FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Nov. 2, 2010)
Contact: Michael Benz, Director, 979-845-1372 or mbenz@tamu.edu, or Kelsey Johnson, Communications Specialist, 979-862-4990 or kelsey_johnson@tamu.edu
Center Receives Renewal Funding, Announces Five New Projects
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – Having received five-year grant renewal funding over the summer, the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University is pleased to announce new projects that expand the Center's research, education and outreach activities.
Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text (PACT)
Deborah Simmons and colleagues have received a five-year research grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to improve reading comprehension among students in grades 7–12. Collaborators include reading, measurement and cognition experts from multiple universities in Texas and Florida. This team will (a) conduct basic research on cognition and motivation related to reading comprehension by adolescents, (b) design and experimentally evaluate classroom-based interventions focused on improving comprehension of text in social studies and English language arts, and (c) investigate conditions associated with successful scale-up of interventions in middle schools and high schools. PACT is one of five grants awarded by IES to establish a national research and development network designed to improve reading comprehension in students from preschool to high school.
Texas AgrAbility Project
Rick Peterson, with Texas AgriLife Extension, and colleagues have received a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the Texas AgrAbility Project. An estimated 50,000 farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers in Texas have some type of disability. Through an innovative partnership with state and local agencies, Texas AgrAbility will provide customized assessments, home modification, and adaptive equipment to help farmers/ranchers and their families remain engaged in production agriculture.
Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living (BVCIL)
Jackie Pacha and colleagues have received a five-year federal grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to establish the BVCIL. The BVCIL is a cross-disability, consumer-directed organization that will provide peer counseling, independent living skills instruction and other support services to individuals with disabilities in the Brazos Valley. The BVCIL will be part of a state and nationwide network of Centers for Independent Living. As a community outreach organization affiliated with the Center on Disability and Development, the BVCIL will also provide opportunities for graduate student training and research and demonstration projects that address community quality of life issues for people with disabilities and their families.
Postsecondary Access and Training in Human Services Certificate Program (PATHS)
Dalun Zhang and colleagues have received a grant from the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services to develop and evaluate a one-year occupational training program that will prepare individuals with and without disabilities for careers as Direct Support Professionals. The PATHS Certificate Program will be implemented through a unique partnership with state agencies, institutions of higher education, and a variety of community-based organizations.
Person-Centered Practices Training Initiative
Jeff Garrison-Tate and colleagues are leading a collaborative training initiative between the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University and the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This initiative provides professionals, family members, and individuals with disabilities with specific strategies and tools to develop person-centered plans in education and human service agencies. The Texas-based training initiative is affiliated with The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices, an international organization with training initiatives in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia.
For more information, visit http://cdd.tamu.edu.
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