Colorado : Deaf Child Bill of Rights
Colorado State Law 96-1041. Can be found at: www.state.co.us/ or download a pdf version here.
The following description of the Colorado DCBR is taken from the Colorado Guidelines, a report from the Colorado Commission.
What is the Deaf Child's Bill of Rights?
In May of 1996, the General Assembly approved Colorado State Law 96-1041, The Deaf Child's Bill of Rights. The Bill, sponsored by Representative Mo Keller, who is an educator of the deaf, was strongly supported by parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and members of the deaf community. With its passage, program options for deaf students in the state of Colorado have been strengthened and preserved. In light of numerous states nationwide that have eliminated program options in favor of full inclusion models, the passage of 1041 is considered a victory indeed for deaf and hard of hearing students who benefit from options.
What will be the impact of the Deaf Child's Bill of Rights on my child's education?
An outcome of the Deaf Child's Bill of Rights is that your child's IEP (Individual Education Plan) will be directly affected by this law in the form of a "Communication Plan". The Communication Plan is the document referred to in the rules that contains an action plan that the IEP team (especially parents) has created to address specific areas of a student's social and emotional development.
All too often, IEPs do not thoroughly address, if at all, these critical areas of growth for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. The Communication Plan creates a mechanism for having conversations and taking action where gaps are identified in these areas. And the Communication Plan will serve as a quality control monitor, making sure that a more comprehensive, qualitative view is taken of each child's experience in school.
When will the law take effect and when will my child have his/her own "Communication Plan".
The law was in effect as of May 1996, and its rules for implementation were adopted in May of 1997. All IEPs being developed are required to include a Communication Plan. Still, it's not happening consistently. Nevertheless, we encourage parents to take the initiative and team with your IEP staff to create a Communication Plan for your child at your next IEP.
Additional Resources for Colorado 's Deaf Child Bill of Rights:
- Frequently asked questions about the CO Deaf Child's Bill of Rights http://www.handsandvoices.org/
- Fast Facts: http://www.cde.state.co.us/
- Newsflash on the Deaf Child Bill of Rights http://www.handsandvoices.org/
- The Deaf Child Bill of Rights: Six Years Later http://www.handsandvoices.org/
- Implementing the Deaf Child's Bill of Rights: Guidelines for Schools http://www.cde.state.co.us/
Colorado Deaf Education Reform Initiatives:
- "A" is for Access (video/DVD) Ordering Information http://www.cde.state.co.us/
- A Blueprint for Closing the Gap, Develop a Statewide System of Service http://www.cde.state.co.us/
- Deaf Education Reform Update, Spring 2004 http://www.cde.state.co.us/
- Colorado Quality Standards: Programs and Services for Children and Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
http://www.cde.state.co.us/
Additional Resources on Inititatives in Colorado :
"The Reform Movement: Changes For Deaf Ed Imminent"
With excerpts from "A Blueprint for Closing the Gap - Developing a Statewide System of Service Improvements for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing," a report of the Colorado Department of Education, Deaf Education Reform Taskforce. http://www.handsandvoices.org/
"The Communication Gap: Why we Need to Reform Deaf Education" http://www.handsandvoices.org/
"Deaf Education Reform: The Time is NOW! "
http://www.handsandvoices.org/
"The Train is Moving"
http://www.cde.state.co.us/
Colorado Deaf Education Reform Update
A Report by Cheryl D. Johnson, Ed.D., Colorado Department of Education, Jan. 2006.
Statewide Program Evaluation
Under the guidance of the Colorado Deaf Education Reform Implementation Task Force, CDE, Exceptional Student Services, has contracted with the Research and Development Center for the Advancement of Student Learning at Colorado State University to conduct a statewide evaluation of programs and services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The evaluation is based on the COLORADO QUALITY STANDARDS for Programs and Services for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2004). The program evaluation will occur in two phases beginning in January 2006. The first phase is an on-line self-assessment survey of all DHH teachers, audiologists, early intervention providers, educational interpreters, special education administrators, and any other relevant DHH service providers. The survey will gather information about the services, birth to age twenty-one, that each school district or BOCES provides, the degree to which the quality standards are implemented, which quality standards they find valuable for the services provided to students with hearing loss, and what level of satisfaction they have of the services they provide . The second phase will consist of focus groups of DHH teachers and providers in approximately 25 school district or BOCES. Districts/BOCES will be randomly selected and then supplemented by 5 that are selected to assure appropriate representation from urban and rural administrative units as well as geographical distribution.
The purpose of this evaluation is to determine which quality standards, or groups of standards, have the greatest impact on student achievement and outcomes. We will also be conducting similar self-assessments in Arizona to look specifically at the benefits of services being organized within regional programs. The information obtained from this process will be used to inform the legislature of the needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) as well as direct further planning of services and programs within Colorado schools.
The COLORADO QUALITY STANDARDS for Programs and Services for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2004) as well as other documents pertinent to deaf education can be downloaded at www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/sd-hearing.asp . If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Cheryl Johnson , Supervisor, Exceptional Student Services, CDE ( johnson_c@cde.stste.co.us ).