This grant is specifically designed for students in Imperial County who are interested in pursuing an MA in Special Education with a specialization on Response to Intervention (RTI). The program calls for four semesters of coursework, including two summers and practica experiences each semester. All coursework and practica experiences will be held within Imperial County. Further, the grant will cover all tuition costs and provide fiscal support for additional professional growth. 

The goals of the project are to:

• Recruit, prepare, and graduate special education teachers who qualify for both the Level II certification and the Master of Arts Degree.
• Implement and refine an advanced preparation program that prepares special education teachers at the Level II clear certification and Master’s degree level to serve as a community of practice supporting one another in delivering research-validated practices; as mentors for new special education teachers; and as resources to general education teachers
• Implement and refine an evidence-based program that mentors teachers on the RTI model that is responsive to the cultural and linguistic diversity of the students of the region.
• Monitor and evaluate all project activities, both formatively and summatively; use formative evaluation data to guide program revision and improvement; and disseminate information on program design and success of the program to other agencies and universities.

Scholarship Terms (pdf file)

Also, students who accept this scholarship must agree to abide by all program, department and university regulations. Specifically, the grant program will require you to take certain classes in a certain sequence (more details are provided in the application); the department and university also have requirements that must be met in order to remain in good standing. Students who do not meet these requirements are automatically ineligible for scholarship support.