Paraprofessional Pre-Service Program Improvement Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Education is offering $1.5 million for up to 10 Paraprofessional Pre-Service Program Improvement Grants. The purpose of the grant is to improve services and results for children with disabilities.

These grants are designed to help improve the quality of existing paraprofessional certificate or associate degree programs at colleges and universities. Institutions receiving support must enhance or re-design the program curricula so that paraprofessionals are well prepared to work with children with disabilities and their families.

There are two focus areas under this criteria, including:

1. Improvement of early intervention, early childhood special education, and early childhood education paraprofessional pre-service programs.
2. Improvement of K-12 paraprofessional pre-service programs

Note: The two focus areas under this priority only support the improvement of existing EI, ECSE, and ECE or K through 12 paraprofessional preservice programs. This priority does not support the development of new paraprofessional preservice programs, nor does it provide for financial support of paraprofessional students during any year of the project. Projects training paraprofessionals in other related services, speech/language or adapted physical education are not eligible under these focus areas.

The deadline for submission is November 3, 2009.

For more information please contact Shedeh Hajghassemali at 202-245-7506.

You can find a synopsis of this grant opportunity available here.

For the full Federal Register notice on the funding opportunity, please visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-21436.htm