Grant will boost MSU special education, psychology students

Nov. 11—MANKATO — Minnesota State University's special education graduate and psychology doctoral students will soon be able to collaborate in the classroom in preparation for doing so out in their respective fields.

A recent a five-year, $1.2 million grant by the U.S Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs will allow them the opportunity.

The grant will fund Project PASS-IT, which stands for "Promoting Academic Success of Students with high-intensity needs through Interdisciplinary Training."

Project PASS-IT is a new graduate program at MSU designed for special education teachers and school psychologists.

According to the program's initial proposal, its purpose is to "prepare scholars to lead collaborative efforts to utilize current evidence-based practices that maximize the academic achievement of students who have high-intensity needs, including students with Specific Learning Disabilities."

Students accepted into the two-year program will receive funding to cover 30 credits of tuition and a stipend for books and supplies.

Similarly, during the course of the five-year grant period, Project PASS-IT will also provide funding for approximately 36 graduate students enrolled in the special education master's and school psychology doctoral programs.

"The work really started at least three years ago in collaboration with my colleagues Alex Hilt-Panahon in my department and Shawna Petersen-Brown in the Department of Psychology," said Dana Wagner, associate professor and graduate program coordinator in the Department of Special Education at MSU.

Wagner got to know Peterson-Brown through working with some of her doctoral students, despite being in different departments.

"I had previous experiences collaborating with school psychologists that were very positive," Wagner said. "When I was a special education teacher and as a special education researcher, I have collaborated with school psychology practitioners and researchers, and these experiences have been productive. We were all aware of this grant opportunity and we wanted to bring this collaborative work to our students."

Through their efforts, the grant will provide students in both the special education master's and school psychology doctoral programs at MSU the opportunity to work together in coursework and field-based experiences while in the program, which was not available to students before.

Wagner highlighted the importance of collaboration within different fields of study.

"Research and my own experiences demonstrate that interdisciplinary work between special educators and school psychologists leads to effective practices in the field," she said.

Her colleague in psychology, Peterson-Brown, agrees.

"Collaboration between school psychologists and special educators helps us as professionals do our jobs better but, most importantly, it also helps students learn better," she said.

The program will have four cohorts. Applications for the first one closed on Nov. 1 and classes for it will begin in January.

Those interested in applying for future cohorts can do so on MSU's website: https://ed.mnsu.edu/academic-programs/special-education/project-pass-it/project-pass-it-scholar-application/

"The ideal candidate for the special education program is someone who is a novice special education teacher, has maybe been in the field for a year or two and is interested in deepening their knowledge and skills through graduate work," Wagner said.

"At the end of the program, they would earn their masters and they would also earn an additional special education license."

With many different areas of special education licensing, the graduate program training will give those enrolled more specialized knowledge on working with students who have specific learning disabilities.

"I'm proud and really thrilled that special educators and school psychologists are going to have this opportunity," Wagner said.