United Tribes Technical College receives $1.2 million grant to fund special education scholarships

The Meadowlark Project application process officially began on Sept. 1. Although students can apply at any time, Lisa Azure, the vice president of Academic Affairs at UTTC, recommends applying either this year or by the end of next year at the latest to ensure there’s ample time to complete coursework and graduate on schedule. Additionally, funding will be granted to only 12 students who are approved for the program.

This grant will enable students to take six courses designed to prepare them to work with children with diverse learning needs and disabilities. The Meadowlark Project will also support their preparation for the special education certification exam, helping them become licensed special education teachers.

“There’s a significant shortage of special education teachers in the country, but particularly in tribal communities,” said Azure. “And so, what’s happening now is that to respond to this shortage, states are changing the licensure requirements to teach special education.”

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that all children and youth with disabilities receive a free public education, emphasizing special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is responsible for implementing the policies and procedures of the IDEA.

According to a 2021 data set from DPI, there are 1,208 fully qualified and certified special education paraprofessionals for school-age children in North Dakota. Altogether, there are 1,448 special education paraprofessionals for school-age children in the state, with 240 of those paraprofessionals reported to be unqualified.

Special education teacher requirements in North Dakota have been adjusted. Before, a master’s degree was mandatory. Now, only a bachelor’s degree is needed.

Even though adjustments have been made Azure assures that students will still learn essential skills and be prepared when they eventually take the exam for their certification. “Having this special education coursework helps you be more of a diagnostician as an educator and get to the root of the child’s learning challenge,” she said.

To keep the funding, Meadowlark project recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all of their education courses and work as special education teachers after graduation.

“They have to commit to a payback obligation,” said Azure. “When they complete their degree, they have to commit to teaching in the field of special education. And after a period of time, it [the funding] will be considered a grant and they don’t have to pay it back. If they choose not to, then there is a chance that they would have to pay back the Department of Education for the funds that they received.”

Azure knows how difficult it is to balance school, work and family. The funding from the Meadowlark Project is supposed to ease student’s stress and give them more time to focus on their education.

“An elementary education curriculum is time-consuming because there’s a lot of coursework, but there’s also a lot of field placements –– practicums and field experiences,” she said. “In addition to that, we require 14 weeks of student teaching. So it’s real hard for students in these programs, with this workload to be able to work and get extra income.”

“We have graduates who are principals, superintendents, special education teachers and regular teachers, as well as graduates who have gone into other areas related to education and not in-the-classroom teaching,” said Azure. “They’ve just really made an impact, particularly in tribal communities.”