Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Five States Receive $39 Million in Grants to Prepare Students with Disabilities for College, Employment

  • 10/03/16

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of $39 million in grants to five states to help students with disabilities prepare for postsecondary education and competitive integrated employment. The states include: California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont.

“Students with disabilities need to have strong transition plans and goals to leave high school ready for college and careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “These awards will help states implement evidenced-based, work-based learning models to help break down barriers to employment.”

Under the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program, the funds will support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of people with disabilities.

Each grant will finance Work-Based Learning Model Demonstrations that spotlight effective practices offering work-based learning experiences to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

The projects will take place in integrated settings under the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program, in collaboration with state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs) and other key partners within the local community.

The grants are being funded through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Following is a list of the grants:

Recipient

Amount

California Department of Rehabilitation

$8,526,988

Maine Department of Labor

$9,000,000

Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services

$7,519,895

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

$5,000,000

Vermont Agency of Human Services

$8,998,338

Total

$39,045,221

Featured

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.