Rural Initiative for Training Administrators with Special Education Expertise Scholarship

We are honored to announce that we were awarded the Rural Initiative for Training Administrators with Special Education Expertise Grant (RITASEE) funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. This award allows us to provide scholarships through a competitive application process to a minimum of 18 RITASEE Scholars over the next five years. This is an exciting season for our region and future Scholars. RITASEE will benefit from national experts with backgrounds in SPED administration, professional development activities, designing and implementing quality educational programs for diverse learners, and policy development.

The purpose of the RITASEE leadership project is to enhance services for all students in the rural school setting. This grant will prepare 18 Ed.D. scholars in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Aspiring Administrative Endorsement and School Leadership Concentration with an emphasis in SPED administration and research. Team Members Include: Ginger Christian, Project Director,  Dawn Rowe, Co-Director, Pam Mims, Cindy Chambers, Virginia Foley, Pam Scott, Jill Channing, and John Boyd.

Our goal is to admit a minimum of 18 individuals as scholars across project years. Recruitment will emphasize the quality of the ETSU faculty, research opportunities, advanced coursework, student support, and opportunities for collaboration. We are fully committed to identifying, recruiting, and supporting individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups.

There are two programs of study for applicants to consider. We would like to invite applicants who are interested in pursuing their doctorate in education (Ed.D.) to apply. Criteria for application include a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience for the Administrative Endorsement concentration or a valid administrator license for School Leadership concentration.  Applicants can apply at the RITASEE link below:

The admissions process involves a formal review of each applicant’s materials by multiple reviewers, a zoom interview, and a campus visit when appropriate. A group consensus approach is used for making final admissions decisions. All scholars initially recruited will enter with the express intention of graduating within the program performance period.

Spring 2023 Scholarship Applications close November 18, 2022 with ongoing interviews. The RITASEE Scholar Award Announcement will be made in December. 

Thank you for your interest in RITASEE. To be eligible for this opportunity, potential scholars are required to meet the criteria defined in the FAQ found here: https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/faq2006.  If you feel you are able to meet the service obligation and repayment requirmenets defined in the FAQ, you are invited to apply at the link below. 

For more information about the application process or questions about the program, please contact Dr. Ginger Christian, christiang@etsu.edu.