UT College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Receives $3.7 Million for Multi-Institution Special Education Doctoral Program

January 5, 2022 by Rebekah Goode

UT College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Receives $3.7 Million for Multi-Institution Special Education Doctoral Program

Preparing the next generation of special education teachers and researchers through a collaborative, multi-institution project

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It’s not every day that faculty researchers have an opportunity to design and implement a project using the same grant competition that funded their own doctoral training. For Tara Moore, associate professor of special education in the Department of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, this is becoming her reality.

Moore and colleagues, Zoi Traga-Philippakos, and Kristen Secora, will receive a $3.7 million grant from the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to provide doctoral-level training for future researchers and preparers of special education personnel. This project, Researching Interventions in Special Education (RISE) Scholars Network, is a collaboration between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and Texas A&M University.

Tara Moore longed for a career where she could connect with and give back to her community after completing her undergraduate studies in sociology at UT. She moved back to her hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee, and began working as a special education teacher in her home district. From there, she began her training to become a licensed special education teacher.

While teaching, Moore became especially interested in students who exhibited challenging behaviors and learning difficulties. She pursued graduate studies at Vanderbilt University where she learned more about how to serve and support these students.

“I went on to enter the Special Education PhD program at Vanderbilt, where I was funded by the same OSEP doctoral training grant competition as the one that is funding the RISE Scholars Network,” explained Moore.

“After completing my doctoral training, I was really lucky to be able to find a position at UT, a top tier university for teacher preparation, where I can continue to give back to communities, teachers, and students in my home state,” Moore continued, “I am thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to our PhD students here at UT.”

Kristen Secora, assistant professor of deaf education and special education in TPTE and a speech pathologist by training, expressed similar sentiments.

After working in the public school system to complete her national certification, Secora “realized that a lot was lacking from intervention practices in public schools related to developing and expanding language for kids.”

“I joined the faculty at UT to support current and pre-service educators with the training and resources they need in order to best support communication for their students,” shared Secora. “I love that I get to do that by investing in the next generation of educators and related service providers.”

The RISE project will provide support to twelve PhD candidates across the three universities. While the universities involved might seem random, they are actually the result of an intentional, coordinated effort by the partnering institutions.

Zoi Traga-Philippakos, associate professor of literacy education in TPTE, explained, “I was contacted by a colleague at the University of Nebraska who was instrumental in coordinating the collaboration across the three universities. The goal was to submit a leadership grant in true collaboration with the other faculty and institutions.”

During the RISE program, doctoral candidates will develop social and professional networks with students and faculty from the partnering institutions; learn from leaders in the field; and work collaboratively to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and learning and behavioral difficulties. Perhaps what’s most unique about this project is that scholars and faculty will have opportunities to travel to the three partnering universities to foster cross-university collaboration and networking.

“When we were writing the proposal, my colleagues and I kept saying, ‘We want to be students in this program!’” Moore recounted, enthusiastically. “We are all very excited!”

In addition to the educational and professional supports, RISE will provide funding to the PhD candidates. Participating scholars could receive up to five years of funding totaling over $230,000, which will cover tuition, health insurance, travel expenses, dissertation support, technology needs, and an annual living stipend.

Ellen McIntyre, CEHHS dean, is equally excited about the launch of this groundbreaking project: “I am thrilled we are able to provide scholarships for doctoral candidates to get the very best training possible through these exceptional faculty members. They will prepare these new scholars with the best science and a focus on the needs kids, teachers, and schools will have in the future.”

For Traga-Philippakos, involvement in this project aligns beautifully with her personal mission and self-described “calling” in life.

Hailing from a family that values education and educators, “I loved reading and learning from a young age, and I think my calling was the world of education,” she recalled. “I have a strong belief in the power of education to be a source and force of change, and I strive, through my research, to create equal learning opportunities for all learners so that they can make choices.”

In her work at UT, Traga-Philippakos focuses on designing interventions and assessments and works directly with classroom teachers and students in research, evaluating such interventions and their professional development models. “Recently, I have added to my research interests teacher preparation programs and the ways we, as knowledgeable researchers and teaching faculty, prepare future teachers to support young learners in classrooms,” she explained.

It is undeniable that the RISE program will change lives, both of those participating in the program and of the students and communities they will serve. From this initial cohort of PhD candidates at the three partnering universities will grow a strong network of scholars that will change special education teacher preparation training as we know it. For now, we’re excited to see this groundbreaking project unfold.

“My first childhood dream was to be a scientist. I landed into the field of special education somewhat accidentally,” said Moore, “But having the opportunity to complete my graduate studies fully funded truly changed not only my career, but also my life in so many ways.”

“Now, as a faculty member in special education, my work is centered around my interests and my passions: I’m a scientist, I’m a teacher, I mentor students to conduct research, and I help to prepare and support teachers to use effective approaches to improve student outcomes. I am so happy to pass on this opportunity to the next generation of special education leaders!”

If you would like to learn more about the RISE Scholars Network or apply to the program, visit risescholarsnetwork.org.

To download a PDF about the RISE Scholars Network project, click here.

NSF Grant to Advance Racial Justice in Elementary Education Mathematics

July 1, 2021 by Rebekah Goode

NSF Grant to Advance Racial Justice in Elementary Education Mathematics

Black and Latinx parents in urban schools will lead change and advance racial justice in their children’s elementary mathematics classes with the help of a National Science Foundation-funded research project conducted by Frances Harper, assistant professor of STEM and Mathematics Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education.

Harper, who was recently awarded a $697,306 CAREER grant for this project, explains, “Mathematics education research tells us a lot about how to support Black and Latinx children to become confident and capable learners and doers of mathematics. Unfortunately, the politics at play in urban schools and racial stereotypes about mathematics ability make it so that few Black and Latinx children ever have an opportunity to engage with mathematics through those research-based practices.”

Through critical, community-engaged scholarship and in collaboration with ten Black and Latinx families, ten teachers, and two community organizations, the research team will co-design and co-study two educational programs aimed at advancing racial justice in elementary mathematics.

While Black and Latinx families often persist in supporting their individual children, a shift toward collective organizing among parents as change agents in school mathematics is necessary for meeting the needs of every student. This project explores possibilities for localized change lead by parents. By making explicit how to foster and increase Black and Latinx parents’ engagement in solidarity with community organizations and teachers, this project could provide a model for other communities and schools seeking to advance racial justice in mathematics education.

“I’ve had an opportunity to work with some amazing teachers who are dedicated to making mathematics education more equitable in their classrooms, but the impact of teachers is limited,” said Harper. “I am very excited to work with another group of stakeholders who are passionate about supporting Black and Latinx children in elementary mathematics – the children’s parents and caregivers! Parents and caregivers are uniquely positioned to advocate for their children’s best interests and to demand school-wide reforms to encourage research-based practices.”

Here is how the project will work: The first program will seek to build parents’ capacity to catalyze change across classrooms and schools within their local communities; and the second program will provide teacher professional development that supports elementary teachers of mathematics to learn with and from Black and Latinx families. A mixed methods research design that utilizes narrative inquiry and social network analysis will facilitate refinement of the educational program models by addressing two research objectives: (1) to understand the lived experiences of Black and Latinx parents as they build capacity to lead change and (2) to study the development, nature, and impact of parent-teacher-community partnerships that promote a shared vision for racial justice in mathematics.

“By the end of the project,” explains Harper, “the goal is to bring together a dedicated group of teachers, parents and caregivers, and community partners who can lead change in the mathematics education of Black and Latinx children.”

$1 Million Grant Bringing Culturally Relevant Robotics to Two Knox County Schools

September 15, 2020 by Rebekah Goode

$1 Million Grant Bringing Culturally Relevant Robotics to Two Knox County Schools

Three faculty from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) were recently awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Computer Science for All program. This funding will bring Culturally Relevant Robotics to Fair Garden Preschool and Sam E. Hill Primary School in the Knoxville area. The research team is made up of Frances Harper, assistant professor in CEHHS’ Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, Lori Caudle, and Margaret Quinn, both assistant professors in CEHHS’ Child and Family Studies. Amir Sadovnik, assistant professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in UT’s Tickle College of Engineering, and Darelene Greene, preschool instructional coach for Knox County Schools, as well as community stakeholders, school administrators, preschool teachers, and Black and Latinx children and their families will help with the work of the grant.

Through the Culturally Relevant Robotics Program, children from culturally and linguistically diverse groups will use robots and other digital technologies to support computer science learning in ways that build on home- and community-based resources and experiences. Families and teachers will work alongside the research team as they investigate the impact of the program on Black and Latinx children’s development of computational thinking and their sense of belonging in computer science. Although computational thinking is recognized as a critical, 21st century skill needed for academic and career success, little research has been done on the early access and socialization of computer science among young children from these demographics.

Across the three years, the Culturally Relevant Robotics Program will positively impact hundreds of preschoolers, families, and preschool teachers in Lonsdale and East Knoxville communities. It will increase and improve the teaching of computer science in local, urban preschool and provide families and educators with teaching models that meet the specific needs of their diverse communities. Additionally, this project will improve preschool curriculum by highlighting the ways that intersectional identities, such as race, gender, and class, can impact how children view themselves within the world of computer science. Developing an interest in computer science and robotics for children at an early age could lead to an increase in computer science degrees and diversify the computer science workforce.