Preparing Urban and Rural Personnel as Leaders in Education (Project PURPLE)

Project PURPLE will prepare doctoral level leadership personnel in special education, with an explicit focus on developing future faculty who can effectively research and prepare special education personnel in a variety of high-needs urban and rural settings. The project is a partnership between the largest institutions of higher education (IHE) in Kentucky: University of Louisville and University of Kentucky. This five-year project will fund 10 scholars, 5 from each of the two IHEs. The scholars will experience coursework from both their home IHEs and will share coursework and research opportunities across both IHEs affording the scholars the opportunity to be mentored by nationally-recognized faculty from both IHEs. At their home IHE, scholars will complete a rigorous set of core courses in research design, pedagogy, and methodology. In shared experiences, scholars will (a) complete a series of targeted doctoral seminars focusing on topics related to high and low incidence disabilities from both IHEs, (b) participate in internships in both urban and rural school districts, and (c) participate in joint research and dissemination opportunities. Scholars will develop specific competencies in research, teaching, and service. In research, scholars will learn to conduct original research, evaluate and synthesize existing bodies of research, and prepare manuscripts for publication. In teaching, scholars will develop skills in college teaching, distance education, and supervision of classroom teaching. In service, scholars will develop skills around providing support, technical assistance, and professional development in urban and rural districts. Project evaluation will include quantitative data on specific scholar outcomes (e.g., number of publications, presentations, professional development sessions delivered, courses taught); and qualitative data (e.g., scholar responses to qualitative surveys about their experiences