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OSEP Discretionary Grant Description

Associate of Arts Degree in Paraeducation with an Emphasis on Special Education

CFDA Number:	84.325E
Program Name:	Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities
Competition Name:	Preparation of Personnel in Minority Institutions
Project Number:	H325E010033
Project Director:	Parsons, Sandra J.
Organization:	White Earth Tribal and Community College P.O. Box 478, 202-210 Main St. Mahnomen, Minnesota 56557-0478 218-935-0417
Beginning Date:	2001-06-01
Ending Date:	2005-05-31

Abstract

Purpose: The White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC), in collaboration with Minnesota State University-Moorhead (MSUM), will implement a certificate/Associate of Arts degree for paraeducators in accordance with the mission of WETCC, which is to prepare the residents of the Reservation and Native Americans in the region for increased opportunities for employment and incomes that provide a better life for their families.

Method: Public schools on the White Earth Reservation, in addition to a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school and three off-reservation schools, will participate in this program. The data shows that the majority of the teachers in all of the schools are European Americans and have not had the training or experience with the culture, language, or attitudes needed to work effectively with Native American children with disabilities, their parents, and their communities. Trained paraeducators with a Special Education emphasis will greatly enhance the classroom milieu for the students and teachers. The Associate of Arts degree will be aligned with the Special Education program at MSUM, a collaboration that will assure that students can matriculate into the MSUM special education teacher-training program. This collaborative project will include the administration and staff of the participating schools, MSUM faculty, and the parents of the children with disabilities. The objectives are to: 1) provide high quality preparation; 2) recruit and support 15 Native American students with a 100% retention rate; 3) maintain liaison with participating schools/university; 4) achieve a 50% matriculation rate; and 4) institutionalize the program.

Children to benefit from this project:

Age:	Elementary/Middle, Secondary
Disability:	Not Specified
Severity of Disability:	Not Specified
Ethnicity:	American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut
Geographic location:	Rural

Personnel Preparation Program Information:

Academic Degree to be Received:	Associates, Certificate
Program Focus:	Teachers
Trainee Ethnicity:	American Indian, Eskimo and Aleut

IDEA

Bobby Approved