress monitoring and data collection in the special education classroom
Professional collaboration for special education teachers

Resources:

ABCs for ALPs: An Asynchronous “Boot Camp” for Colorado Special Education Alternative Licensure Program Candidates

Audience:

Special education teacher candidates in alternative licensure programs, especially in rural and charter contexts
Alternative licensure program coordinators and faculty

Title: Increasing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in Inclusive Learning Environments Via a Tiered Co-Learning Model

Faculty Contacts:

Tina Valtierra, Colorado College
Nickie Coomer, Colorado College

Description: The purpose of this project was to prepare general education teachers to increase culturally responsive teaching practices in inclusive learning environments for students of Color with disabilities. In collaboration with local education agencies, Colorado College faculty co-developed a tiered model of support that engaged preservice teachers, cooperating teachers, and field coaches. The tiered support approach consisted of:

An accessible resources library with asynchronous modules
Instructional offerings on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for preservice teachers, cooperating teachers, and Colorado College field coaches
Individualized coaching on UDL for teams of preservice and cooperating teachers

Resources:

Culturally Responsive Teaching & Universal Design for Learning Resource Library and Presentations

Audience:

Preservice teachers, cooperating teachers, and faculty field coaches seeking to incorporate culturally responsive teaching for students with disabilities into their practice
Teacher educators

Title: Special Education Teacher Apprenticeships

Faculty Contacts:

Jill Choate, Fort Lewis College
Ann Gillies, Colorado Mesa University
Corey Pierce, University of Northern Colorado

Description: Faculty at Fort Lewis College, Colorado Mesa University, and the University of Northern Colorado are collaborating to engage in preparatory work related to special education teacher apprenticeships. The team has worked to increase awareness and understanding of new legislation around teacher apprenticeships in Colorado and how it will impact special education teacher pathways. Faculty have begun preparatory work including establishing local partnerships, considering coursework sequences, and providing mentored support to apprentices.

Audience:

Teacher educators
Local education agencies
State policymakers

2021-2022 CEEDAR Projects

Title: Project SITE: Sample IEPs for Teacher Education (Part 2)

Faculty Contacts:

Jennifer Fox, University of Colorado Denver
Marla Lohmann, Colorado Christian University
Tara Mason, Western Colorado University

Description: Building from Project SITE Part 1, faculty partners created training modules that include video guides for step-by-step guidance on IEP sections (e.g., eligibility, present levels of academic and functional performance, goals, LRE/placement). Materials also include an IEP meeting simulated video presenting a start-to-finish IEP meeting exemplar.

Resources: Link coming soon!

Audience:

Teacher preparation professionals
District-level administrators and coaches
Special education teachers

Title: High Leverage Practices Program Revision

Faculty Contact:

Ann Gillies, Colorado Mesa University

Description: The Early Childhood Special Education Bachelor's degree program and the Exceptional Learner/Special Education Master's degree program at Colorado Mesa University were updated to reflect the 22 high-leverage practices for students with disabilities from CEEDAR and the Council for Exceptional Children.

Resources:

EDSE 501 Syllabus (attached)
EDUC 374 Syllabus (attached)

Audience:

Teacher educators

Title: Supporting Teachers with Remote Instruction in the Post-Covid Era

Faculty Contacts:

Marla Lohmann, Colorado Christian University
Kathleen Randolph, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Description: Faculty created a training module with an accompanying workbook to support Colorado preservice and inservice teachers in effectively teaching students with disabilities online. This resource can be used as a learning module within preparation programs.

Resources:

Overview and Matrix (attached)
Workbook (attached)

Audience:

Preservice teachers
Inservice teachers

Title: Developing Aligned Purposeful Transition-Focused IEPs

Faculty Contact:

Lori Peterson, University of Northern Colorado

Description: This is an online special education professional renewal course focused on the development of transition-focused IEPs that encompass Indicator 13 compliance requirements as well as the development annual goals that support student attainment of their postsecondary goals. This course provides participants the opportunity to design transition-focused IEPs that guide educationally beneficial services, align with the student’s plans for their postsecondary life, meet legislative requirements, and verify a plan to provide educational benefit. This course may be taken for free via UNC Extended Campus or may be completed for credit.

Resource: UNC Extended Campus - EDSE 513

Audience:

Administrators
Pre-service educators
In-service educators

Title: Special Education Paraprofessional Pipeline Development

Faculty Contacts:

Jill Choate, Fort Lewis College
Tara Mason, Western Colorado University

Description: Faculty at Fort Lewis College and Western Colorado University recruited five paraprofessional and mentor special education teacher teams to create a pathway to a special education licensure residency or student teaching experience. The dyads attended five synchronous meetings developed by the grant partners. These meetings included information on:

IEP development
Assistive technology
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)/behavior
Co-teaching models
Gradual release of responsibility

The goal was to provide information and supports as mentor teachers worked towards gradual release of classroom responsibilities to paraprofessionals. These paraprofessionals also took part in an assistive technology cohort that was featured in Western’s 2020-2021 project.

Artifacts:

Open Educational Resource Training Course
Canvas Course shared on Canvas Commons; email faculty for course file

Audience:

Teacher educators
District-level professional development providers

2020-2021 CEEDAR Projects

Title: Project SITE: Sample IEPs for Teacher Education (Part 1)

Faculty Contacts:

Jennifer Fox, University of Colorado Denver
Marla Lohmann, Colorado Christian University
Tara Mason, Western Colorado University

Description: Faculty partners developed a bank of high-quality exemplar IEPs and embedded use of this resource into their teacher preparation programs. Project materials included a 300+ page IEP Open Educational Resource (OER) book that can be used to support teacher candidates and special education teams in Colorado (or nationally) by providing exemplar IEPs along with contrasting non-examples.

Resources: Link coming soon!

Audience:

Teacher preparation professionals
District-level administrators and coaches
Special education teachers

Title: Collaboration Between Special Education and Educational Leadership Program

Faculty Contacts:

Melissa Brydon, Regis University
Jerry Goings, Regis University

Description: The special education and educational leadership programs at Regis University engaged in collaborative course creation and revision to improve the skills of leaders related to students with disabilities.

Audience:

Special education faculty
Educational leadership faculty

Title: Embedding High Leverage Practices in Special Education Preparation Program

Faculty Contact:

Kathleen Randolph, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Description: This project promoted high-leverage practices (HLPs) in special education by

evaluating the use of HLPs in course content across the special education program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Faculty used the evaluation process to ensure that HLPs were embedded in the courses and added HLP content where applicable, using available resources from CEEDAR and Council for Exceptional Children.

Audience:

Teacher educators

Title: Implemented Structured Literacy in the Classroom: Module 2

Faculty Contacts:

Corey Pierce, University of Northern Colorado
Jennifer Urbach, University of Northern Colorado

Description: This is an online special education professional renewal course focused on elements related to the language comprehension side of the reading rope. Participants will discuss how these skills impact reading and identify strategies related to the subskills related to language comprehension. This module may be completed for free for professional development credit towards licensure renewal or may be completed for credit. This module is the second of two modules on structured literacy.

Resource:

UNC Extended Campus EDSE 513

Audience:

K-12 teachers and leaders, as well as parents, who are interested in learning about dyslexia and related interventions to support struggling readers

Title: Assistive Technology Alternative Special Education Teacher Cohort

Faculty Contact:

Tara Mason, Western Colorado University

Description: The purpose of this project was to recruit a cohort of special education teachers and provide them with innovative training related to the High Leverage Practices (HLPs), specifically related to literacy and assistive technology (AT). Western Colorado University recruited eight alternative special education teachers who enrolled in our graduate level program. We then implemented a set of professional development activities to enhance their use and implementation of AT tools for multimodal literacy in their K-12 special education programs within a year timeframe. AT cohort members practiced authentic implementation of AT and multimodal literacy supports across their residency year.

Resources:

Open Educational Resource Training Course
Canvas Course shared on Canvas Commons; email faculty for course file

Audience:

Teacher educators
District-level professional development providers

2019-2020 CEEDAR Projects

Title: Implemented Structured Literacy in the Classroom: Module 1

Faculty Contacts:

Corey Pierce, University of Northern Colorado
Jennifer Urbach, University of Northern Colorado

Description: This is an online special education professional renewal course that provides a basic introduction to structured literacy that can be used in the general K-3 classroom or with struggling readers. It explores strategies related to phonology, sound symbol relationship, syllables, spelling, morphology. This module may be completed for free for professional development credit towards licensure renewal or may be completed for credit. This module is the first of two modules on structured literacy.

Resource: UNC Extended Campus EDSE 513

Audience:

K-12 teachers and leaders, as well as parents, who are interested in learning about structured literacy for struggling readers

Title: Crosswalks of Colorado Educator Preparation Standards with Evidence-Based Practices

Faculty Contact:

Melissa Brydon, Regis University

Description: Regis University faculty created crosswalks mapping evidence-based practices from the CEEDAR Innovation Configurations to Colorado educator preparation standards. These crosswalks were used to revise 52 syllabi across 5 educator preparation programs spanning special education, general education, and educational leadership.

Audience:

Teacher educators

Title: Evidence-Based Classroom Management Resources

Faculty Contact:

Kathleen Randolph, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Description: Developed a resource bank of evidence-based classroom management resources and piloted as a coaching tool with recent program graduates placed in local districts.

Resources:

Behavior/Classroom Management Resource Bank (attached)

Audience:

Pk-12 teachers
Preservice teacher candidates
Educator preparation faculty

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