Duval schools receive $4 million to bolster education for students with disabilities

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools received a $4 million federal research grant to help schools tackle learning loss and educational inequity for students with disabilities.

The district was one of 45 recipients nationwide to be awarded an Education Innovation and Research grant, according to a press release.

“We currently provide training to assist educators in implementing best practices for students with disabilities,” said Rebekah Wallis, district supervisor on the Exceptional Student Education team.

The program provides funding to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students, according to their website.

The district said that due to understaffing, the Exceptional Student Education team faces limitations in the frequency of teacher training sessions.

With the infusion of the $4 million in funding, the district is poised to broaden training accessibility with the recruitment of additional specialists and purchasing training materials and supplies.

“The training includes everything from lesson planning and teaching strategies to how to equitably grade and assess student progress,” Wallis said. “We want teachers to know specifically how to help these students.”

Exceptional Student Education team leaders affirmed that this initiative will enhance the overall educational experience for students, particularly those in classrooms that foster inclusion by accommodating both students with and without disabilities.

According to Exceptional Student Education Director Amy Valentine, approximately 80% of students with disabilities enrolled in Duval County Public Schools currently benefit from services provided within inclusive classrooms.

“We want to keep students in those inclusive settings because we know that’s where they’re exposed to the most rigorous instruction,” Valentine said. “This environment mirrors what happens in adulthood, and it helps prepare children to be successful in adulthood.”