If you are connected with doctoral students who would be interested in interning with the OSEP Research to Practice<https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/rtp.html> division this summer, please share the text below. I’m happy to answer any questions if needed. Thank you! Rebecca Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov<mailto:Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov> Summer 2024 OSERS/OSEP Research to Practice Division Internship Opportunity  The Department of Education is offering unpaid summer internships for doctoral candidates interested in seeking valuable work experience in government and federal education policy and administration. Interns will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the Department's mission to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.  Doctoral students interested in this unpaid internship opportunity within the Research to Practice Division (RTP)<https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/rtp.html> of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)<https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/about.html> should submit a declaration of interest via this form:  Declaration of Interest Form - Summer 2024 RTP Internship<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FEVdvd6EKEmp_WrhC7rWd3rFW2LIcklIr2gNlenlkJ9UQTM0WU44MVk3Q1ZPRzZHSFU4VjBKV0NMNy4u> The deadline for submitting the declaration of interest, including required cover letter, letter of support, and CV/resume, is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, January 12, 2024. There will be a limited number of interns selected. You will be notified by email whether or not you are to proceed with the application process. If selected to proceed, you will be notified by January 22nd and given information to complete a full application by February 2nd.  About the Internship:  The virtual summer internship program with RTP will take place for a minimum of 9 weeks with the expectation of interns being available online at least 20 hours per week, Monday-Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. Eastern Time, June 3rd to August 2nd, 2024. Interns will be expected to complete tasks assigned to them via their mentor(s), attend program-specific events, such as the OSEP Leadership<https://osepideasthatwork.org/osep-meeting/leadership-conference> and Project Director<https://osepideasthatwork.org/osep-meeting/project-directors-conference>’s Conference and Virtual Symposia Series<https://osepideasthatwork.org/osep-meeting/symposia>, and network (please note OSEP is unable to guarantee financial support for interns to travel to attend in-person events; while encouraged, in-person attendance at conferences will not be a requirement for interns). Initiating connections is highly encouraged and will be facilitated through mentors.   Eligibility criteria: Interns must meet the definition of a “Student” at the time of appointment and throughout the duration of the appointment. Student means an individual who is enrolled and seeking a doctoral degree in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). OSEP/RTP internship applicants should be doctoral students who will have completed at least two years of their doctoral program prior to starting the internship.  · be a U.S. Citizen.  · be at least 16 years of age.  · be willing to complete a background investigation and fingerprint check.  · attend a doctoral program at an accredited educational institution.  · be enrolled on a, at least, half-time basis in a course of study related to the work to be performed.  · be in good academic standing as defined by their accredited educational institution.  Potential interns should include the following when completing the form (Declaration of Interest):   * A cover letter including a description of how an internship with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) would be supportive of and/or connected to your research interests and/or career goals. To learn more about topical issues, toolkits, and briefs developed- or sponsored-by OSEP, please visit the OSEPIDEAsThatWork.org<https://osepideasthatwork.org/federal-resources-stakeholders> website. Please refer to the list below of potential intern projects and, if there is a particular project that interests you, discuss your interest and any skills or experiences which would help you in working on this project. If there is not a particular project in the list that interests you, please describe an aspect of the work of the Research to Practice Division where you feel you could focus your time and efforts during your internship, including any skills or experiences which you could bring to the work. * A letter of support from a doctoral advisor or faculty member from your university program or other written permission from the institution at which you are currently enrolled, acknowledging your declaration of interest in participating in the internship program.   * A current resume and or C/V. If you have technical question about completing the Declaration of Interest form, please email Sydney.Ferrell@ed.gov<mailto:Sydney.Ferrell@ed.gov> or Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov<mailto:Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov>. If you have broader questions about the internship, please email Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov<mailto:Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov>. Potential Intern Projects, Summer 2024 OSEP-RTP staff hope to match interns with work that is of interest to them and of use to the Division. If you’re interested in being an intern but do not find a project idea below which connects with your interests and expertise, do not worry! More projects and needs will be identified in early 2024, and we will make every effort to connect all interns in the Summer 2024 cohort with meaningful, relevant work. If you choose not to write about one of the projects below in your Declaration of Interest, please include a discussion of the types of activities/projects which you feel would be a good fit for your knowledge and experience. Refer to OSEP Ideas That Work<https://osepideasthatwork.org/> and other online resources to learn more about the work of the Research To Practice Division, the Office of Special Education Programs, and the Department of Education. Project Ideas: * OSEP Conference Support * Assist Personnel Preparation (325) Program Area (Multiple Projects) * Review and Analysis of Data from 3+2 Reviews (mid-project evaluations of larger OSEP discretionary grants) * Review of Common Project Measures and Other Data from State DeafBlind Projects * Issues Impacting Education for Students with Visual Impairment Including Blindness ________________________________ OSEP Conference Support Work could involve: * Intern(s) would create a video to welcome people to DC and explain the format for the three days conference. * Supporting networking opportunities for OSEP scholar attendees. * Assisting RTP program area meetings. Prior-knowledge, skills, or experiences that could be beneficial for an intern working on this project: * Creativity * Knowledge about creating accessible videos and documents (helpful but not a requirement) * Facilitating discussions Resources: * 2023 OSEP Combined Leadership and Project Directors' Conference | OSEP Ideas That Work<https://osepideasthatwork.org/osep-meeting/2023-osep-combined-leadership-and-project-directors-conference> * 2023 OSEP Leadership and Project Directors' Conference - YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOEcbgBUbdMeLAuFu-MTuMvIzFRAwx88N> * Welcome to OSEP's IDEAs That Work Website | OSEP Ideas That Work<https://osepideasthatwork.org/> * Individuals with Disabilities Education Act website<https://sites.ed.gov/idea/> ________________________________ Assist Personnel Preparation (325) Program (PDP) Area (Multiple Projects) Work could involve: * Creating new resources for 325 grantees * Analyzing the Impact of 325P (Retention) grants on EI systems, culminating in an impact paper or manuscript * Analyzing how multilingual scholars are identified and supported within training grant projects * Developing a communications network for PDP grantees * Developing personnel development program data briefs * Develop product profile descriptions from OSEP and OSEP-funded investments that support OSEP PDP grantees, OSEP scholars and other/or stakeholders. * Prior-knowledge, skills, or experiences that could be beneficial for an intern working on these projects: * Knowledge and understanding of early intervention/early childhood systems * Knowledge of personnel shortages * Recruiting, preparing, and retaining multilingual scholars * Knowledge of creating accessible documents and other resources Resources: * IRIS Center<https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/> * CEEDAR Center<https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/> * Home | Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center for Equity (uconn.edu) <https://health.uconn.edu/ecipc-equity/> * RISE Map<https://www.tjeei.org/map> * Publication by a previous OSEP intern Ashley Gray (Shared Articles, egnyte.com<https://divisionearlychildhood.egnyte.com/fl/BkAUOV9675#folder-link/Shared%20Articles?p=e574a72a-4e1b-4332-a91b-05c9342e7497>) on her OSEP internship project ________________________________ Review and Analysis of Data from 3+2 Reviews (mid-project evaluations of larger OSEP discretionary grants) Work could involve: * OSEP uses a “3 +2” review process to assess the extent to which a project is making progress toward achieving its stated goals and objectives as well as develop recommendations for the remaining years of the project. Interns would look at the reports for the most recent 3 + 2 reviews to identify themes and how recommendations have changed for projects that have participated in multiple review cycles. Another related task would be to look at projects over the last several years and look for common themes across projects. * Prior-knowledge, skills, or experiences that could be beneficial for an intern working on this project: * interest and expertise in program/ project evaluation and improvement * desire to learn more about being a project director on a grant, including types of comments that would be helpful for corrective change (the 3+2 process is an extension of OSEP’s traditional peer review process, just at a different time point) Resources: * Evaluation | OSEP Ideas That Work<https://osepideasthatwork.org/evaluation> * Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education Technical Assistance Network (osepideasthatwork.org)<https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/OSEP-IDEAs-Menu-508.pdf> ________________________________ Review of Common Project Measures and Other Data from State DeafBlind Projects Work could involve: * Organization and descriptive analysis of data from State DeafBlind Projects, including data addressing the dissemination of information about interveners. * Preparation of a PowerPoint slide deck based on data analysis. Prior-knowledge, skills, or experiences that could be beneficial for an intern working on this project: * Using Microsoft Excel for basic data analysis and preparation of charts and tables. * Awareness of issues specific to children who are DeafBlind and their families (helpful but not required) Resources: * National Center on DeafBlindness<https://www.nationaldb.org/> ________________________________ Issues Impacting Education for Students with Visual Impairment Including Blindness Work could involve: * Supporting the review and dissemination of documents and resources relevant to education for students with visual impairments. Prior-knowledge, skills, or experiences that could be beneficial for an intern working on this project: * Understanding of issues impacting learners with visual impairments (birth-21) and their families Resources: * Federal Register: Educating Blind and Visually Impaired Students; Policy Guidance<https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/06/08/00-14485/educating-blind-and-visually-impaired-students-policy-guidance> * OSEP DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER on Braille (June 19, 2013) - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act<https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/osep-dear-colleague-letter-on-braille/> * OSEP Policy Letter -- OSEP 17-05 -- Eligibility Determinations for Children Suspected of Having a Visual Impairment Including Blindness under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (PDF)<https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/letter-on-visual-impairment-5-22-17.pdf>