The Department of Special Education (SPED) in the UH Mānoa College of Education was awarded a $1.25M grant by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. The five-year leadership project, named Ke Alaka‘i: Special Education Leadership Project, provided tuition and stipend support to six qualified PhD scholars who are preparing to become university faculty members for special education in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region.
“There is a need to increase the numbers of special education faculty throughout the United States to address the chronic and severe shortage of special education teachers serving children with disabilities in the schools,” Professor Mary Jo Noonan said. “Without sufficient university faculty, there cannot be sufficient special education teachers.”
Noonan, who is the PhD in Education Program Chair and Coordinator of the Exceptionalities Specialization, says Ke Alaka‘i will focus on the needs of the Hawai‘i Pacific region. Evidence-based practices will address low student performance, regional diversity, and the geographic isolation of pre-service teachers. Recruitment of PhD applicants ended on October 1, 2016. Contact spedinfo@hawaii.edu for more information.