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CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) is demonstrating resilience and drawing on our spirit of innovation in the face of a nationwide federal grant funding loss that has disrupted university-based research initiatives. Even in this challenging climate, SEHD faculty and staff have been laser-focused on preparing inclusive educators, school and community leaders, as well as mental health professionals to serve our state through community-rooted initiatives that advance innovative and forward-looking solutions.

Strategic Shifts and Rural Impact

Cindy Gutierrez, PhD, assistant dean for CU Denver’s Teacher Education program, described the funding loss for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) Grant in April 2025 and the most recent discontinuation of the Hawkins Center for Excellence Grant in September, as significant disruptions to SEHD’s teacher education infrastructure serving both urban and rural pathways for future educators.

“These grant losses caused a major disruption—not only to the infrastructure but also to the lives of our students and institutional partners in both rural and urban locations—it was a major hit to everything we’ve built over the past several years,” Gutierrez said.

Despite the setback, SEHD remains committed to sustaining all of its pathways for students, including The Partnership for Rural Education Preparation (T-PREP) and Paraprofessional to Teacher Apprenticeship Pathways (P-TAP) offerings, which support rural educators. The teacher education program team is also actively exploring new funding opportunities through the Colorado Department of Labor and other national organizations.

“We’re continuing to collaborate and find more streamlined approaches,” Gutierrez said. “We’re hopeful that new funding sources will become available to support the training of future educators, and we’re positioning ourselves to pursue those opportunities.”

 

Recruiting and Training Bilingual Teachers to Meet the Needs of Multilingual Learners

The loss of the Colorado Bilingüe grant marks a significant setback in SEHD’s efforts to address the growing demand for bilingual educators across Colorado. Funded through the National Professional Development grant program under the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), Colorado Bilingüe was designed to prepare bilingual teachers to meet the needs of multilingual learners in both rural and urban Colorado communities.

“SEHD has long been committed to supporting learners and communities from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds,” said Ester de Jong, EdD, associate dean for research and academic affairs and former principal investigator of the Colorado Bilingüe grant. “Bilingual teachers are in high demand, and districts are eager to support emerging bilingual learners with high-quality educators.”

The discontinuation of the grant means the loss of scholarships for current and prospective teacher candidates, particularly those in rural and underserved areas. It also delays critical curriculum development and limits access to mentor teachers and field experiences—key components of effective teacher preparation.

Despite this challenge, SEHD remains focused on advancing bilingual education through strategic partnerships and advocacy.

The Evaluation Center’s team

The Evaluation Center: Staying Grounded and Strategic

The Evaluation Center provides exceptional program evaluation for projects large and small, across disciplines and content areas, and across international borders.

Jeff Proctor, executive director of The Evaluation Center, emphasized the importance of staying focused and competitive.

“We’ve been through tough times before, but never on this scale,” Proctor said. “Evaluation is a tool that helps programs objectively speak to their impact. That’s more important now than ever.”

Despite widespread uncertainty, many of the Center’s federally funded projects remain intact, including long-standing work with the Colorado State Opioid Response Grant and the Colorado 988 Mental Health Line. Proctor also mentioned the importance of continuing to support long standing projects such as the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. These partnerships reflect a commitment to high-quality service and responsiveness to client needs, especially as clients themselves face funding instability.

Looking ahead, the Center is prioritizing collaborations and strategic outreach to remain competitive. Proctor noted that while word-of-mouth referrals have sustained them to date, the team continues to actively pursue new partnerships with community organizations and technical experts. These efforts aim to ensure the Center continues to deliver impactful evaluation services and stays relevant in a crowded and competitive field.

Dr. Bryn Harris building community with doctoral students in the School Psychology program.

School Psychology: Transparency, Grief, and Community Building

Bryn Harris, PhD, and Rachel Stein, PhD, faculty members in the School Psychology program, are working closely with students and administrators to navigate the loss of the Project ASPIRE grant.

“There’s a lot of grief and loss—not just for us, but for our students,” Harris said. “This work is part of our identity.”

“We’ve focused on transparency and student support,” Stein added. For example, providing opportunities for the cohort to come together throughout the fall for supplemental learning and community building has been important. We have also worked on engaging community partners to support student learning and professional growth. “The work we believe in—school-based mental health—hasn’t changed. We’re helping students carry that forward.”

Dr. Ritu Chopra continues to partner on efforts that prepare and support paraeducators.

PARA Center: Strategic Adaptation and Advocacy

The Paraprofessional Resource and Research Center (PAR²A Center) offers comprehensive training focused on the roles, responsibilities, career development, preparation, supervision, and employment of paraprofessionals in educational settings. Additionally, the center has longstanding partnerships with community colleges that are focused on high-quality preparation of associate degree level early childhood workforce through partnerships with community colleges across the state.

Funding was recently discontinued for the center’s project, Enhancing Preparing In Community Colleges for Early Childhood Educators and Leaders (EPIC ECEL). Given the uncertainty around school district funding, a reduction in the Center’s contracts with districts for paraprofessional-related professional development activities is imminent.

Ritu Chopra, PhD, executive director of the PAR²A Center, is leading efforts to sustain and expand the Center’s impact and support its ongoing work. “We’re adapting by pursuing state-level contracts, foundation grants, and expanding fee-for-service offerings to provide professional development to paraprofessionals and the licensed professionals who supervise them,” Chopra said. “We’re also collaborating across departments and with school districts to build capacity and keep our work moving forward.”

“Life gives you lemons—make lemonade,” she added. “Students with disabilities aren’t going away, and neither are the paraprofessionals and educators who support them. We will continue our efforts to provide high-quality professional development that equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure optimal student outcomes.”

Looking Ahead: Supporting Faculty and Students

Dean Marvin Lynn is actively mentoring faculty and guiding the school through this period of transition. Several discontinued grant projects are currently undergoing appeal processes, and faculty are working to better align their research with evolving administrative grant priorities.

“As grant-related challenges arise, I’m mentoring faculty to help them navigate these complexities,” Lynn said. “Our school remains committed to minimizing disruption to students and continuing our robust research activity. We’re employing strategies to ensure that our important work continues to move forward.”