ABSTRACT 

The purpose of this project is to reduce the shortage in minority- and non-minority-group research leaders in special education with expertise in minority issues. Research training will focus on research knowledge and skill concerning appropriate, effective practices for minority and non-minority students with disabilities within urban school settings. The assistance requested will provide financial support for up to 16 selected special education professionals to complete a one- or two-year post-doctoral fellowship. These professionals will be recent doctoral degree recipients, University faculty members, professional researchers, or LEA, SEA, or Federal agency staff, whose professional activities have a direct and clear line of impact upon the educational programs of minority children. Thus, the project will serve expressed national personnel preparation needs, including: (a) addressing shortages, and enhancing quality by updating doctoral level professionals in recent innovations in research knowledge, methods, technologies, and skills, (b) preparation of professionals to conduct research concerning minority-group children, and (c) preparation of professionals who train teachers or related personnel who serve minority children with disabilities.

Selected applicants will receive leadership experiences at the Juniper Gardens Children's Project in Kansas City, Kansas. The Project is an affiliate of the University of Kansas, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, the Kansas Mental Retardation Research Center, the Department of Special Education, and the Department of Human Development and Family Life. Building on methods developed in three previous Leadership Training Projects, each post-doctoral fellow will design an individualized program of study, selecting from among all available competency domains and skills, to acquire higher-level research skills and experiences; those known to characterize research leaders.  Compared to earlier programs, this application has been improved and upgraded in several areas including: the current portfolio of research projects at Juniper Gardens that provide the broader context for this leadership program; improvements in the traditional competencies and offerings that cross-cut conditions of disability, minority and linguistic issues, life span conditions, and settings including: early childhood special education, students with special needs, students with mild-moderate disabilities; addition of a new competency domain (Research to Practice); integration of the Goals 2000; and a larger, more diverse mentoring research faculty. Competency domains and skills that build on the past program include: (1) Current Research Topics and Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Students influencing special education research and practice, (2) effective practices with Diverse Students, (3) environmental assessment and analysis, (4) research designs appropriate to the analysis of growth/change in performance, (5) technology and computer applications, (6) research communications, and (7) experiences conducting research. Joining these domains is: (8) bridging the gap between research to practice because of its increasing relevance to research and implications for the improvement of special services.  This program represents a substantial impact on the number and quality of special education research leaders and the result of their work on the field's knowledge base. Number of trainees: Since 1983, 30 post-doctoral fellows have completed work in this leadership program. The assistance requested in this application will continue this trend, adding up to 16 more to the field by 2000. Impact on Others: Conservative estimates are that each Fellow on average directly impacts 816 other persons (e.g., graduate students, teachers, parents, other researchers, policy makers) each year after completing the program. Impact on the Knowledge Base of Special Education: Program data indicate that on average each Fellow produces 13 scholarly products (e.g., grants, peer reviewed publications, etc.) each year following the program and that their works are cited in the work of others at least twice per year. Quality of the program: The quality of the program is reflected in the number of graduate fellows with research careers (at all levels: investigators, administrators, mentors, service, and policy) and evaluations of the program by fellows and third party consumers.