Self Assessment of a Sign Language Program

More than 772 programs teach sign language in the United States (Cokely, 1986). Each program has different goals and objectives, different notions of how it should be operated. Sign language instruction has emphasized the methodology of teaching, curriculum development and evaluation of student progress, but not whether or not a program is successful in attaining its goals and objectives. This paper looks into the concept of self-assessment of a sign language program.

This paper is divided into three general segments. The first explores historical background, the second presents an evaluation model and the third examines who should do the evaluating. Subsequent to this, the paper focuses on the various aspects of a given sign language program that can be evaluated.