Technical Assistance and Training

CalSTAT Techincal Assitance and Training

State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Award 2012

In November 2012, the California Department of Education announced that California has been awarded a five-year, $11,000,000 federal grant to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. The new SPDG supports the teaching of reading by using evidence-based professional development for school staff of middle school students with disabilities. This support will take place in 44 competitively selected middle school sites in "high need" districts in California.

2012 SPDG abstract adobe acrobat (90kb) | HTML
2012 SPDG Project READ description adobe acrobat (559kb) | HTML
2012 SPDG Press Release adobe acrobat (135kb) | HTML

 

State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Award 2008

In September 2007, the California Department of Education was awarded $11 million in SPDG competition. In February 2008 the California Department of Education was notified that the new State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) funding was reduced by approximately half due to federal appropriations actions of the United States Congress. Significant changes to SPDG project activities were made to mitigate the impact affecting California’s delivery of planned activities for years 2 and 3 of the grant. Within 14 months of this notification, the SPDG funds were restored to their original funding amount.

State Performance Plan Synopsis adobe acrobat (52kb) HTML
SPDG Funding Letter adobe acrobat (33kb) HTML
SPDG Abstract adobe acrobat (112kb) HTML
SPDG Overview adobe acrobat (56kb) HTML
SPDG EVAL Overview adobe acrobat (248kb) HTML
SPDG Press Release adobe acrobat (52kb) HTML

 

State Improvement Grant 2004

After a competitive bidding process, the California Department of Education was awarded a second State Improvement Grant (SIG) from the federal government in the amount of $2.079 million dollars a year for three years. This grant allows the department to continue some of the work it began with the first SIG, which was received in 1998 and which was responsible for launching a series of broad-scale, collaborative partnerships that will be maintained, improved, and nourished by this flush of new money. The strength of the second successful SIG bid rode on the priority it gave to quantifiable systemic change and to research and effective practice, as well as on the capacity of its plans and goals to grow and expand to meet the needs of California’s large and diverse population. The work of the new SIG supports improving special education services in California in numerous areas:

  • Quality and number of teachers and other personnel who work with students with disabilities
  • Coordination of services for students with disabilities
  • Behavioral supports available for students with disabilities
  • Academic outcomes, especially in the area of literacy
  • Participation of parents and family members
  • Collection and dissemination of data

The grant has a significant site-based component that will make use of an entire network of educators who have been trained through the first SIG to assist schools in implementing research-proven behavioral approaches. The grant funds statewide and regional institutes begun through the first SIG to support collaborative partnerships for the betterment of special education services. And it continues to make available an extensive network of training and technical assistance opportunities for schools and educators throughout the state. Finally, the grant provides financial support for parents who have limited resources so that they are able to participate in systems-change efforts at the local, regional, and state levels.

Contact Information

All questions and communications should be addressed to SPDG Project Monitor Janet Digmon of the California Department of Education, Special Education Division at (916) 327-4217 or jdigmon@cde.ca.gov.

 

 

Last updated: 05/15/2013