Even beyond the lasting effects of COVID-19 on Nevada’s school systems, the state struggles with a shortfall of teachers and professional staff working in the education field. A report created by the Nevada Advisory Committee this year showed that some of educators’ top concerns related to a lack of professional development opportunities and mental health resources as well as concerns around school violence and safety.

To delve deeper into how Nevada can retain teachers, the National Institute for the Advancement of Education (NIAE) — a semi-autonomous research unit housed inside UNLV’s College of Education — awarded grants to four teams of UNLV faculty members as part of its 2024-25 grant program. The grant will provide funding between $2,500 and $25,000 for selected projects.

“At NIAE, we focus on generating and supporting innovative research that explores pressing issues in education today,” said Maria Marinch, NIAE executive director. “These projects are aligned with the NIAE’s mission and goals, and we are looking forward to supporting the research teams, and sharing the findings once available.”

New Teacher Burnout

For teachers who graduate from UNLV and lose contact with the school during their initial, formative teaching years, burnout is common, said Jabari Taylor, an assistant professor-in-residence in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual and Special Education. It’s, therefore, paramount that researchers keep on top of teachers’ progress to determine how best to support them.

That holds true when it comes to the relationship between special education teachers and paraprofessionals, who provide support to teachers and students in the classroom, but who may not receive enough guidance or clarity around their job responsibilities, Taylor said.

“They work as a team in the classroom to assist students with special education,” he said. “We’re trying to get behind the relationship and what are some things that will make that relationship, which ultimately will inform or have an impact on a student’s teaching.”

Unique Challenges for Special Education Teachers

Catherine Bacos, a significant disability curriculum specialist in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual and Special Education, works in the Office of General Curriculum Access. Her mission is to support teachers who serve students with significant disabilities and extensive support needs. Special education teachers have unique challenges because of the unique workloads they have and the mountain of responsibilities their jobs entail, she said.

“We know from the research that when you provide them with quality resources and teacher professional development, that their working conditions improve, and that has an impact on teacher attrition and retention,” Bacos said.

Building on the Research

Additionally, NIAE will assist in connecting researchers with resources to develop and execute their research, pursue additional funding, and disseminate their findings.

Erin Smith and her team have been working on their project area for almost two years. The grant will allow them to test out ideas and gather teacher feedback on the effectiveness of the mathematical writing intervention. Smith is an assistant professor of mathematics education in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

“Teacher feedback on any kind of school-based intervention is a critical step in just understanding the feasibility,” said Smith. “It’s been a long time since the three of us on this project and our graduate assistant have been in the classroom…that’s different from being in a classroom with kids and understanding the realities and demands of the classroom.”

Jacob Skousen, assistant professor from the Department of Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education, is a former teacher and principal who has first-hand experience with the challenges that educators face in K-12 education. While the research he has undertaken in higher education can supplement the work of educators, researchers can often experience a disconnect between the work of educators and practitioners.

“This opportunity, for me, is connecting me to practice and to people that are doing the work daily in K-12 schools,” he said. “I’m just excited about that opportunity to bridge that theory/practice gap that is often discussed.”

Apply for 2026 Grants

The next grant cycle for NIAE is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2026. Amanda Hoffman, the Institute’s research associate, will work closely with current recipients to coordinate the awards and support the research teams, as well as develop the next grant cycle, with a focus topic to be selected based on pressing needs arising in PK-20 education.

“We are excited to support these scholars and their research projects, as they work to generate innovation in education,” said Hoffman.

The NIAE is self-funded and leverages community and donor investments to pursue interdisciplinary research that uses a community-based approach to inform practice and policy in PK-20 and workforce development.

“We are planning to continue funding grants with impact in practice, which can be made possible through donations to the Institute,” added Hoffman.

The Institute will collaborate with recipients to disseminate their research findings after the projects close in the summer of 2025, and will also assist in helping identify additional funding to extend their projects.