Looking to the Future: Commission on Education of the Deaf Recommendations

Looking to the Future: Commission on Education of the Deaf Recommendations Two years ago, the U.S. Congress passed the Education of the Deaf Act. The Act did many things, but certainly among the most important was the establishment of a Commission on Education of the Deaf. Early this year, the Commission published its report, a comprehensive overview of the current educational opportunities for deaf people in this country. Destined for an important place in the history of the field of education of the deaf, the document asserts that, "as of early 1988, the state-of-the-art in the education of persons who are deaf is characterized by inappropriate priorities and inadequate resources." To remedy this situation, the Commission makes 52 very specific recommendations for change. The complete listing follows: Prevention and Early Identification Prevention Early Identification 1. The Congress should establish a National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders within the National Institutes of Health. 2. The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, should issue federal guidelines to assist states in implementing improved screening procedures for each live birth. The guidelines should include the use of high-risk criteria and should delineate subsequent follow-up procedures for infants and young children considered to be at risk for hearing impairments. Elementary and Secondary Education Language Acquisition Appropriate Education 3. The Congress and the Department of Education should ensure that facilitating English language acquisition in students who are deaf (including vocal, visual, and written language) is a paramount concern guiding the implementation of exemplary practices; the establishment of program models; the determination of research priorities; the design of curricula, materials, and assessment instruments; and the provision of professional and parent training. Language acquisition should be a top priority in federally funded research. 4. The Department of Education should provide guidelines and technical assistance to states and local educational agencies and parents to ensure that an individualized education program for a child who is deaf takes into consideration the following: severity of hearing loss and the potential for using residual hearing; academic level and learning style; communicative needs and the preferred mode of communication; linguistic, cultural, social, and emotional needs; placement preference; individual motivation; and family support. AAD/April 1988 79 COED Recommendations Least Restrictive Environment Parents' Rights Evaluation and Assessment Program Standards Quality Education American Sign Language Gallaudet University's PreCollege Programs 5. The Department of Education should refocus the least restrictive environment concept by emphasizing appropriateness over least restrictive environment. 6. The Department of Education should issue a policy statement to permit consideration in placement decisions of curriculum content and methods of curricular delivery required by the nature or severity of the child's handicapping conditions. 7. The Department of Education should issue guidelines and standards by which school officials and parents can, in selecting the least restrictive environment, consider potential harmful effects on the child or on the quality of services which the child needs. 8. The Department of Education should publish in the Federal Register a policy interpretation that removal from the regular classroom does not require compelling evidence. 9. The Department of Education should monitor states to ensure that they maintain and nurture center schools as placement options as required by law. 10. The Department of Education should monitor states to ensure the availability and appropriateness of integrative programs for students in center schools. 11. The Department of Education should issue a policy statement requiring that school personnel inform parents of all options in the continuum of alternative placements during each Individualized Education Program conference . 12. The Department of Education should monitor states to ensure that the evaluation and assessment of children who are deaf be conducted by professionals knowledgeable about their unique needs and able to communicate effectively in the child's primary mode of communication. 13. The Department of Education should encourage states to establish program standards for deaf students requiring special schools or classes. 14. The Congress should pass a "Quality in Deaf Education" bill that would provide incentives to the states to enhance the quality of services provided to students who are deaf. 15. The Department of Education should take positive action to encourage...