Deaf Education Credential Program

Contextual Information

California State University, Fresno is one of twenty-three universities in the California State University system. Fresno State Deaf Education was implemented in 1969 and has a strong history of service and preparation of deaf education professionals. The Dean of the College of Health and Human Services oversees seven departments. The Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies has Deaf Education Masters’ Degree and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Credential Program which prepare teacher candidates for service as teachers of students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf blind, birth through 22. Our last national accreditation was with the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) in fall 2016.

The Preliminary Deaf and Hard of Hearing Credential Program is a four-semester program of forty-four units: thirty units in teacher preparation coursework and fourteen units of supervised clinical experience. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Credential Programs are based on a clearly stated rationale that requires candidates to complete foundation classes and content-specific methods coursework while concurrently practicing the application of these concepts in field placement settings. Candidates are expected to apply the theoretical and scholarly concepts, knowledge, and teaching skills in the planning and implementation of effective and appropriate lessons and units of study. The program provides extensive opportunities for candidates to learn to teach using the state adopted academic content standards with all students. Fieldwork placements are made in diverse settings including many high need, residential or public schools.

Coursework in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Credential Program is offered through a cohort model with a hybrid format for coursework. In addition, teacher candidates have clinical experiences in the area where teacher candidates live. The program offers a student teaching option and the recently approved Deaf Education Internship Program option for employed teachers of record who meet the intern eligibility requirements.

Overview of Structure

Leadership in the Deaf Education program is through collaborative bi-weekly meetings with Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies department chair and faculty, led by Deaf Education Program Coordinator, Dr. Janice Smith-Warshaw. Adjunct faculty is invited to attend the meeting(s) to receive pertinent information, to engage in discussion and to provide input on program decisions. Additional communication is exchanged by Zoom and through email. The program coordinator attends meetings with other faculty and coordinators in the Kremen School and through university committee work.

Courses of Study

For those students who do not have a B.A. degree in Deaf Education, they are required to complete three prerequisite online modules prior to admission: Overview Concepts of Deaf Education, Intermediate Concepts of Deaf Education and Advanced Concepts of Deaf Education.

In Year 1, Deaf Education graduate students complete 24 units of coursework: Supporting Families with DHH Children addresses theory and practice in interviewing and counseling students and families related to specific language/speech /hearing loss and techniques for altering and modifying behaviors that affect maximum growth and potential students and their families; Graduate Studies and Research Methods in Deaf Studies examines the studies and methods of research in deaf studies; Foundations of Teaching (A) addresses history of deaf education, special education law, classroom ecosystem, best practices for structuring and maintaining effective classroom management and individualized behavioral inte rvention strategies; Audiology for Teachers of DHH Students addresses the Habilitative and rehabilitative procedures to assist students with hearing loss; amplification, speech- reading, auditory training, speech and language training; psycho-socio-educational issues; Assessment of DHH Students addresses in-depth examination of psychological, achievement, language, communication, and diagnostic assessment tools and unique administration procedures used with DHH children and youth; Practicum in DHH Classroom addresses the supervised clinical participation and practice in teaching DHH children and youth in both settings (mainstreamed and residential schools). Teacher candidates also take Foundations of Teaching (B), a course which addresses translanguaging and transliterating techniques in American Sign Language and English, universal design for learning, writing effective unit and lesson plans for DHH student without or with disabilities and related multi-tiered systems of support topics.

In Year 2, Deaf Education credential candidates complete twelve units of coursework: Spoken Language Development of DHH Students designed to teach the methods to develop oral communication for deaf and hard- of-hearing students through demonstration and off-campus practicum; Language Development and Instruction for DHH Students addresses language acquisition and language development in first and second languages, utilizes different techniques of remediation in reading and writing, use of specialized equipment and development of teaching materials; Curriculum and Instruction for DHH Students examines how reading, writing, signing, listening and viewing are tools for learning content will guide an inquiry-based approach to curriculum planning, curriculum implementation, and assessment across curricula; Foundations of Teaching (C), a course which addresses DHH and Deaf Blind students with specific learning needs, mental health literacy, assistive technology, adult student self-advocacy, and individual transition planning for career and technology education or regional occupational program.

Supervised clinical practice experiences are required for sixteen weeks, one full semester. Teacher candidates are placed in the DHH classroom with co-teaching opportunities for the first four weeks. They assume additional responsibilities for weeks 5-8. The last 8-weeks may be in a different setting or teacher candidates may remain in the same school setting. All clinical practice placements reflect the socioeconomic and cultural diversity of DHH students and provide opportunities for teacher candidates to work with DHH students with disabilities in schools with a qualified Deaf Education program administrator who oversees the school site or a DHH program. Field supervision of teacher candidates is conducted by both Site Mentor Teachers and University Clinical Supervisor. Mentor Teachers must hold a Clear DHH Credential and have a minimum of three years of DHH teaching experience. The Mentor Teachers must have demonstrated exemplary teaching practices as determined by the employing district and the university teacher preparation program. The matching of Teacher Candidate and the Mentor Teacher is a collaborative process between the school and the program.

University Clinical Supervisors hold a valid DHH Credential and/or a Clear Administrative Credential. All have many years of teaching experience and hold Master’s degree or higher. Their role is to coach and support teacher candidates to develop their instructional, management, and professional skills. University Clinical Supervisors conduct on-site visits with each candidate: two triad meetings with master teacher and candidate [initial, mid-term and final triad meetings]; four formal on-site lesson observations with debriefing and coaching. In addition, university supervisors verify time logs, review candidates’ six formal lesson plans, post-lesson reflections and weekly reflections on learning; and additional contacts as needed.

Last year, the following changes have been made to the program:

• Deaf Education credential program was revised in 2019-2020 to coordinate coursework, to align with new Deaf Education Program Standards. Proposed course changes were approved by the department and are scheduled to be reviewed by the University Curriculum Committee in 2020/2021.
• A new Education Specialist - Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Internship Program was developed and approved by CTC, August 2020. The DHH intern program begins in Fall 2020.
• Three new course proposals were developed for Deaf Education courses that incorporate multiple subject teacher education course content into CSDS graduate courses.

Assessment of Candidates

Deaf Education teacher candidates are assessed on their performance with formative and summative assessments. The assessments collectively measure the pedagogical competence of teacher candidates and interns and provide information for determining program quality and effectiveness.

The formative performance assessments of content knowledge and practical application are conducted in coursework and clinical practice experience. The performance data is used for continuous program improvement. In clinical practice, student teachers receive ongoing formative feedback and coaching on their lesson plans and instruction from their University Supervisor and Mentor Teacher. The University Supervisor also provides written feedback from their observations of the candidate’s four formal lessons. At the mid-term and final points of the semester, triad meetings are conducted with the Mentor Teacher, University Coach and Teacher Candidate to provide overall performance and growth feedback and for the candidate to set professional goals.

Candidates who are at-risk of failing a course or field experience are monitored, counseled and offered targeted assistance by their university supervisor. If the candidate does not successfully pass the course at the end of the semester, the candidate is offered the opportunity to re-take the course for a better grade. If the repeated coursework and/or clinical practice experience is not successfully passed the second time with an A, B, C, or Credit grade, the candidate could be dismissed from the program. At the end of each grading period, a report is generated of candidates who have GPAs below 3.0 and/or who earned a D, F, W, No Credit, or an Incomplete grade in a course. After reviewing the information, the program coordinator ensures that letters of concern are sent to the candidates on the list.