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Oct. 8, 2014

Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Grant Title: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training—Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling
(2014-2019)
Funder: Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education
Founding Amount: $999,732
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennipher Wiebold
Co-Principal Investigator:Dr. Patrick Munley

The purpose of the long term training grant in vocational rehabilitation counseling is to prepare 30 qualified rehabilitation counselors (RC) with an emphasis in employer relations to facilitate job placement for/with people with disabilities seeking competitive employment.  The grant is also designed to produce rehabilitation counseling graduates to meet the significant personnel shortages in the field. CECP will offer master’s degrees to support Â鶹´«Ã½s seeking the rehabilitation counseling degree with an emphasis in employer relations option offered at WMU.

Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

Grant Title: Power Analyses for Moderator and Mediator Effects in Cluster Randomized Trials (2014-2016)
Funder: National Science Foundation      
Founding Amount: $799,688
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jessaca Spybrook
Co-Principal Investigator:Professor Ben Kelcey at the University of Cincinnati ($289,949) and Professor Nianbo Dong at the University of Missouri ($243,552).

The purpose of the project is to improve the planning and design of multilevel studies throughout the social sciences by (1) developing power analysis formulas to estimate the probability with which a design can detect multilevel mediation and moderation effects if they exist and (2) implementing these formulas in software.

Grant Title: First in the World (2014-2018)
Funder: U.S. Department of Education
Founding Amount: $3,217,511
Principal Investigator: Dr. Andrea Beach
Co-Principal Investigator:Dr. Charles Henderson, Dr. Steve Magura, and Dr. Martha Warfield

The purpose of the project is to use the unique Â鶹´«Ã½ afforded by the existence of the Kalamazoo Promise to build an institutional culture focused on increased access and degree completion for underrepresented, underprepared or low-income Â鶹´«Ã½s. Dr. Andrea Beach (PI) in collaboration with Dr. Charles Henderson (co-PI) will implement two innovation strategies that is ground in sound research to reach transformation of the culture at WMU that is systematic and measurable, and transferable to other universities. One of two strategies with groups of first-year Â鶹´«Ã½s, and the project team will measure the relative outcomes. The second approach will be to build mentoring relationships through professional learning communities on campus comprised of the Â鶹´«Ã½s plus faculty, staff and administrators and focused on identifying and addressing barriers to and supports for Â鶹´«Ã½ success.

Departments of Special Education and Literacy Studies and Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

Grant Title: Developing a Leadership Pipeline and Turning Around Schools Simultaneously (2014-2017)
Funder: U.S. Department of Education
Founding Amount: $1,999,701
Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Whitten
Co-PIs:Dr. Jianping Shen and Dr. Luchara Wallace

The project is designed to develop and implement a leadership pipeline that will recruit and select 20 teacher leaders and five principals from priority schools as well as other schools from each district, with a total of 40 teacher leaders and 10 principals from Battle Greek Public Schools and Flint Community Schools districts. This project aims to achieve two purposes simultaneously―to develop a leadership pipeline and improve Â鶹´«Ã½ outcomes of the priority and other schools. Dr. Elizabeth Whitten (PI) in collaboration with Dr. Jianping Shen and Dr. Luchara Wallace will provide expertise and evaluation tools to enhance  the skills necessary for the leadership to turn around low-performing schools; to provide high-quality training to selected school leaders to prepare them to successfully lead turnaround efforts; to place school leaders in low-performing schools and provide them with ongoing professional development and other support that focuses on instructional leadership and school management based on individual needs; and to retain effective school leaders—using financial or other incentives—and replace ineffective school leaders.

Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies

Grant Title: National Technical Assistance Center on Improving Transition to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students with Disabilities (2015-2019)
Funder: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education
Founding Amount: $2,208,855
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paula Kohler

The purpose of this proposed center will be to assist SEAs, LEAs, state VR agencies, and other VR service providers to implement evidence-based and promising practices and strategies that ensure Â鶹´«Ã½s with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities, graduate from high school with the knowledge, skills, and supports needed for success in postsecondary education and employment.