June 7, 2005

UCSB Hosts Conference to Address Special Education Needs

Joan Magruder

Education researchers from all ten UC campuses will meet in Santa Barbara this week to develop plans for a new statewide center on special education.

The conference, on Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, will be held at Fess Parker's Doubletree Inn.

To be established at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara, the new center will be dedicated to research on special education, disabilities and developmental risk needs in California schools.

In addition, the center will contribute to California's need for more instructors who can train teachers in special education.

"About a tenth of all students with disabilities in the United States attend California schools, and the University of California should be a national leader in research and training," said conference organizer Michael Gerber, a professor of education at UCSB.

"A persistent and severe shortage of teachers in special education in the state is made worse by a shortage of new Ph.D.s who can prepare new teachers," he added.

"We hope to attract students interested in advanced degrees in special education."

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