The Selection of Competencies for Certifying Teachers in Hearing Disabilities in Florida

The problem of identifying competencies for Florida's competency-based teacher certification system was investigated in this study utilizing a consensus model for identifying necessary competencies. Two groups of professionals conducted the study. Group 1 consisted of nine professionals who developed a list of 55 competencies to be submitted to a second, larger group of professionals for rating. Group 2 consisted of 190 professionals including teachers, administrators, and support services personnel serving hearing-impaired students in public and residential schools. Thirty-seven of the 55 competencies rated by Group 2 met the predetermined criteria for retention. Several conclusions concerning the types of competencies which were retained and not retained were drawn based on the results of the study. Overall, the results indicated that the consensus model was a valuable method of generating an initial list of competencies.