1998 Award Recipients
SCHOLARSHIP
The 1998 Scholarship recipient is Kathy E. Poe of New Albany, Indiana. She is working on a Master's Degree at Indiana University Southeast. She is a Special Needs Coordinator at Borden High School and will be pursuing a Master's Degree in Counseling with a focus on working with students with disabilities. She stated that the scholarship would enable the school to "have a resource person from which to draw information and direction" for counseling students with disabilities.
EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
The ACRES 1998 Educator of the Year Award recipient was Robert Monahan, Associate Professor at Lander College in Greenwood, South Carolina. Bob was a longtime member of ACRES, he presented at several of our conferences, serviced on the Scholarship and Exemplary Awards Committee, and was an enthusiastic supporter of ACRES.
NATIONAL AWARD FOR EXEMPLARY RURAL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Preservice/Inservice Training
The Preservice/Inservice Training Exemplary Award was presented to the Bilingual Special Education Training Program at Fresno, California. This program serves minority and bilingual special education preservice teachers. This alternative internship program maintains a cohort of students serving rural school districts whose student population is primarily limited English speaking. Janice A. Chavez is the contact person and can be reached at (209) 278-0293 or Department of Counseling and Special Education, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740-0003.
Infant and Early Childhood Intervention
The Infant and Early Childhood Intervention Exemplary Award was presented to the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative--Early Childhood Special Education Program at Monticello, Arkansas. This program serves children with disabilities ages 3-5 in 21 school districts in eight counties and is delivered in regular day care centers, Head Start Programs in public schools within a large geographic areas. The challenges of this program are poverty, low education level, teenage pregnancy, and limited or non-existent resources. Renee Cruce, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator, is the contact person and can be reached at (870) 460-6305 or Early Childhood Special Education Program, Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative, 1022 Scogin Drive, Monticello, AR 71655.
Vocational Training and Transition
The Vocational Training and Transition Exemplary Award was presented to the Project S.T.A.R.T. (Secondary Transition Assessment Readiness Training), Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative in Plumerville, Arkansas. This program serves 156 students in an area of 25 persons per square mile. Their goal is to "empower individuals with disabilities to make choices regarding potential employment outcomes, by providing services and training, in securing, obtaining and maintaining independent employment. This is accomplished through the philosophy of Jobs not Services, Social Integration, Parental Involvement. Brook Charton and Tammy Morrison are the contact persons and can be reached at (501) 354-2269 or Arch Ford Educational Service Cooperative, 101 Bulldog Drive, Plumerville, AR 72127.
Services to the Handicapped in the Least Restrictive Environment
The Services to the Handicapped in the Least Restrictive Environment was presented to the Community-Based Instruction Program for Students with Severe Disabilities (K-5) at Murrell Taylor Elementary School in Jacksonville, Arkansas. This program serves 23 students with moderate to severe disabilities in an elementary school. It is based on providing a functional skills curriculum in a heterogeneous setting. There is intensive coordination and collaboration with parents, community, and generic/adult service agencies. Ellen Eddings, Principal and Rebecca Barr, Special Education Coordinator are the contact persons and can be reached at (501) 985-1581 or Murrell Taylor Elementary School, 1401 Murrell Taylor Drive, Jacksonville, AR 72056.
Cross Cultural Services
The Cross Cultural Services Award was presented to the Rural Multicultural Training Collaboration (RMTC) at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. This program is delivered in Nafajo County, Navajo Reservations and Yuma County providing university training in collaboration with local education agency representation in undergraduate education. The focus is on field-based training of instructional assistants to be special education teachers with the uniqueness being training Native American and Hispanic local teacher assistants to become special educators in their local areas. Patricia Peterson is the contact person and can be reached at (520) 523-4005 or Rural Multicultural Training Collaborative (RMTC), Center for Excellence in Education, Box 5774, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011.
Educational Technology
The Educational Technology Exemplary Award was presented to the Nevada Special Education Technology Assistance Project sponsored by the Nevada Department of Education and Administration by the Carson City School District in Carson City, Nevada. This program serves all 17 school districts throughout Nevada including the 15 districts comprising the Rural Alliance. The project objectives are "designed to enhance the capacity of school districts to provide technology devices and services." Elizabeth Isaacs, Project Coordinator is the contact person and can be reached at (702) 885-6268 or Nevada Special Education Technology Assistance Project, PO Box 603, Carson City, NV 89702.
© 2006, American Council on Rural Special Education