PEERS Grant

In addition to meeting the need for increased highly qualified school personnel, the PEERS project will also address the need for improved educational services and outcomes for children who have high-intensity needs through interdisciplinary preparation training of special education teachers and occupational therapy related service personnel.

To be eligible to apply for this training grant, teacher applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Hold an initial or standard Illinois teaching certificate;
• Provide proof of a passing score on the Illinois Certification Test of Basic Skills/TAP test;
• Admission to the College of Education and the Special Education Learning Behavioral Specialist–I (LBS-I) Master's Degree Program;
• Good academic standing with at least a minimum overall GPA of 3.0;
• Completion of the PEERS Grant Application including submission of a personal statement, transcripts, a letter of support from the school principal agreeing to let the teacher candidate complete his/her internship experience in the school where he/she works;
• Completion of a PEERS interview with grant personnel.

To be eligible to apply for this training grant, Masters of Occupational Therapy (MOT) applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Admission to the MOT program;
• Currently in Year II of the Masters of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program;
• Good academic standing with at least a minimum overall GPA of 3.0;
• Completion of the PEERS Grant Application including submission of a personal statement and transcripts;
• Completion of a PEERS interview with grant personnel.

PEERS Scholars will be eligible to receive 1-1/2 years or 4 semesters of support which includes the following:

• Tuition, fees
• Books
• Conference support

The PEERS project will provide a targeted set of shared coursework, assignments, and coordinated practicum experiences that foster collaboration between the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) and the Master of Special Education Learning Behavioral Specialist - I (LBS-I) curriculums

In addition to completing the standard LBS-I or MOT curriculum, PEERS recipients will:

• Complete an interdisciplinary course targeting planning and adapting instruction for children with a variety of special needs.
• Participate in an induction/mentoring program which includes completing online discussion boards with CSU OT, special education faculty, and project mentors to examine issues related to special education and servicing children with disabilities.
• Design and disseminate an online seminar (e.g., webinar, podcast) related to evidence-based service delivery for children with disabilities.
• Complete a collaborative fieldwork/internship placement in a school-based setting.
• Implement a faculty-mentored research project related to children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs children.
• Disseminate results of research project at the annual PEERS conference.

For more information, please contact:

College of Health Sciences/Department                                                 College of Education/Special

of Occupational Therapy                                                                          Education Program

Dr. Regina Smith - Project Director                                                             Dr. Florah Luseno - Project Co-Director

Department of Occupational Therapy DH132                                             College of Education ED319

Email: rsmith31@csu.edu                                                                           Email: fluseno@csu.edu 

Phone: (773) 995-2531                                                                                 Phone: (773) 995-2078

 

 

This project is supported by US Department of Education (DOE) Personnel Preparation Grant # H325K170158. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of DOE.