Special education research

The Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences awarded the University of South Carolina $1,773,677.17 under the Research in Special Education program (CFDA 84.324) on January 23, 2026, to conduct a multi-year randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of disability anti-bullying training for elementary special and general education teachers.

The project, titled "Impact of Disability Anti-bullying Training for Elementary Special and General Education Teachers (PROJECT DIAL): Impact on Teacher Awareness and Self-Efficacy and Student Outcomes," will sample 12 schools across two teacher-per-school and student participant stages, randomize schools to intervention and delayed-control conditions, and collect teacher and student survey data alongside implementation cost metrics. Work includes psychometric validation of study measures through confirmatory factor analysis and longitudinal measurement invariance testing, multilevel mixed-effects modeling to estimate treatment effects with moderation and mediation analyses within a structural equation framework, cost and cost-effectiveness analysis with sensitivity checks, and dissemination through journal publications, conference presentations, school partner reports, policy briefs, webinars, and digital channels. Period of performance runs through June 30, 2027, with place of performance at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.

The University of Florida serves as sub-recipient, providing the online learning platform (Brightspace), creating and maintaining DIAL modules, supporting enrollment and technical help desk functions across the five-year implementation timeline, managing enrollment tracking and engagement data extraction, maintaining institutional review board status, and supporting participant training and implementation activities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, operating through its Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, coordinates school recruitment and retention across Miami-Dade County Public Schools, oversees teacher training and intervention implementation, manages survey administration and data collection, and leads dissemination efforts including conference participation.