The Blueprint for Reform: The NDEP "Statement of Principle."
"Society exists in and through communication." John Dewey
Over the years creative and dedicated individuals and committed organizations have discussed and written about what constitutes an appropriate educational delivery system for deaf and hard of hearing children. Central to the collective thinking of our field is an understanding that communication and language must be central to that system. The NDEP's Statement of Principle captures the best thinking of those who have gone before us and further provides a rationale for, and the detail of, a true communication and language-driven educational delivery system for deaf and hard of hearing students. The complete Statement of Principle entitled "The Educational and Communication Needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: A Statement of Principle on Fundamental Educational Change" can be found at:
http://www.ceasd.org/acrobat/NDEPStatement.pdf
[Note 04-30-06: this link is currently unavailable but will be up again in a few days]
Some of the highlights of the Statement of Principle are:
"..The need and right to communicate with others, to exchange ideas and thoughts, to discuss the Russian Revolution or one's favorite author or the high salaries of professional athletes, the need to ask a teacher about a math problem--in short, the "right to language"--is a necessity to educational growth and central to the human experience..What parent of a hearing child would tolerate the placement of his or her child in a school where there were no language peers or where the teacher could not communicate directly with that child? What parent would tolerate the inability of the school system to teach basic reading and writing skills, even as we tolerate the inability to develop and enhance a deaf or hard of hearing child's communication skills?"
"The development of a communication-driven educational system is the central proposition of this Statement of Principle, for it is time that deaf and hard of hearing children be included in the vibrant world of communication. Accordingly, this Statement of Principle focuses on four issues:
1. Communication development and access is fundamental to educational and human growth.
2. IDEA, and its conceptual "starting point, " do not recognize o r f serve the communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing children. Reliance on an existing individualized education program (IEP) and due process mechanisms cannot resolve the systemic problem facing deaf and hard of hearing children.
3. Until the system is "communication driven," the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing children will not be fully understood and met, and those children will continue to enter adulthood without the necessary tools for success.
4. A new educational, communication-driven paradigm is required if deaf and hard of hearing children are to be served effectively. Such a paradigm would recognize the communication assessment, development, and access (i.e., the presence of a critical mass of peers and language-proficient staff) are central to an effective education delivery system. What would be common for all these children under this new paradigm would be an effective, communication-driven system that meets the needs of all deaf and hard of hearing children, regardless of their communication mode or system or placement requirements"
"Each state will need to develop a communication-based delivery system and must analyze how services and programs are delivered locally and regionally.
5. More specifically the Statement of Principle includes the following major sections:
- The Need for a Fundamental System Change: The General Argument for a Paradigm Shift
- The Importance of Communication to the Educational Experience
- The Current Educational System Cannot Provide an Appropriate Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children (includes an analysis of IDEA and applicable court cases, U.S. Department of Education Policies, etc.)
- A Proposal for a New Educational Delivery System for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children:
- Recognition in Law (including proposed federal legislation)
- Role of State Oversight and State Structure
- Details of a Communication-Driven Delivery System
- Example of the development of a communication-driven program for one child
- The Advantages of a New Delivery System
Excerpted from an article by Larry Siegel entitled, "The Educational and Communication Needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: A Statement of Principle on Fundamental Educational Change" read more...