2010/2011-13
PROPOSED MANDATE
FOR
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE:
Special Education: Hearing Impairment (N-12) Certification
OBJECTIVE:
To establish an additional certification as part of the Special Education Online Master’s
Degree Program.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has an Instructional Level 1 certification for
teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This teaching certification, referred to by PDE as Hearing
Impairment (N-12), covers age 3 to 21 (pre-K through 12th grade). This certification clearly meets
the Saint Joseph’s University mission of social justice and fulfills a critical need for university
programs that certify teachers of students with hearing impairments.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY BY WHICH BODY?
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Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
College Council:
Haub School of Business
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
Administrative/Staff Council
Signature:
Date: 4/17/2011
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate.
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Proposal for an additional Pennsylvania Department of Education certification in
the Special Education Department’s Online Master’s Degree Program.
Introduction
This proposed Saint Joseph’s University online graduate program will prepare candidates to
teach children from 3 to 21 years of age who are deaf, hearing impaired, or have cochlear
implants in a wide variety of settings, including residential schools, private and public school
districts, and intermediate units providing itinerant, resource room, general education classroom,
and inclusive setting instruction. This program has been designed to meet the certification
competencies of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and the accreditation
standards for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Council on Education of the
Deaf (CED).
The dynamic aspect of this proposal is that a fully online program will significantly increase
accessibility to teacher candidates (those who are deaf and hearing impaired) who cannot
relocate to one of the few sites available for Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher certification. It
will also increase the pool of candidates beyond the traditional commuter pattern. Online
technological advances including video phone and video interpreting will contribute to
increasing access for candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing to fully participate in this
proposed program.
Need
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of all teachers is expected to grow by
12 percent between 2006 and 2016, although some areas, especially those in urban settings, will
experience more growth than others. This is expected to create 479,000 additional teacher
positions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There is a particularly critical need for
certified teachers who can teach students who have a very diverse range of hearing loss and
hearing levels – those who are fully mainstreamed with itinerant supplemental support, those
who are included in general education classes with educational interpreters or co-taught by
teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and those who are educated in self-contained classes.
Results of a national survey by Bailes, Erting, and Fischgrund (2008) indicate that there are an
increasing number of students who need these services while a high percentage of the current
cadre of teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is aging and retiring. There is a large number
of Deaf and Hard of Hearing teaching staff with 20 plus years of services and some intermediate
units report having 40 to 60 percent teaching staff turnover.
Having consulted with local, regional, and national leaders in this field, it is clear that there is a
critical need for teacher education programs across the country. This is supported by statewide
and national research (Bailes, Erting, & Fischgrund, 2008), indicating that there is a limited
number of education program for teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing nationwide. There
are only 76 teacher preparation programs in 39 states (including Washington, D.C.) and in 3
provinces in Canada. Of these programs, only 38 (50%) are endorsed by the Council for
Educators of the Deaf (CED) in at least one area (deafed.net, 2009).
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There are no Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher education programs in the Philadelphia or the
southwestern Pennsylvania area. Currently, there is only one 5 year undergraduate/ graduate
teacher education program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg University) and only one undergraduate program (Indiana University
of Pennsylvania). There are no fully online Deaf and Hard of Hearing certification programs in
the state of Pennsylvania and only a few online programs nationally.
According to administrators from the Philadelphia School District, Montgomery County
Intermediate Unit, Bucks County Intermediate Unit, Delaware County Intermediate Unit, the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and private schools for the Deaf, including the Pennsylvania School
for the Deaf, the Archbishop Ryan Program and the Clark School for the Deaf, Pennsylvania
Auditory/Oral Center, the need for a teacher certification in this area is urgent. Several local
universities have been approached to develop this critically needed certification program;
however, due to the financial implications, specifically, the need to employ a number of oncampus interpreters necessary to make such a program operational, these universities have been
unable to meet the challenge. Our proposal meets this need while not incurring the considerable
expense of interpreters. In order to make these certification courses accessible to all applicants,
including those with special accommodation needs, they have been developed completely online.
The universal design format used in developing the instructional content and presentation
provides full access to all candidates.
Program Rationale
The Saint Joseph’s University Graduate Deaf and Hard of Hearing Certification has been
developed with a focus on sound educational practice grounded in a strong theoretical
framework. It is a challenging, rigorous, scientifically-based teacher preparation certification
program, with a comprehensive field-based component, that supports both the Saint Joseph’s
University and the Special Education Department emphasis on knowledge, leadership,
professionalism and service. This comprehensive philosophy promotes the involvement of the
whole child, utilizing every means of communication that is appropriate for the individual
including American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English.
An additional feature of this program is its connection to the Saint Joseph’s University Special
Education Online Response to Intervention Program. According to administrators from the
Philadelphia School District, the Intermediate Units, the Archdiocese, and the Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf, there is a high percentage of students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
and also have special learning needs, such as learning disabilities and cognitive disabilities.
The Saint Joseph’s University Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher Certification would be unique
in that the opportunity to earn a Special Education certification would be available as a program
option.
Program Design
This certification program consists of 6 courses (21 credit hours, which include 6 credits of
student teaching and the professional seminar). There will also be an addition 3 required elective
courses that are mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for all teacher
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certification programs. Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing certification candidates have
three options. Option 1 is to earn the Deaf and Hard of Hearing certification; Option 2 is to earn
a 36 credit hour Master’s degree by completing 2 additional elective courses in special
education; and Option 3 is to earn a dual certification as part of a 48 credit Master’s degree by
completing the additional courses required to earn a certification in Special Education (Pre-K to
8th grade or 7 to 12th grade, depending on their Instructional 1 teaching certification) as well as
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Pre-K to 12th grade) certification. This dual certification is
possible since the required electives are also required courses for those seeking the Special
Education certification.
Course content, presented in developmental sequence, will include cognitive, sociocultural and
psychological foundations, personal language skills and pedagogical competencies, culminating
in a field-based student teaching and professional seminar experience. Please see Appendix A for
the proposed admission criteria, a list of courses and course descriptions, a description of field
experiences, and the program exit criteria.
Source of Candidates for this Program
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Special education teachers seeking an additional certification
General education teachers with an interest in becoming a teacher of students who are
deaf and hard of hearing
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing seeking a more accessible alternative to
becoming a certified teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students
Bachelor’s level professionals or paraprofessionals who are seeking initial certification
and certification as a teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing *
Related service personnel (e.g. speech/language teachers) who wish to become teachers
of students who are deaf and hard of hearing *
Educational (sign language) interpreters who wish to become teachers of students who
are deaf and hard of hearing *
* These individuals’ credentials will be individually evaluated and additional pedagogy
coursework may be required.
Program Duration
Because candidates enter the program with a variety of academic and experiential backgrounds,
the exact content or duration of this certification program cannot be stipulated for individual
candidates without careful consideration of their previous coursework. It is expected that most
candidates working for this Instructional I Certificate will take two courses per semester;
therefore, it will likely take 5 semesters or two academic years and one summer session to
complete this certification. This includes one full-time term to fulfill the student teaching and
the professional seminar requirement. Individuals in this program must complete the curriculum
requirements, successfully pass the PRAXIS II specialty area tests for Education of Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing Students and complete the PA Statewide Evaluation Form for Student
Professional Knowledge and Practice (PDE 430), before being approved for this Pennsylvania
Teacher Certification.
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Timeline for Implementation
Proposed start of this program is January of 2012. According to the Special Education liaison
from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), this certification is considered an add-on
to our existing and approved Special Education program; therefore, the review process would be
cursory and approval for this additional certification could be completed within 30 days once
submitted to PDE reviewers.
Faculty
A group of experts in the field of education of the deaf and hard of hearing have been consulted
in the development of this new certification program to ensure that it served need constituents is
comprehensive in design so that it addresses the pedagogical needs of students with varying
degrees of hearing impairment, and is a scientifically-based, state-of-the-art curriculum. Four
members of this program development committee, all highly credentialed professionals in this
specialty field, has been providing major assistance with course development and has also agreed
to serve as adjunct instructors along with full time faculty in the Special Education Department
to teach these courses. Those who will be instructors in the program include:
Joseph Fischgrund, M.A., M.A. – President of the National Council for the Deaf, Interim
Director of the Katzenbach School for the Deaf, Former Headmaster at the Pennsylvania School
for the Deaf, and adjunct faculty of the College of Professional Studies and Outreach at
Gallaudet University.
Susan Lindsey, M.A, – former Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
(PATTEN) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist and Montgomery County Intermediate Unit
Project Developer of Project CUE: Communication, Understanding, Education.
Joan Evans, Au.D. CCC-A/SLP, Supervisor of Hearing and Vision at the Montgomery County
Intermediate Unit who holds a clinical doctorate in Audiology; certification in the areas of
Audiology, Speech/Language Pathology, Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Special
Education Supervision, and Elementary Education, and is a credentialed Listening and Spoken
Language Specialist (LSLS Cert. AV-Ed), an international certification awarded by the A.G. Bell
Academy, which emphasizes the development of spoken language and literacy through the
auditory modality.
William Hudson, M.Ed. – Hearing Support Lead Teacher at the School District of Philadelphia
Samuel Byers Slike, D.Ed., Professor and Coordinator of the Bloomsburg University Program for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Member of the National Accreditation Review Team for the
Council on Education the Deaf.
Nanette Cooperman, Ed.D., Director of the Saint Joseph’s University Special Education Online
Program; Online Faculty Member
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Renee Reasons, Ed.D., Visiting Faculty Member, Saint Joseph’s University’s Special Education
Online Master’s Program.
Anne Marie Borneman, Ed.D., Visiting Faculty Member, Saint Joseph’s University’s Special
Education Online Master’s Program.
Cathleen Spinelli, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Saint Joseph’s University’s Special Education
Department
Expenses Incurred for this Certification
These courses have already been approved for online course development. The only additional
cost would be for instructors, based on the adjunct fee scale, approximately $3000 per instructor,
per course. Since each section is projected to include 18 candidates, the tuition of two students
should cover the adjunct instructor’s salary.
Anticipated Income Provided by this Certification
While this certification will start with one cohort (generally 18 students), the projection is for a
steady increase as the program is announced as being available throughout the state and
advertised nationally. Please note that our online Special Education Certification and Master’s
Degree Program started three years ago with one cohort and quickly grew to its current (Spring,
2011) start with 6 cohorts. The Special Education Program current has approximately 300
students with a mean applicant GPA of 3.5 and a high retention rate.
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Appendix
Admission Criteria
A bachelor’s degree
Instructional 1 Teaching Certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Secondary
Education or related professional area.
Grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0
Two letters of academic and/or professional recommendation from individuals who have
knowledge of the applicant’s academic background.
Official transcripts, including teaching certification(s)
Letter of intent, including a clearly written goal statement which includes a description of
professional background, experience and rationale for admittance to the program.
Professional resume
Admission Pre-requisite
Candidates will be expected to have basic signed language competencies as a pre-requisite to the
program. Therefore…
The candidate must demonstrate:
1. Evidence of successful completion of one 3 credit accredited course on sign language,
or
2. The following entry level skill, either:
Intermediate Skill Level: Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) or
Level 2: American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI)
Course Titles
Core Certification Courses:
SPE 730: Educational Foundations for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
SPE 731: Language, Literacy and Communication Development for Students Who Are Deaf and
Hard of Hearing
SPE 732: Curriculum, Instruction and Learning Environments for Students Who Are Deaf and
Hard of Hearing
SPE 733: Listening and Speaking Skills for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
SPE 734: Sign Communication in Instructional Settings
SPE 739: Student Teaching and Professional Seminar– 15 week supervised experience (6 credits)
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Required Electives:
SPE 600: Current Issues in Special Education: Theoretical Practice and Procedures*
SPE 608: Families, Schools and Communities: Communication and Collaboration*
SPE 612: Inclusive Classroom Practices*
* These required Special Education course electives – are also required for all teacher
certification programs.
Course Descriptions
Core Certification Courses
SPE 730: Educational Foundations for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This course introduces basic concepts for the education of students who are deaf and hard of
hearing. Topics covered will include the social construction of deafness and hearing loss;
language acquisition and literacy development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing;
educational philosophies and approaches; sign language systems in education; assistive
technology including cochlear implants, placement options, supports for inclusive practices; and
specially designed instruction, including adaptations for students who are deaf and hard of
hearing children with additional special needs.
SPE 731: Language, Literacy & Communication Development for Students who are Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
This course will introduce students to the components of language, normal developmental
sequences in children, and the impact of hearing loss upon language acquisition. Auditory and
visual strategies for facilitating language acquisition among students who are deaf and hard of
hearing will be included, as will protocols for integrating language instruction into academic
content area instruction. Students will be introduced to the array of communication options
available to families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, early communication
behaviors expressed by young children, and strategies for supporting families making
communication decisions. The course will examine the components of literacy in conjunction
with characteristics of scientifically-based reading research and principles of effective
instruction. Students will examine reading programs created for students who are deaf and hard
of hearing, create lesson plans, select websites and technology tools available online to support
these lessons, practice using scoring rubrics, and develop personal plans for expanding their own
communication skills over the course of the next year.
SPE 732: Curriculum, Instruction & Learning Environments for Students who are Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
This course content will cover what teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing need
to know in order to choose and effectively implement the most appropriate methodology,
evaluation procedures, goal/objective sets and lesson plans. Focus will also be on ongoing
assessment measures to monitor student progress and to validate the effectiveness of specific
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instructional methods and materials through data collection. In addition, attention will be given
to how curriculum and instruction are differentiated through the service delivery spectrum:
consultation, itinerant, resource room and full time class (supplemental) instruction.
SPE 733: Listening and Speaking Skills for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This course will provide information regarding the etiology and age of onset of hearing loss,
anatomy and physiology of the hearing mechanism, degree and type of hearing loss, and
interpretation of audiological results. The course will also offer information on auditory skill
development, the utilization of various forms of amplification including hearing aids, cochlear
implants, and FM systems, and the relationship of classroom acoustics to auditory access.
Additionally, information in the area of spoken language development will be provided,
including speech sound acquisition, development of vocabulary, syntax and pragmatics, and
the relationship of listening and spoken language to literacy.
SPE 734: Sign Communication in Instructional Settings
This course introduces and expands upon the use of a variety of sign languages and sign
communication systems in instructional settings. Among the topics covered are the history and
structure of American Sign Language (ASL), the nature and characteristics of artificial sign
systems developed to represent English and hybrid systems such as those described as “contact
signing.” The parameters and use of fingerspelling as an educational tool will also be included.
Various philosophies and methodologies of incorporating sign communication in educational
settings will be covered. Students will be exposed to the appropriate use of sign languages and
sign systems in instructional settings and how they may be used to enhance learning by students
who are deaf and hard of hearing.
SPE 739: Student Teaching and Professional Seminar (6 credits)
This is an individually designed field experience under approved supervision (including seminar
meetings). This experience is designed as the capstone professional course for students seeking
the Hearing Impaired (N-12) certification (PA). It approximates full-time working/teaching
experience for one full semester. At the conclusion of this experience, students must have
demonstrated proficiencies in instructional management and specially designed instruction,
student engagement and motivation, curriculum planning, learning theory, problem solving in an
educational setting, using computers in the classroom, integrating reading, language, and literacy
skills in all classrooms, the use of audiovisual materials in the classroom, communicating
effectively with students and staff members who are deaf or hard of hearing in their preferred
languages and modes of communication, the identification of instructional resources, assessment
of student achievement, the development of IEP goals and objectives, management of
amplification systems, assessment and development of listening and spoken language skills,
consultation with regular classroom teachers, modification of the classroom acoustic
environment, and development of student compensatory strategies. The fieldwork course is
typically the final course in a certification sequence. Includes a weekly online seminar session.
Prerequisites: SPE 600, 608, 612, 730, 731, 732, 733, 734.
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Required Electives
SPE 600: Current Issues in Special Education: Theoretical Practice and Procedures
This course is a critical study of the contemporary and controversial issues within the field of
special education. Consideration will be given to the philosophical, psychological, and
sociological basis of teacher education, including an analytical review of research-based
curricula, programmatic innovations, policy issues and their effects, and ethical practices.
Discussions will focus on evidence-based core concepts that contribute to effective program
planning; investigation of cognitive, academic, behavioral, and psycho-social solutions and
implications for those working with exceptional students; and future implications for the
advancement of special education diagnostic and instructional services.
SPE 608: Families, Schools, and Communities: Communication and Collaboration
This course focuses on the home-school partnerships, issues of family and professional
collaboration and diversity, and methods of promoting adult communication and management
strategies. It applies the knowledge of cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of
socio-cultural and political contexts as they relate to the family, culture and society. It identifies
the members of teams designed to support and optimize children’s educational needs and socialemotional development and the network of community services and resources available to
individuals, families and groups affected by social, environmental, health and related problems.
SPE 612: Inclusive Classroom Practices
This course is a comprehensive study of theoretical issues and research-based diagnosis,
instructional planning, and programmatic organization of instruction for children with disabilities
in inclusive environments. Content will cover curriculum design, development of programs of
differential instruction involving evidence-based interventions that meet students’ needs based
on formative assessment, developmental and educational information; integrated learning
experiences; specialized adaptations and resources; practices and procedures validated for
specific characteristics of learners and settings; prevention and intervention strategies from
multiple theoretical approaches for individuals at-risk for academic or behavioral failure;
systematic implementation of instructional variables; systems management necessary for
effective instruction of children with disabilities; and the underlying theories, issues and methods
for managing classroom environments.
Field Experiences
This is an Instructional I Teaching Certification which requires 190 of pre-student teaching
supervised field experience hours and 360 student teaching supervised hours. The pre-student
teaching field work experiences aligned with each course, include observations; individual, small
group and large group assessments; and instructional experiences working with students, ranging
in age from preschool, elementary, middle to the secondary level, who have varying degrees of
hearing loss.
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Student teaching is an individually designed field experience under approved supervision
(including seminar meetings). This experience is designed as the capstone professional course
for students seeking the Hearing Impaired (N-12) certification. The fieldwork approximates a
full-time working/teaching experience for one full semester. At the conclusion of this
experience, students must have demonstrated proficiencies in instructional management; student
motivation; curriculum planning; learning theory; problem solving in an educational setting;
teaching reading, language, literacy, and math skills in all classrooms; the use of audiovisual
materials, including computers in school settings; the identification of instructional resources;
and the assessment of student achievement. Student teaching is the final experience in the
certification sequence. Also included is a weekly online professional seminar session.
Specific field experience hours are designated as follows:
1. Hearing loss simulation, initial module in Current Issues in Special Education course: 8 hours
2. Observations, interviews, and agency visitation in Families course: 12 hours
3. Observations, interviews, and individual and small group work in Inclusion course: 10 hours
4. Observation, interview and interactive case study in Foundations course: 10 hours
5. Case studies, language assessments in Language and Literacy development course: 18 hours
6. Visits to three different educational settings in Curriculum and Instruction course: 18 hours
7. Student observation in Listening and Speaking Skills course: 12 hours
8. Student observation in Sign Communication course: 12 hours
9. Pre-student Teaching Practicum (first 3 weeks of student teaching): 90 hours
10. Student Teaching (the remaining 12 weeks): 360 hours
Exit Criteria
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5.
Successful completion of all courses with GPA of 3.0 or better
Successful completion of the student teaching experience and the professional seminar
Successful completion of an electronic portfolio with documentation of field experiences
Exit interview
Successful completion of Praxis 2: Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
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