VCU news

By Sian Wilkerson

Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Yaoying Xu has received a federal leadership grant for a new project that will train doctoral candidates in cultural competence and cultural humility as they prepare to begin a career in higher education as faculty members and leaders in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE).

The five-year, $1.2 million grant from the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education will support Project REAL, which stands for Preparing Responsive and Effective Advocate Leaders in EI/ECSE.

“Project REAL addresses the need for special education faculty and leaders who are culturally responsive, with integrated knowledge and skills in early childhood socioemotional research, effective teaching practice and policy implementation,” said Xu, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education in VCU’s School of Education. Her research interests and expertise focus on social aspects of children and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

From 2024 to 2029, Project REAL will prepare 10 Ph.D. candidates – five part-time, five full-time – who will be trained in research, teaching and policy implementation through ongoing professional development in EI/ECSE policies. The project is grounded in VCU’s existing Ph.D. program in special education, which is designed to prepare researchers who are ready to assume leadership positions at universities, research centers, state departments of education or other educational and governmental institutions in the field of special education.

The project will be characterized by four features: ensuring equal access to candidates from historically underrepresented groups; engaging scholars in high-need community settings that serve children and families from diverse backgrounds; offering a series of internships and facilitating faculty-related experiences; and enhancing scholars’ abilities to present their work and publish their research.

“We are so proud of Dr. Xu for her enduring efforts to positively impact early intervention and special education,” said Kathleen Rudasill, Ph.D., interim dean of the School of Education. “This personnel preparation grant demonstrates VCU’s high-quality research and training opportunities for future professionals and exemplifies our commitment to inclusive education.”