Need For The Project Jennifer Doolittle, Ph.D. April 23, 2009

The NEED FOR THE PROJECT is the foundation of the SPDG application  Scoring criteria — the range of points awarded is 0 — 19  The needs identified should be the underlying basis for justifying OSEP funding your project.  These needs should relate to the other components of the SPDG (e.g., significance, project design, resources, management plan and evaluation).

First Rule: Address only those needs that are relevant to the SPDG application  DO NOT include a global summary of the entire universe of a state's needs. –This will cloud the identification of relevant issues, and –make it difficult for the reviewers to identify what you are applying for in your SPDG application.  DO highlight the uniqueness of your State.

2 nd Rule: Use data to support the needs you have identified  Use SPP/APR data  619 data  State certification data  PBS State Evaluation Data  NAEP

The Need for Project should provide information about the following areas:  Specific gaps in services –Nature and magnitude of the gaps in services  Specific weaknesses in services –Nature and magnitude of the weaknesses in services

Provide information about… (cont.)  Infrastructure: both existing and any projected additions to/ changes in infrastructure resulting from the SPDG grant activities  Opportunities identified that are existing and to what extent they will be addressed by the proposed SPDG project

Specific gaps or weaknesses in services  Some gaps/weaknesses in services related to state personnel development that are commonly addressed are: –Lack of a PD delivery system –Shortages of specific personnel such as Speech/Language, OT, PT etc.. –Desire to increase minority representation in specific personnel areas

Gaps cont.  Recruitment and retention of hard to fill positions such as special education teachers who serve students identified as emotionally disturbed  In-service needs related to meeting the HQ requirements for special education staff  Need for specialized training to meet the evolving needs of a specific disability population. Ex: ABA training for Autism

Gaps cont.  Need for updated training in specific areas to Improve the outcomes for students with disabilities in content areas  Need to redesign the provision of professional development to address rural geographic issues  Para-professional needs  And more!

Nature and magnitude of the gaps or weaknesses in services  It is critical that you indicate how serious of a need this is, remembering Rule # 2 that you support the magnitude of the need with data.  The need may be specific to a low incidence group, but the magnitude of need for that group may be very significant.

Example: ABA personnel training  Example: While the percentage of students with Autism account for only 4 % of the state's special education population the incidence of identification of students with Autism has increased 250% over the past three years. (State would provide data supporting this statement).

Example cont.  Of those students identified with Autism approximately 45% of their IEPs require services involving ABA staff or ABA related activities. Currently we have been able to identify only 10 ABA certified staff in the state. In addition, surveys of 820 special education professional staff serving students with Autism have identified a need for training related to ABA in their top 3 priorities

Existing infrastructure and any projected changes in infrastructure resulting from the grant activities  It is helpful to provide your state's demographics and service delivery models to provide context for what you are proposing in your grant but be concise. –Reviewers just need to know those aspects of infrastructure that relate to what you are proposing.

Example: State demographics and service delivery model(s)  There are 501 school districts and 123 Charter Schools in our state that serve as LEAs for the provision of FAPE for students with disabilities. The total enrollment of students with disabilities (age 3-21) in the state is 310,692, which comprises 14% of the total student enrollment.  Of the total 624 LEAs, 123 serve students designated as rural with total school district enrollments of less than (X) students.

Example cont.  Our current professional development delivery model is provided through a 3-tier system. The first tier (provide a brief description of your system)...  The turnover rate for special education teachers in these designated rural LEAS is the highest in the state (provide data).  Our proposal of a distance learning model delivery system of professional development to improve our infrastructure is based on …

Opportunities that exist and to what extent they will be addressed by the proposed project  Provide concise information that is applicable to the needs you are addressing in the SPDG.

Example  In our state's attempts to address the needs of retention of special education teachers in our small rural school districts, we have recently initiated a pilot, with an IHE, of a distance learning model delivery system of professional development.  The initial results of that pilot are....( provide data regarding this opportunity).

In Summary  The NEED FOR PROJECT section should address those needs that are relevant to the SPDG application.  Use data to support the needs you have identified.  Be concise.  Ensure that design flows from need.