OSERS-OSEP: Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.325J
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- ED-GRANTS-051326-001
- Agency
-
Department of Education
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $1,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Education
- Eligible applicants
-
- Other
- Points of contact
-
- Anna Macedonia anna.macedonia@ed.gov (202) 987-1282
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is soliciting applications for cooperative agreements supporting registered apprenticeship programs that prepare and retain special education teachers and early intervention personnel, with an application deadline of July 13, 2026. Eligible applicants are restricted to state educational agencies, IDEA Part C lead agencies, and state apprenticeship agencies; applicants that are not the SEA or IDEA Part C lead agency must partner with one of these entities to meet the absolute priority.
No cost sharing or matching funds are required. Estimated federal funding totals $7 million with an anticipated seven awards. The maximum award is $5 million for a 60-month project period, with a $1 million cap per annual budget period.
Applicants must develop and implement registered apprenticeship programs with transparent, skill-based competency progressions aligned to state licensure requirements. Programs must ensure apprentices receive paid employment without out-of-pocket costs, require bachelor's degree completion with full state teacher licensure (excluding emergency or provisional certifications), provide at least one year of paid on-the-job learning under a licensed mentor, and establish sustainability beyond the grant period.
Selection criteria carry the following weights: Quality of Project Design (35 points), Quality of Project Evaluation (20 points), Quality of Management Plan (20 points), Adequacy of Resources (15 points), and Significance (10 points). Applicants must collect and report performance data on recruitment, completion rates, retention of special education teachers and early intervention personnel, and actual cost per apprentice trained.
The program operates under Assistance Listing 84.325J and authorizes unrestricted indirect cost rates. The intergovernmental review deadline is September 11, 2026.
Synopsis
Program Description: The purposes of the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program are to (1) help address State-identified shortages and needs for personnel preparation in special education and early intervention, including infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined through scientifically based research, to be successful in serving those children.
The purpose of the Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships competition is to fund cooperative agreements that support registered apprenticeship1 programs that attract, prepare, and retain special education teachers or early intervention personnel. This priority is particularly relevant for special education and early intervention, where high-quality preparation must be accessible, practice-based, and closely integrated with service delivery systems. Preparing qualified special education teachers and early intervention personnel through registered apprenticeship programs addresses critical workforce shortages, integrating work-based learning, and connecting preparation with local and State labor demands.
1Note: ED encourages applicants to consider the definition of Registered Apprenticeship Program as defined in 5 CFR 362.102 and 29 CFR part 29.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.325J.
Applicants are required to follow the 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at ED 2025 Common Instructions.
Note: For new potential grantees unfamiliar with grantmaking at ED, please consult our "Getting Started with Discretionary Grant Applications" webpage.
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