"My goals for partnership community to advocate the Deaf and Hard of Hearing" 2012 Published by Federico Quintana

My campus is a public high school with a day school program for deaf students; there are numerous challenges in deaf education The non-deaf student population at our campus is just over 1,000, while there are 40 deaf students. Most of the deaf students have tested lowest in all subject core areas, although this has had little impact on the status of the AEIS report because it is such a small subgroup. The low scores are still a significant concern for our program supervisor and deaf educators. Additionally, the deaf student subgroup test scores have not improved since 2008, which is a clear indication that this subgroup is in much need of improvement.

Most deaf students do not have adequate access to communication at home because their families typically lack sign language skills or deaf awareness/education. This program will benefit participants greatly, especially parents improving their sign language skills to communicate with their deaf children, and staff and families wanting better awareness of resources and deaf culture. Partnerships like this increase student achievement by:

1. Providing full communication between parents and teachers to discuss concerns about deaf and hard of hearing students’ communication and educational needs.
2. Increasing diversity awareness among all school stakeholders as it applies to deaf people.
3. Finding a potential candidate or sponsor to donate money or supplies to the deaf education program.
4. Having stakeholder access to resources for supporting deaf students’ educational achievements and post-graduation plans.
5. Demonstrating significant improvement in academic grades and TAKS/STAR performances.
6. Increasing parental involvement in deaf child’s education.

We are committed to find solutions to improve deaf students’ test performances, but it won’t be an easy task. Fortunately, there is the annual State Conference for Deaf Educators, a great opportunity for our deaf educators to work with other deaf educators from all over the state to share ideas, explore alternate options to deaf education curricula and acquire new research regarding deaf education. Deaf educators and administrators should work collaboratively to find and develop strategies for increasing parents’ involvement in deaf children’s education by providing sign language classes, afterschool activities and/or weekend activities.  Additionally, ongoing professional development for deaf educators is also a key to improving deaf students’ test scores, academic achievements and full communication access.  Teachers and administrators should explore these areas to incorporate the effective partnership program as following:

-Provide strategies for increasing parental involvement in their deaf children’s education

-Provide full access to communication for deaf students

-Work collaboratively to develop an appropriate curriculum and instructional methods for deaf students

-Increase awareness among school stakeholders of diversity, including deaf people

-Work with agencies and associations serving deaf people to provide resources for deaf students

As a deaf educator, two main career goals are to advocate for deaf students and to work with schools to find creative solutions in bridging the communication gap between deaf students and their teachers through not only better instructional practices, but also through a better understanding of Deaf culture, greater parental involvement, and having deaf professionals at the school. I am firmly convinced that research is needed in order to identify, understand, and propose solutions to the various dilemmas that affect deaf education programs.