Council on Education of the Deaf

 

Office of Program Evaluation

 

 

 

 

Manual I:

 

STANDARDS FOR PROGRAMS

PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS

WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manual Revised August 15, 2003

 

 

COUNCIL ON EDUCATION OF THE DEAF

 

STANDARDS FOR PROGRAMS

PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS

WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

 

 

                                                              INTRODUCTION

 

The Executive Board of the Council on Education of The Deaf approved the following standards on June 26, 1977. They were revised on January 1980, June 1985, July 1998, and July 2002. The standards comprise a description of essential elements of preparation programs for teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children. This document is designed to aid institutions offering such programs and panels of reviewers and site visitors involved in evaluating the programs.

 

 

Council on Education of the Deaf

 

The Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) is a national organization. Its Executive Board which is comprised representatives appointed to serve from six member organizations: The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf (AGB), The Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD), the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf (CAID), Association of College Educators - Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACE-DHH), The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), and the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC). Individual members of these organizations represent more than a substantial majority of the educators and professional personnel involved in the education of deaf and hard of hearing children and youth in the United States, as well as parents of deaf and hard of hearing children and deaf adults themselves.

 

 

Teacher Certification

 

Formal recognition of teachers meeting mutually agreed-upon standards for educating deaf and hard of hearing students began in 1930. The program was administered by CEASD through 1969. Such recognition was open to all educators of deaf and hard of hearing children. By 1969, more than 6,000 persons had been certified. In July of 1969, the program, by mutual agreement of member organizations, was transferred to the Council on Education of the Deaf. After a comprehensive national study and survey, the CED revised and updated the certification standards.

 

 

Program Evaluation

 

Since 1930, evaluation and approval of programs for the professional preparation of teachers in this field has been voluntary. The standards contained in this document represent what teacher educators, teachers, administrators, parents, and consumers believe should be included in an effective program for preparing teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. This document should be used by institutions involved in the process of self-evaluation of their program activities and by review panels representing the CED or other professional groups.

 

In preparing this set of standards for programs for the preparation of teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children, the CED Committee had made extensive use of the model, format, and language in the document Standards Procedures & Policies for the Accreditation of Professional Education Units (Washington, CD: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education,1995) and What Every Special Educator Must Know: The International Standards for the Preparation and Certification of Special Education Teachers (Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children, 1996).

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        Explanation of Terms

 

Program:                              Refers to the complex of activities, services, and curriculum involved in preparing teachers for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 

Certification Standards:     Refers to CED Standards for the Certification of Teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. These standards incorporate the CEC Common Core of Knowledge and Skills Essential for All Beginning Special Education Teachers, CEC Knowledge and Skills for All Beginning Special Education Teachers of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and the CEC Institutional and Program Requirements.

 

Candidates:                          Undergraduate and graduate students preparing to become a teacher of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

 

                                                       PROGRAM STANDARDS

 

1.0      Curriculum For Core Programs At Provisional Certification Level

 

Curriculum for teacher education is designed to achieve explicitly stated objectives. These objectives are determined in relation to both the professional roles and educational settings for which preparation programs are designed and behavioral outcomes sought. It is assumed that the design of each curriculum for the preparation of teachers adopted by the institution reflects an awareness of research and development in teacher education and the location of deaf and hard of hearing children in a variety of settings for their formal educational programs.

 

Curriculum includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions candidates should attain from courses, services, readings, practicum experiences, and other planned learning activities. A program of learning refers to the sequencing of those planned learning activities to be achieved by the candidates.

 

 

1.1      Design of Curriculum

 

Standard:    Each curriculum reflects the institution=s philosophy regarding education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and personnel preparation, its conception of the role of the teacher, and its program objectives.                                           

 

Evaluators should ask:

 

a.         How is the institution=s philosophy reflected in the program to prepare teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

b.         What is the program philosophy (i.e, auditory-oral, bilingual-bicultural, or comprehensive), and what are the underlying assumptions and the objectives of the program?

 

c.         What evidence indicates that specific objectives for each curriculum have been defined and that the objectives reflect the institution=s analysis of the professional school positions for which candidates are being prepared?

 

d.         What information shows that the teacher preparation program and each curriculum are designed to meet the stated objectives?

 

1.2      Curriculum Components

 

            Standard:      1.2. As the generic portion of the core it is planned that each curriculum consist of learning experiences designed to develop candidate outcomes in the following areas defined by the CED Special Education Content Standards: (1) foundations; (2) development and characteristics of learners; (3) individual learning differences; (4) instructional strategies; (5) learning environments and social interactions; (6) language; (7) instructional planning; (8) assessment; (9) professional and ethical practice; and (10) collaboration.[1]                                                            

 

Evaluators should ask:

 

a.         How  are candidate outcomes in each of the above ten areas made explicit?

 

b.         How are candidate outcomes evaluated in each of the above ten areas?

 

c.         What provisions, if any, are made for the assessment of individual candidates= entering skills and knowledge and subsequent individualization in this component?

 

 

1.3      The Specialization Component

 

The specialization component of the curriculum refers to the area or areas defined in the CED standards as:                    

 

Parent/infant              Multiple Disabilities

Early Childhood          Secondary [indicate content area(s)]            

Elementary                                                                   

 

which the institution has selected as areas of specialization within the program.

 

In addition to the common core, content for the teaching specialty or specialties requires appropriate subject matter, practicum, and professional outcomes specific to each area listed above. Content for the teaching specialty also implies two types of professional outcomes: (1) the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that teachers need for their professional specializations, and (2) the knowledge and skills that deaf and hard of hearing students should acquire. Program faculty must determine such content, select  and sequence courses and learning experiences to meet this requirement, and insure that the elements of a common core are integrated at the appropriate levels and areas of specialization.

 

Standard:    The specialization component for each area includes the study of knowledge and skills to be acquired by pupils, teaching and learning strategies by which these pupil competencies are developed, and additional knowledge from allied fields.

 

a.         What evidence shows that each specialization includes both types of content for the specialization and supplementary subject matter information?

 

b.         What information shows that the selection of courses, practicum, and other learning experiences required for specialization in the curricula embodies the judgment of members of the faculty in education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and the judgment of professional persons and others involved in the area(s) of specialization?

 

c.         What provisions ensure that a systematic effort is made to keep the content of the respective teaching specializations current and relevant with developments in the appropriate disciplines as they relate to teaching students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

d.         What evidence shows integration or interrelatedness of content for students who are hearing and deaf or hard of hearing within the specialization?

 

e.         What evidence shows content interrelatedness with and among cultural, racial and economic consideration within a multicultural and multiracial society and the cultural phenomena associated with deafness?

 

NOTE: In the process of self-evaluation and preparing a Program Report, please respond to each area of specialization separately. Use Form #6, attachment III, in CED Manual II for this information.

 

 

1.4      Practicum

 

PracticumCobservation, participation. and student teachingCis an essential and integral curriculum component for prospective teachers. While other curriculum components provide candidates with certain knowledge, skills, and principles of practice, their direct experiences with deaf and hard of hearing students, teachers, and other personnel in educational situations provide them with professional models, examples for the application of theories, knowledge, and principles of instruction, and opportunities to develop and demonstrate their own competencies.

 

Many facilities are available for practicum, including residential and day programs and facilities with mainstreaming and resource services. Candidates should be familiar with the full range of resources available to deaf and hard of hearing students. They should carry out practicum activities in these facilities as appropriate to the program philosophy and objectives and their own professional goals.

 

Practicum typically occurs over an extended period of time and is integrated with other planned learning activities within the curriculum. To insure this integration and to guide, monitor. and evaluate candidates= learning experiences in all phases of practicum, qualified personnel from the teacher preparation program and the practicum facilities should provide close and continuous supervision. Furthermore, the respective roles of all personnel involved in practicum and practicum supervision should be defined clearly, and communication among all persons involved in practicum should be frequent and successful.

 

1.4.1    Standard: The curriculum incorporates a planned sequence of practicum experiences appropriate to the general curriculum and the area of specialization. Practicum includes adequate amounts of observation and participation for A MINIMUM OF 150 HOURS OF DIRECTED OBSERVATION AND PARTICIPATION AND A MINIMUM OF 250 CLOCK HOURS OF STUDENT TEACHING.

 

a.         What planned practicum experiences does the program offer?

 

b.         What evidence indicates that the amount, nature, and sequencing of practicum are adequate and appropriate for the program philosophy and area of specialization?

 

c.         Do the practicum experiences develop lead to the desired outcomes?

 

d.         How is the candidate=s acquisition of the desired outcomes evaluated?

 

e.         What provisions, if any, are made for the assessment of individual candidates= entering skills and knowledge and subsequent individualization in this area?

 

f.          What evidence shows that practicum experiences are integrated with other areas of the curriculum?

 

g.         What are the provisions for practicum experiences in diagnosing and prescribing educational programs for typical and atypical cases?

 

h.         What evidence confirms that practicum experience met through an internship includes analyses of teaching behavior and evaluations of teaching performance?

 

                        1.4.2    Standard: A wide range of practicum facilities is available. Candidates should be familiar with the full array of resources available to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and carry out practicum activities in these facilities as appropriate to the objectives of the program and areas of specialization and their own professional goals.

 

a.         What schools, services, and programs are used for practicum purposes?

 

b.         How and to what extent is each practicum facility utilized?

 

c.         What evidence indicates that practicum facilities are appropriate for the program and its areas of specialization?

 

d.         In addition to access to a sufficient range of practicum sites to accommodate all areas of program specialization, what evidence indicates that these sites also provide variety relative to cultural, racial and economic backgrounds?

 

NOTE: For Program Report, CED Form #1,  Attachment III (CED Manual II) addresses this standard.        

 

                        1.4.3    Standard: Qualified personnel from the teacher preparation center and practicum facilities conduct a well-coordinated, planned program of supervision for all phases of practicum. Supervision is adequate and appropriate in terms of its nature, frequency, and amount and its relevance to program and specialization objectives.

 

a.         Describe the nature, frequency, and amount of supervision provided for each phase of practicum (i.e., observation, participation, student teaching).

    

b.         Describe the respective roles and interaction of the practicum coordinator and supervisors from the teacher preparation center and the supervisors and other personnel from the practicum facilities.

 

c.         Describe the relative amounts of supervision time provided by teacher preparation center supervisors and practicum facility supervisors. Include in this description the specific structure of the supervision process. Do teacher preparation center faculty maintain a specific visitation schedule? Does this schedule meet or exceed a level of 10B12 hours of observation and supervision during the required 250 hours of practicum?

 

d.         What provisions are made for frequent conferences among student teachers, cooperating teachers, and supervisors from the teacher preparation program?

 

e.         What procedures are used to record, monitor, and evaluate the teaching performance of candidates, and how is this information used by candidates and supervisors to analyze teaching behavior?

 

f.          What information shows that relationships between professional personnel in the teacher preparation center and in the cooperating facilities contribute positively to candidates= experiences in practicum?

 

g.         What is the maximum ratio of practicum students to supervising faculty that would typically be assigned to a full-time-equivalent person? Describe the circumstances under which the ratio might exceed 12:1.

 

h.         What information shows that the selection, training, placement, and evaluation of cooperating teachers is managed effectively? Minimally, such information should describe and document in writing the following:

 

o         guidelines relative to role and responsibility of cooperating teachers, including an orientation program;

 

o         requirements for CED or other appropriate credentials in the area or level in which supervision is provided and in which candidate will seek certification;

 

o         processes cooperating teachers should use to structure the practicum experience and evaluate the candidate;

 

o         processes the teacher preparation center uses to evaluate the practicum experience, including candidates= participation;

 

o         policies for selecting and retaining cooperating teachers and practicum sites.

 

1.5       Program Development Guidelines

 

Professional organizations, universities, programs for deaf and hard of hearing students, etc. have developed numerous guidelines and strategies that have been found to be effective in planning, developing, and evaluating a curriculum. Program faculty should review these various guidelines to determine how they will establish the program=s content, structure, and system of delivery.

 

Standard: In planning and developing the curriculum, the institution should give due consideration to existing guidelines.

 

a.         What guidelines were utilized in developing the program?

 

b.         What evidence shows the effect of these guidelines on the curriculum being reviewed?

 

1.6       Control of Programs

 

Administrative structure exists primarily as a practical arrangement for formulating and achieving goals, fixing responsibility, utilizing resources, and facilitating continuous development and improvement. The standard assumes that this principle is applicable to administrative units responsible for teacher preparation. The unit within the institution officially designated as responsible for teacher education should be composed of experienced persons committed to preparing teachers for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The standard does not prescribe any particular organizational structure. A unit, as referred to below, may take the form of a center, council, commission, committee, department, school, college or other recognizable organizational entity.While major responsibility for designing, approving, evaluating, and developing teacher education programs should be carried by an officially designated unit, teacher education faculty members in the area of students who are deaf and hard of hearing should be systematically involved in decision-making processes.

 

Standard: The design, approval, and continuous evaluation and development of teacher education programs are the primary responsibility of an administrative unit. The majority of the membership of this unit is composed of faculty and/or staff members who are significantly involved in the preparation of teachers for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 

a.         What administrative unit within the institution has primary responsibility for the program and what is the rationale for determining its membership and responsibilities?

 

b.         What evidence shows that the majority of the membership of the administrative unit responsible for the program is comprised of faculty and or staff members significantly involved in teacher preparation for students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

c.         What activities of the administrative unit during the past two years demonstrate that it is responsible for the programs=s design, approval, and continuous evaluation and development?

 

d.         What information indicates that the faculty members in the program share in the decision-making processes related to designing, evaluating, and developing teacher education programs?

 

e.         What formal and informal coordination exists between the administrative unit with primary responsibility for the program and other departments or units that offer coursework for candidates in the program?

 

2.0      Faculty

 

Programs preparing teachers for students who are deaf and hard of hearing require a competent faculty who are a coherent body devoted to the preparation of effective teachers. This faculty is significantly involved in developing and evaluating teacher education in their area of specialization and other areas offered by the institution. They also systematically engage in efforts to improve the quality of instruction and practicum experiences. The faculty constantly scrutinize curricula in relation to the characteristics and needs of the candidates and  the resources required to support an acceptable programs. The following standards deal with significant aspects of faculty competence related to development, execution, and review of teacher education programs and conditions for effective faculty performance.

 

AFaculty for Teacher Education@ as used in standards 2.1 through 2.4 designates faculty members who are responsible for instruction and supervision in all areas of the curriculum, including practicum, for candidates preparing to teach students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 

Use Form #2 and #4, attachment III, CED Manual II.

 

 

2.1      Competence and Utilization of Faculty

 

Faculty competence is crucial in teacher education, not only for the quality of instruction but also for the total atmosphere of the program. The quality of the program and the degree to which such quality is maintained depend primarily on the faculty. Faculty members= expertise makes competent instruction possible in all aspects of the curriculum and competent supervision of all types of practicum experiences.

 

Faculty competence is based academic preparation, experience, teaching, and scholarly performance. The standard assumes that advanced graduate work and experience in education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing or a related field  are minimal requirements for teaching in a an institution of higher education. In certain cases, where the faculty member has not completed the requisite advanced graduate work, competence may be established on the basis of scholarly performance as reflected by publication, research, or recognition by professional peers in the faculty member=s field of specialization.

 

An institution should capitalize on the academic and professional strength of its faculty by making assignments that maximize preparation and experience. An institution also should relate faculty selection and assignment to faculty performance. The standard does not preclude offering adequate programs of teacher education with a small faculty, but it does discourage over-extending faculty and using them in areas in which they are not competent.

 

Standard: An institution engaged in preparing teachers has a minimum of two qualified CED-certified full-time faculty members (or their equivalent) in teacher education, each with post-master=s degree preparation or demonstrated scholarly and professional competence, and each with appropriate expertise in components of the curricula (e.g., language, communication, media) and areas of specialization (e.g., preprimary, elementary, secondary, multiple disabilities), one of whom is officially designated as coordinator or head of the Program and who assumes accountability for program administration, direction and evaluation.

 

a.         Is the coordinator of the program a faculty member with a professional rank? Does the coordinator hold an earned doctorate and Professional Certification by the Council on Education of the Deaf?

 

b.         What evidence indicates that full-time faculty members are competent instructors and supervisors in each curriculum and specialization area?

 

c.         What evidence shows that all courses and other learning experiences in each of the areas specified in the standard are actually conducted by faculty members appropriately prepared to do so?

 

d.         If any faculty members have been teaching in fields for which they are not qualified, for how long and for what special reasons has this been permitted?

 

e.         How are the effectiveness of the instruction and supervision in each of the areas specified in the standard evaluated?

 

f.          What evidence shows that faculty members actively engage in professional development activities like research, advanced study, and participation in professional and other groups?

 

2.2      Faculty Involvement with Schools

 

Faculty members who instruct prospective teachers need frequent contact with schools so that their teaching and research remain current and relevant. In addition, teacher education faculty should be committed to the needs of the teaching profession as a whole and to institutional programs. School personnel and faculty members in colleges and universities should share a common purpose and interest in teacher education. The specialized talent of the teacher education faculty is viewed as a resource for providing in-service assistance to schools in the area served by the institution.

 

Standard: Members of the teacher education faculty have continuing association and involvement with educational programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 

a.         How have members of the teacher education faculty been involved with educational programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

b.         What shows that such  involvement is reflected in the institution=s teacher education programs?

 

c.         What indicates that the special competencies of the teacher education faculty are reflected in services offered to the schools?

 

 

2.3      Conditions for Faculty Service

 

The institution, recognizing that the faculty is the major determinant of the quality of its teacher education programs, makes provision for the efficient use of faculty competence, time, and energy. Such provisions include policies that establish maximum limits for teaching loads, permit adjustments in teaching loads when non-teaching duties are assigned, and allow time for faculty members to do the planning involved in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

 

To maintain and to improve the quality of its faculty, the institution has a plan for professional development that provides opportunities like in-service education, sabbatical leave, travel support, summer leaves, and intra- and inter-institutional visitation. In addition, time is allocated in the faculty members= loads so that they can continue their scholarly development.

 

The institution recognizes that the quality of its instructional programs can be compromised if faculty members dissipate their energy on subprofessional tasks. Therefore, provision is made for support services, such as those provided by instructional media technicians, laboratory or instructional assistants, research assistants, and secretaries and clerks, that permit faculty members to fulfill their instructional and other professional responsibilities at a high level of performance.

 

Standard: The institution provides conditions essential to the effective performance by the teacher education faculty.

 

 

a.         What is the plan and its supporting rationale for taking into account all professional duties and activities of the faculty in determining load?

 

b.         What is the assigned professional load (all services rendered) for each teacher preparation faculty member?

 

c.         If the load of any faculty member exceeds the established institutional policy, for how long and for what reasons has this been permitted?

 

d.         What program does the institution have for faculty development, and what evidence shows that it is operative?

 

e.         How are supporting services allocated to the faculty, and what evidence shows that such services are provided?

 

 

2.4      Part-Time Faculty

 

Two kinds of situations support employing part-time faculty. One is the institution=s need for competence not represented on the regular staff or not requiring a full-time faculty member. The other is the need for additional service in areas already represented on the full-time staff. In the interests of operating acceptable programs, however, the institution avoids fragmenting instruction and eroding program quality, which can accompany excessive use of part-time faculty. The competence of part-time faculty, indicated by academic preparation, experience, teaching, and scholarly performance, should be comparable to that of full-time faculty.

 

Standard: The requirements for part-time faculty in the institution are comparable to those for appointment to the full-time faculty and are employed only when part-time faculty can make special contributions to teacher education programs.

 

a.         What are the qualifications of the part-time faculty members in the program for the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing? What proportion of instruction in each curriculum is assigned to them?

 

b.         What is the standard, average, or maximum load within and without the institution for each part-time faculty member in teacher preparation?

 

c.         What rationales support the use of each part-time faculty member in the program?

 

d.         What provisions insure that part-time faculty members are oriented to the basic purposes of the institution=s teacher education program and are kept abreast of current developments?

 

 

3.0      Candidates

 

3.1      Admission to Programs

 

Teacher education programs require candidates who have intellectual, emotional, and personal qualifications that promise to result in successful performance in the profession. Attention to the characteristics of candidates admitted to, retained in, and graduated from teacher education is essential to designing and maintaining acceptable programs.

 

The program or institution should select and retains qualified candidates and eliminate those who should not go into teaching. They also should provide counseling and advising services, opportunities for candidate participation in evaluating and developing programs, and evaluation of graduates. The following standard applies to the selection of candidates in the program for the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 

Standard: The institution applies specific criteria for admission to the program for the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. These criteria require the use of both objective and subjective data.

 

Use Form #3 Attachment III. CED‑2

 

a.         What are the program=s admission requirements? What rationale supports them?

 

b.         What shows that the admission requirements are being met?

 

c.         How many candidates applied for admission during the past two years? How many were denied admission? How many who were denied admission were subsequently admitted, and why?

 

d.         What objective data, including test results with national norms, are used for admitting candidates to the teacher preparation program?

 

e.         Does the institution admit candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing? If so, what special admissions criteria are applied? What special resources are available to enable these candidates to meet the institutional requirements for graduation?

 

f.          Does the institution admit candidates with disabilities other than hearing loss to the program? If yes, what special resources are available to enable these candidates to meet the institutional requirements for graduation?

 

 

3.2      Retaining Candidates in Programs

 

The professional studies component in teacher education curricula requires high academic achievement and growth in technical competence. Grades in coursework provide the usual measures of achievement in theoretical work. Observations, reports, and other modes of appraisal provide evaluations of laboratory, clinical, and practicum experiences. The institution owes it to the candidates to determine as objectively and systematically as possible specific strengths and weaknesses as they affect their continuing in the program

 

A teacher=s academic competence is a major determinant of effectiveness but is not the only one. Prospective teachers should demonstrate those personal characteristics that will contribute to, rather than detract from, their classroom performance. Institutions have the right and obligation to consider personal factors as well as academic achievement as a basis for permitting candidates to continue in a teacher education program.

 

Standard: The institution applies specific criteria for retaining candidates who possess academic competencies and personal characteristics appropriate to the requirements of teaching.

 

a.         What objective means are used to evaluate the achievement of candidates in each area of the professional studies component of the program for teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

b.         What information other than course grades is used to evaluate the performance outcomes of prospective teachers?

c.         What requirements for performance outcomes must candidates meet to continue in the program?

 

d.         On the basis of what personal characteristics does the institution screen out candidates from the teacher education programs?

 

e.         Under what circumstances, if any, are candidates who do not meet the institution=s requirements for retention permitted to continue in the basic programs?

 

 

3.3      Candidate Participation in Program Evaluation and Development

 

                        Standard: The program preparing teachers for students who are deaf and hard of hearing has a systematic procedure for securing feedback on the program and the faculty members from candidates and graduates.

 

a.         What evidence shows that candidates have a role in the design, development or modification of the program?

 

b.         How do candidates evaluate the overall program? Is this done on an annual basis?

 

c.         How do candidates evaluate individual courses? How do faculty use the resulting data?

 

d.         Are candidates provided opportunity and encouragement for participation in professional organizations relevant to deafness, e.g., student membership in Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, Alexander Graham Bell Association, or Council for Exceptional Children?

 

e.         What feedback has the program received from graduates and candidates during the last five years? What steps have been taken to respond to this feedback?

 

 

3.4      Program Graduation Requirements

 

                        Standard: Graduation from a program for the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing implies more than the satisfactory completion of a series of academic credit hours.

 

a.         What data other than course grades does the program for the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing require for graduation?

 

                        Note: Use Form #5, attachment III, CED‑2.

 

 

4.0      Resources and Facilities

 

The institution provides an environment that supports the teacher education programs it offers. The adequacy of this environment is systematically evaluated in relation to the demands of curricula, faculty, and candidates. In the standards, certain elements of this environment are selected for fuller explication without presuming to relegate other elements to insignificance and without assuming that those that are selected are of equal importance. The standards treat the importance of the library, the materials and instructional media center, physical facilities, and other resources.

 

 

4.1      Library

 

The library should be the principal educational materials resource and information storage and retrieval center of an institution. As a principal resource for teaching and learning, the library holdings in teacher education should be sufficient for candidates and pertinent to the types and levels of programs offered. Recommendations of faculty members and national professional organizations should be seriously considered in maintaining and building the collection. Library services assure both candidates and faculty members access to the holdings.

 

Standard: The library is adequate to support the instruction, research, and services of each teacher education program.

 

a.         What evidence shows that the library collection includes:

 

(1)      standard and contemporary holdings in education, psychology, instructional technology, speech and hearing, and students who are deaf and hard of hearing (books, electronic media, microfilms, microfiche copies, etc.)?

 

(2)     standard periodicals in education, psychology,  instructional technology, speech and hearing, and students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

(3)     such additional specialized books, periodicals, and other resources to support each teacher education program?

b.         What evidence shows that the institution, in maintaining and improving the quality of its library holdings in teacher education, seriously considers the recommendations of:

 

(1)      faculty?

 

(2)     appropriate national professional organizations and learned societies?

 

(3)     a nationally recognized list of books and periodicals?

 

c.         What information indicates that candidates and faculty have use of library holdings?

 

d.         What evidence shows that institutional support has been given to the acquisition of holdings directly related to the program?

 

 

4.2      Materials and Instructional Media Center

 

Modern media and materials are essential elements of contemporary society. For this reason, teachers need to understand and use the technologies that make media and materials usable in their teaching. To assist candidates in developing these understandings and skills, the institution should provide candidates and faculty members with appropriate teaching-learning materials and instructional media. In maintaining and developing the collection of such materials and media, the institution should seriously consider the recommendations of faculty members and appropriate national professional organizations. Teacher preparation programs should  include the use of teaching-learning materials and instructional media in two important ways: candidates should learn to use modern technologies in their teaching, and faculty members should use modern technologies to teach candidates.

 

Standard: A materials and instructional media center for teacher preparation, maintained either as a part of the library, or as one or more separate units, is adequate to support the teacher education program.

 

a.         What shows that the center contains materials and equipment that:

 

(1)      are used at different grade levels in elementary and secondary programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing?

 

(2)     are used for teaching and learning in the program=s teacher education curricula?

(3)     represent the program=s teaching specialties?

 

(4)     reflect recent developments in the teaching various subject fields?

 

(5)     illustrate a wide array of instructional technologies?

 

b.         What evidence shows that the institution, in maintaining and improving the quality of the center, seriously considers the recommendations of:

 

(1)      faculty and staff members?

 

(2)     appropriate national professional organizations?

 

c.         What shows that the center is directed by personnel who are knowledgeable about instructional media and materials?

 

d.         What indicates that the center is available to and used by:

 

(1) candidates?

 

(2)  faculty members?

 

 

4.3      Physical Facilities and Other Resources

 

Teacher education programs should draw on the full range of institutional resources to support instruction and research. Assuming that the other aspects of an institution=s teacher education program are acceptable, the adequacy of the physical facilities, equipment, and special resources is judged in terms of the program=s operational requirements. The resources should be readily accessible, so that faculty and candidates can pursue instructional objectives effectively.

 

Standard: The institution provides physical facilities and other resources essential to the instructional and training activities of the program.

 

a.         What facts indicate that for each basic teacher education program offered, faculty and candidates have office space, instructional space, and other space necessary to carry out their responsibilities including:

 

(1)      standard and contemporary audiological facilities, materials, and equipment?

 

(2)     facilities, materials, and equipment for observing and demonstrating audiological, psychological, and educational testing, diagnosis, and training?

 

b.         What indicates that the institution has seriously considered faculty recommendations for improving physical facilities and other support resources?

 

c.         What indicates that facilities and resources are accessible to faculty and candidates in the program, including individuals with disabilities?

 

 

5.0      Evaluation Review and Planning

 

In order to assure that a program is current, relevant, and organized to carry out its mission appropriately, a continuous program of evaluation should be in effect. Such a program should focus on:

 

a.         annual follow-up and evaluation of graduates;

 

b.         improving existing programs;       

 

c.         engaging in long-range planning on institutional and departmental levels.

 

 

5.1      Evaluating Candidates and Graduates

 

The ultimate criterion for judging a teacher education program is whether it produces competent graduates who enter the profession and perform effectively. An institution committed to the preparation of teachers engages in systematic efforts to evaluate the quality of its graduates= performance. The institution should evaluate candidates and graduates at multiple points during their preparation and after.

 

Any effort to assess candidate and graduate performance requires that evaluations be made in relation to the objectives sought. Therefore, institutions use the stated objectives of their teacher education programs as a basis for evaluating performance outcomes in the teachers they prepare.

 

Standard: The institution conducts a well-defined plan for evaluating the candidates and teachers it prepares.

 

a.         What information shows that the stated outcomes for the teacher education programs provide the basis for evaluating candidates and graduates prepared by the institution?

 

b.         How and when are candidate and graduate performance data collected?

 

c.         What percent of the teachers prepared by the institution during the last two years actually entered the teaching profession?

 

d.         What characteristics of teachers prepared by the institution have been revealed through evaluation of candidates and graduates?

 

NOTE: Use Form #4 Attachment III. CED Manual II.

 

 

5.2      Use of Evaluation Results to Improve the Program

 

The institution evaluates the teachers and candidates it prepares not only to obtain assessments of their quality but also to identify areas in the programs that need strengthening and to suggest new directions for program development. The results of the evaluations should be reflected in modifications in the preparation programs.

 

Standard: The institution uses evaluation results to study, develop, and improve its teacher education programs.

 

a.         What program strengths and weaknesses do evaluation data reveal?

 

b.         How does the institution insure that evaluation results are translated into appropriate program modifications?

 

 

5.3      Long-Range Planning

 

Institutional plans for future development provide a basis for making decisions in matters like increasing or limiting enrollment, introducing new programs, expanding and strengthening existing programs. Effective long-range planning presupposes that the institution periodically engages in study and research to ascertain whether its present policies and practices effectively accomplish its purposes. The institutional community should participate in conducting such studies and projecting long-range plans.

 

Standard: The institution plans for the long-range development of teacher education. These plans are part of a design for total institutional development.

a.         What evidence indicates that the institution has, or is, engaged in studies or research to improve its teacher education programs?

 

b.         What shows that teacher preparation faculty participate in formulatingthe institution=s long-range plans for teacher education?

 

c.         What is the institution=s plan for developing it teacher education programs? What rationale supports significant changes that are proposed?

 

 

 

                                                              PREREQUISITES

 

Prior to (for graduate students) or parallel with (for undergraduate students) completion of a preparation program in any specialization candidates should demonstrate general knowledge in two broad areas.

 

 

General Education

 

Teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing, more than most teachers, face a wide variety of situations with which they must deal effectively. These situations, which require them to be Aall things@ to their students, demand teachers with strong backgrounds of general knowledge combined with understanding the issues of a multicultural and pluralistic society. Their preparation must be strong in the natural and behavioral sciences and the humanities. It should include mastery of symbols used for communication in such fields as linguistics, mathematics, language, logic, and information theory. Further these prerequisites may be more specifically translated into general knowledge in the areas of:

 

          $            child growth and development, learning theory, and general psychology;

 

          $            the development, structure, and function of social institutions, including the interaction and interrelationship of these groups in our society. This would include a knowledge of the organization and administration of school systems and the historical and philosophical aspects of teaching and learning;

 

          $            instructional procedures in general education;

 

          $            General instructional procedures for educating children with disabilities, including multiple disabilities.

 

No less than one-third of a four-year curriculum should be devoted to the studies of a general nature. The particular needs and interest of an individual candidate provide direction for particular course configuration or depth of study in a specific area of general education.

 

 

Teacher Preparation

 

Teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing increasing need to have both the broad general education background described above and expansive professional preparation for teaching. They should acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions for teaching students without disabilities prerequisite toCor concurrent withCtheir preparation to teach students who are deaf and hard of hearing. They also must have knowledge of subject matter and the ability to present it to a variety of students. Consequently, prior to, or upon completion, of a program in education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing, candidates also should have completed the course work generally required for a regular state teaching credential in early childhood, elementary, or secondary education. This course work should be in the candidate=s area of specialization in education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Programs seeking Council on Education of the Deaf approval must document how they meet the prerequisite requirements described above.


[1]For information about the CED Special Education Content Standards, see http://www.cec.sped.org/ps/perf_based_stds/standards.html.