Project SPIDERS faculty and doctoral students present at the annual Council for Exceptional Children Conference

UNF Project SPIDERS faculty and doctoral students attended and presented at the annual Council for Exceptional Children Conference (CEC) in Louisville, KY. CEC is the largest professional organization serving people and students with disabilities in the world. Project SPIDERS, School-University Partnerships Influencing aDvocacy and Engaging Rural Special Educators, is a grant from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The SPIDERS grant is a collaborative doctoral fellowship between the University of North Florida, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Louisville. Project SPIDERS prepares special education personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in high need rural school systems.

At CEC, SPIDERS scholars had an opportunity to meet with special education faculty from across the nation and to participate in mentoring sessions focused on the special education policy, dissertation research, and teacher education. In addition, SPIDERS scholars led by UNF faculty Drs. David Hoppey and Pamela Williamson presented on a collaborative qualitative research study, What’s Special about Special Educational Leadership in Rural Settings? Understanding Rural Leadership for Access and Equity. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to create a model that explains how access and equity is enacted in rural communities.

During the conference, the Teacher Education Division (TED) of CEC hosted Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is a venue for doctoral student researchers to present professionally and receive constructive feedback from faculty reviewers. Three UNF scholars presented their research during this session. Jodi Nagel presented on Increasing Inclusive Teaching Practices: Least Restrictive Environment and Educator Preparation, Andrea Smith shared Professional development in MTSS and RTI for Pre-Service Teachers, and Cari McGee presented on Minding the Gap: Exploring Belonging Among African American Students with Disabilities.

After the conference, SPIDERS faculty and doctoral scholars met at the University of Louisville for a retreat on Saturday March 4, 2023. During this workshop SPIDERS scholars and faculty from Florida, Oklahoma, and Kentucky met to discuss ongoing collaborative research, shared outreach efforts related to professional learning in rural settings, and group policy projects that the scholars will collaborate on over the duration of the grant.