Providing Accessible Teacher Education in Deaf and Hard of Hearing (PATH) Project

The Department of Exceptional Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, to support the preparation of teachers of students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing through distance education.

The project addresses three critical needs:

• reduce current and potential shortages of certified teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, grades K-12, in Wisconsin
• provide accessible teacher education in the area of Deaf/Hard of Hearing to qualified individuals across Wisconsin, and
• develop teachers' knowledge and skills to competently serve children from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds and their families and to support academic content learning.

Students admitted to the teacher certification program at UWM may be eligible for:

• Tuition Support: Amount of support is based upon student's type and length of program
• Technology support for Distance Education:
• • Instructional "tools" and software available to facilitate learning and interaction in the certification program
  • An innovative web-based process for supervising teaching experiences 
• Field-Based Mentoring: experienced teachers provide information and support on-line for students who are on-the-job;
• Sign Language Support: ASL-IV courses accessible on-campus for students in SE Wisconsin; tutoring support provided for students outside of this area;
• Summer stipends for Milwaukee-based teaching experience: one summer of on-siteTeaching Experience required; students relocating to participate in the required summer school teaching experience in Milwaukee can receive financial support for lodging and travel.

EligibilityStudents who are admitted to the Certification or Master's + Certification program are eligible for support through this grant. Priority is given to individuals with the potential to address the teacher shortage in Wisconsin.

Payback Provision
The Federal Government has established a Payback Provision that requires the following for students who receive assistance through this grant. A student must

• complete the pre K-12 Certification Program or pay back funds received to that point and
• provide special education and related service to children with disabilities for a period of two years for every year for which assistance was received or repay the cost of assistance.

Each year students receive assistance, they will be required to sign an agreement to this effect.

ContactFor more information, contact the D/HH program Coordinator:

Amy Otis-Wilborn, Ph.D.
dhhcert@uwm.edu
414-229-4322