Fed - Sp Ed - IDEA Discretionary: IDEA Discretionary (Special Education Paraprofessional Professional Development Grant)

The Special Education Paraprofessional Professional Development Grant is administered by the Illinois State Board of Education, a state-level agency responsible for overseeing public education across Illinois and managing federal and state education funds. This funding opportunity is supported through federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B discretionary funds, which allow states to reserve funds for targeted initiatives such as personnel preparation, technical assistance, and professional development. The program represents an initial funding cycle designed to address workforce shortages and skill gaps among paraprofessionals supporting students with disabilities. The primary purpose of this grant is to strengthen the capacity, retention, and effectiveness of special education paraprofessionals by providing high-quality professional development opportunities. The program responds to documented workforce shortages, including limited applicant pools and increasing demand for paraprofessional support in educational settings. Funded activities must focus on developing both on-demand and in-person training aligned with High Leverage Practices and core competencies for special education paraeducators. These efforts are intended to improve student outcomes by enhancing paraprofessional skills across academic, behavioral, social, and emotional domains. Funding under this program is provided through a single award not to exceed 300000 dollars, with the potential for continuation funding in subsequent years depending on program performance and appropriations. Allowable uses of funds include salaries and benefits, training materials, travel costs, facility expenses, equipment rental, and other direct costs associated with delivering professional development. Indirect costs are permitted but must comply with federal regulations, including the use of a restricted indirect cost rate due to supplement not supplant requirements. Matching funds are not required for this opportunity. Eligible applicants include a broad range of education-related entities such as local education agencies, higher education institutions, charter schools, nonprofit organizations, and other educational cooperatives or governmental entities. Applicants must complete required prequalification steps through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act system, maintain an active registration in the System for Award Management, and obtain a Region County District Type code prior to submission. Only one application per entity is permitted, and failure to meet administrative requirements will result in disqualification. The application process requires submission of a complete proposal package via email to the agency contact by the specified deadline. Required components include a uniform application form, program narrative, objectives and activities, evaluation design, and a detailed budget with supporting documentation. The program narrative must demonstrate expertise in training delivery, data collection, and program implementation, while the evaluation section must outline methods for measuring impact and reporting outcomes. Applications are evaluated based on criteria such as experience, implementation quality, evaluation design, program awareness, and budget justification using a merit-based scoring system. The application timeline opens on June 4, 2026 and closes on July 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM. There are no pre-application requirements or technical assistance sessions associated with this opportunity. Applicants can expect notification of award decisions approximately 90 days after the submission deadline. The project includes defined quarterly deliverables such as module development, training sessions, reporting requirements, and ongoing collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education. The grant period includes structured expectations for staffing, reporting, and performance monitoring throughout the funding cycle. Overall, this grant represents a targeted investment in strengthening the special education workforce through structured professional development systems. It emphasizes statewide reach, collaboration, and data-driven evaluation while requiring applicants to demonstrate strong organizational capacity and experience. The program is expected to support scalable and sustainable training infrastructure that benefits paraprofessionals and ultimately improves educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

Emphasize demonstrated experience in professional development delivery, include strong data collection and evaluation systems, and clearly align training activities with High Leverage Practices and statewide impact expectations.