The fall 2026 cohort gives Detroit Public Schools Community District teachers specialized autism coursework and tuition support, tied to a six-year commitment to teach in the district.
When the first cohort started in fall 2026, 25 Detroit district teachers began a route to Exceptional Student Education certification. Detroit Public Schools Community District and Michigan State University designed the partnership for educators already working in the district.
The need for specialized support has grown alongside the number of DPSCD students identified with autism spectrum disorder. The count rose from 1,035 in the 2019-20 school year to 1,957 in 2026-27, an increase of about 89%. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti linked the growing need for services to continued identification of students whose needs became more apparent after pandemic-era remote learning and reduced social contact. He did not attribute the figures to a rise in autism itself. Chalkbeat Detroit reported that DPSCD had about 120 teachers working with students with autism when the partnership began.
The training takes approximately two years. Its goal is to add educators with specialized qualifications, though enrollment does not mean participants have completed the program or earned endorsements.
Teachers study with MSU College of Education faculty and doctoral students who specialize in autism spectrum disorders and applied behavior analysis. The program is meant to address a staffing gap in special education.
Classes are built around teachers' classroom schedules. Participants spend six to nine hours a week on each three-credit-hour class. Online courses include "Autism Spectrum Disorders: Characteristics and Implications" and "Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers." MSU's fully online special education master's program requires 30 to 36 credits, depending on a participant's prior preparation and teaching license. Teachers can complete coursework in their own classroom or school. The same applies to clinical projects and supervised practica.
DPSCD pays for the autism endorsement, while participants pay tuition for the master's degree. Michigan requires educators to hold an endorsement for the specific disability category in which they work. Teachers who complete ESE certification also receive additional professional development, along with competitive compensation, according to the district. The evidence-based curriculum aims to build educators' communication skills and expertise. It also supports school social workers who conduct assessments.
The district and university plan to prepare 100 to 200 educators with autism spectrum disorder endorsements over the multiyear partnership. The initiative grew from an agreement with the Detroit Federation of Teachers.
Special education vacancies are nearly twice as common as vacancies in other teaching areas, according to a nationwide survey cited from the Institute of Education Sciences. A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open reported a 175% increase in autism spectrum disorder diagnoses among adults and children over the prior decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 1 in 31 children had been identified with autism, up from 1 in 36. The source material says diagnoses have risen particularly among children ages 5 to 8. It also reports notably higher increases among Black and Brown children.
To recruit and retain staff, Vitti said DPSCD has used $15,000 bonuses for ESE teachers. The district has also created pathways for paraprofessionals to become teachers. Its alternative certification program is called On the Rise Academy. Vitti said ASD endorsements are rare in Michigan and unavailable through alternative certification pathways, making the MSU program an additional way for current teachers to gain specialized training while remaining in the district. He also reported that total district teaching vacancies fell from about 400 to about 12 during his nine years as superintendent. Those figures cover teaching vacancies across DPSCD, not only special education.
In exchange for tuition support, participants commit to six years of teaching in a hard-to-staff area. DPSCD says the arrangement is part of its effort to retain certified ESE teachers and give autistic students and families education tailored to students' learning styles and support needs.
MSU College of Education Dean Jerlando F. L. Jackson described the initiative as an investment in the knowledge and support educators need to serve autistic students. He also called it a new part of the institutions' wider partnership to strengthen Detroit's education capacity through investment in school professionals.
Michigan education coverage has also examined whether increased spending is translating into student outcomes. A state spending report noted that public-school spending exceeded $23,000 per student while third-grade reading proficiency had declined since 2019. The Detroit partnership focuses on another measure of school capacity: preparing and retaining educators for specialized student needs.
The inaugural cohort began in fall 2026, and the district and MSU expect the multiyear program to prepare 100 to 200 ASD-endorsed educators.
