Project ENGAGE (Effectively Narrowing Gaps And Growing Engagement) is an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Grant that aims to provide students and teachers at rural Oklahoma school districts with intentional technology resources in efforts to increase student engagement and success with academic instruction. ENGAGE funds two research projects to support these goals:

1. The first project is a quasi-experimental large-N design comparing the effects of implementing PBIS and Lexia (a computer adaptive reading intervention program) on student reading achievement (measured by state test and universal screening scores) and engagement (i.e., suspensions, expulsions, and office discipline referrals).

2. School’s participating in Project ENGAGE also receive training benefits for their teaching staff through Instructional Technology Coaching (ITC). Through ITC, educators receive individualized instruction and consultative feedback in the use of technology to improve behavior management and deliver standards-aligned instruction.

Project PREPARE (Providing Real-world Experiences for Professionals to Advance Rural Education) is a federally-funded grant designed to:

1. Strategically recruit Ed.S. and Ph.D. students to Oklahoma mental health training programs via social media campaign and undergraduate program visits

2. Provide real-world experiences to students via a structured practicum sequence, complementary specialized didactic training, and service-learning/research projects

3. Advance rural education via service internships in high-need locations, allowing interns to meet degree and licensure/credentialing requirements and retain these individuals for professional practice

Project PISTONS (Providing Instructional Support To Osage Nation Schools) is a federally-funded grant designed to provide PISTONS proposes a variety of activities to support the teaching, learning, and studying of Native American languages, while also increasing the English language proficiency of the children served. Goals of the grant are: 

1. To increase Native American children’s reading academic success and performance

2. To encourage and support Native American language survival

3. To increase student Native language fluency

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5. To provide professional development and instructional support to teachers for literacy, remote learning, and technology integration