The goal in receiving the grant is to expand equitable educational opportunities for Montana’s youth with disabilities by preparing a new generation of highly qualified special education teachers through an accessible, flexible certificate program.
The project is ongoing, but we have made substantial progress toward each of the five objectives:
- Develop and launch accessible special education coursework designed for working educators, including educators in rural and underserved communities across Montana.
- Develop approaches for recognizing and building upon educators’ prior classroom experience to reduce barriers, costs, and time to completion.
- Recruit and support mentor teachers in rural districts to provide field-based guidance, strengthen local school partnerships, and provide meaningful place-based experiences.
- Increase the number of individuals pursuing special education licensure in Montana, with particular attention to rural and high-need schools.
- Establish a scalable and sustainable certificate model that can expand statewide.
Thank you, Diane and Trustees, for this amazing gift. I hope you can see the tremendous impact your support has had on our ability to expand this meaningful work. You are a valued partner, and we look forward to continuing our work in ways that honor the DL Fresh Foundation and your passion for creating outstanding educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Sincerely,
Leslie Rogers
Assistant Professor and Department Head
Department of Education
Montana State University
