University of Oregon receives $20M grant to support students with disabilities

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The University of Oregon received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support youth with disabilities. The funding will bolster the university's transition services, which help students prepare for graduation, the workforce, and independent living.

Experts estimate that 2 million high school students, or about 13% of the total high school population, have physical, emotional, or other disabilities. Research indicates these students graduate and enter the workforce at lower rates than their peers without disabilities. University of Oregon currently ranks third in the country for special education research.

Researchers at University of Oregon-College of Education will lead a collaborative effort with five other universities to assist state and local agencies. These agencies work directly with students as they prepare to graduate, enter the workforce and live independently.

Deanne Unruh serves as the co-director of the College of Education's Secondary Special Education and Transition Research unit. She explained that the initiative focuses on supporting state organizations to create broader impact.

"We know that change happens at the state and local level; so this is an efficiency model with states as the true change agents," Unruh said.

The initiative involves a group of experts from George Washington University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Maryland, University of Kansas, and Portland State University.

Unruh noted the group includes many of the researchers who developed evidence-based practices for transition work.

"Our team is comprised of many of the people who have led the research that provides the evidence-based practices for this work, so I really consider this a dream team," Unruh said.

The center's responsibilities include helping state agencies collect valid data on student performance and delivering professional development to educators. Staff members also work to improve engagement with families and implement career pathways for students. These technical assistance services are provided free of charge to the states.

Caroline MaGee is a researcher in the Department of Secondary Special Education and Transition. She highlighted the university's role as a national resource for transition programming.

"We are a trusted source of research, information and resources," MaGee said.

University of Oregon researchers have reported significant growth in the capacity of state and local agencies to serve students with disabilities. Recent data indicates that graduation and employment gaps between disabled and nondisabled youth are closing. Under the new grant, the university will provide fiscal and technical leadership for the center, which maintains affiliated staff members in 18 states.

Unruh noted that agencies often face challenges due to differing state laws and data collection requirements.

"Agencies from state to state have different measurement outcomes, different data collection rules and they have different rules and responsibilities that are related to the laws that govern their agencies," Unruh said. She added that the center focuses on improving collaboration between these different groups, stating that the center has a "proven and unparalleled track record of improving results."

The university's focus on transition services began in 1987 under education researcher Andrew Halpern. He established one of the first academic departments in the United States dedicated to studying the needs of students with disabilities. Although Halpern died in 2008, the university remains a leader in the field and is currently ranked third in the country for special education research.