Name: Minnesota Department of Education
PR Award #: H323A150010
City, State: Roseville, MN
Project Director: Robyn Widley
Project Director email: robyn.widley@state.mn.us
Purpose
Minnesota’s State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) project aligns proposed grant activities with our Part B and Part C State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIP). Building upon the successes accomplished during the previous SPDG, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is invested in building the capacity of local educational agencies (LEAs), through the use of implementation science, in the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Through implementation of evidence-based professional development, instructional practices, and intervention activities, we expect to improve graduation rates of Black and American Indian students with disabilities, and increase the likelihood of future school and life success for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.
Method
SPDG activities include training and coaching in evidence-based practices identified through the SSIP process in partnership with identified districts and multiple internal and external stakeholders, as well as implementation of the Autism Navigator. Populations benefiting from this grant include staff in the partner districts and Part C providers across Minnesota. The evaluation will use qualitative and quantitative methods, engaging multiple perspectives so information may be used for multiple purposes and ensure it meets the needs of all stakeholders. The evaluation will use existing data sources, construct evaluation instruments as needed, use multiple data-collection procedures, and cross-check findings.