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New Orleans schools are getting just under $1.5 million for programs targeting students with disabilities, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday. In August, the department launched Believe and Include, a $4 million competitive grant program aimed at providing money to schools to develop innovative programs that help students with disabilities achieve proficiency to the more rigorous national testing standards the state is in the process of adopting.
Each grant recipient includes at least three schools inside a district or charter organization and was funded at a maximum rate of $50,000 per school.
The KIPP New Orleans network received $450,000, the Algiers Charter School Association's eight West Bank schools received $400,000; FirstLine Schools received $300,000; Choice Foundation received $150,000; and Morris Jeff Community School received just under $200,000.
Morris Jeff plans to use the money to bring new technology into the classroom and add teacher training and oversight, according to the department. That school's grant is a partnership with McDonogh City Park Academy, Andrew Wilson in Broadmoor and New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School in Uptown. KIPP is creating "a multidisciplinary health and wellness team" in each of its nine schools.
The Choice Foundation schools -- Esperanza in Mid-City, Lafayette Academy in Carrollton and McDonogh 42 in the 7th Ward -- are focusing on math.
"Math is a critical area," said Dr. Gale Naquin, the Choice Foundation's director of special education. "Our students were behind the state and also behind their general-ed peers."
The schools don't currently have math software that is specialized for different disabilities, she said. Some students also require assistive technologies such as special keyboards or voice-controlled computers.
Charter school opponents have at times raised concerns over how well charters educate students with disabilities. Naquin rebutted the notion.
"We know we're doing an excellent job," she said, pointing to the range of services the network offers, from occupational therapy to Braille instruction.
The state is aiming to make these grants an annual affair, Landry said. The 2012 recipients must spend the money by Sept. 30.
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/12/grants_target_innovative_speci.html
Each grant recipient includes at least three schools inside a district or charter organization and was funded at a maximum rate of $50,000 per school.
The KIPP New Orleans network received $450,000, the Algiers Charter School Association's eight West Bank schools received $400,000; FirstLine Schools received $300,000; Choice Foundation received $150,000; and Morris Jeff Community School received just under $200,000.
Morris Jeff plans to use the money to bring new technology into the classroom and add teacher training and oversight, according to the department. That school's grant is a partnership with McDonogh City Park Academy, Andrew Wilson in Broadmoor and New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School in Uptown. KIPP is creating "a multidisciplinary health and wellness team" in each of its nine schools.
The Choice Foundation schools -- Esperanza in Mid-City, Lafayette Academy in Carrollton and McDonogh 42 in the 7th Ward -- are focusing on math.
"Math is a critical area," said Dr. Gale Naquin, the Choice Foundation's director of special education. "Our students were behind the state and also behind their general-ed peers."
The schools don't currently have math software that is specialized for different disabilities, she said. Some students also require assistive technologies such as special keyboards or voice-controlled computers.
Charter school opponents have at times raised concerns over how well charters educate students with disabilities. Naquin rebutted the notion.
"We know we're doing an excellent job," she said, pointing to the range of services the network offers, from occupational therapy to Braille instruction.
The state is aiming to make these grants an annual affair, Landry said. The 2012 recipients must spend the money by Sept. 30.
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/12/grants_target_innovative_speci.html
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