The Gallaudet Professional Unit has, in the past, had strong individual programmatic philosophies, as reflected in program conceptual frameworks. As we began preparing from our 2002 accreditation visit, however, we reexamined the value of a shared philosophy and shared conceptual framework across programs.

Our current unit-wide conceptual framework was derived from two sources: 1) Gallaudet’s Mission and Vision Statements, as well as other statements of Gallaudet’s commitments, such as the statement on Sign Communication at Gallaudet University; and 2) input from unit faculty, candidates, and members of the professional community about what professional education preparation from Gallaudet signified for them. The result is a statement that revolves around the key principle of "Education for Connections." The unit identified five major themes or philosophical commitments that radiate from this principle. These five themes cut across all programs in six Departments. Because Gallaudet University is a visually focused environment, we also believed it desirable to develop a schematic to portray these commitments.

During the spring of 2000, both the narrative and the visual description of Gallaudet’s Professional Education Unit Conceptual Framework were used with various members of the professional community as a tool for receiving feedback on both the Conceptual Framework and the strengths and weaknesses of our programs. Forums were held with students, university faculty, and educators from school settings and that feedback was used to revise the Conceptual Framework.

The Conceptual Framework has been widely disseminated to students, and infused into course objectives at the start of the 2001-2002 academic year. As Fall semester continues faculty are now reviewing course and programmatic assessment to examine their alignment with our Conceptual Framework. The Conceptual Framework has also been used as a foundational document in program revisions, including our development of a comprehensive unit assessment plan. However the process of refining and strengthening our Conceptual Framework continues each time course, program, unit, and collaborative discussion occur.

Over the past academic year, each of the Departments within the Unit has systematically reviewed and realigned course curricula. This process sought to assure that the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions are both comprehensive in nature and consistent with the standards of the discreet professional organizations, as well as our Unit Conceptual Framework

The M.A. in School Counseling & Guidance was re-accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) in October 2000

In addition to the typical reviews undertaken by each of the Unit's Departments, the Department of Psychology, School Psychology program undertook a comprehensive survey of their graduates from the past five years, and reports that most (more than 90%) graduates rated themselves as "Competent to Very Competent" in their knowledge of legal and ethical issues, content of instructional areas, assessment skills, consultation skills, work with children (regular education, deaf/hoh, and other exceptionalities). Most (more than 80%) employers rated the graduates as "Above-average to Excellent" on a variety of diagnostic and evaluation skills, consultation, conferencing, behavior management, and report writing skills, as well as knowledge of legal/ethical issues and educational placement procedures. With regard to personal dispositions (respecting opinions of others, assuming responsibility, motivation, and ethical conduct), more than 90% of employers gave our graduates ratings of "Above- average to Excellent." Findings from this survey are now being incorporated into the corresponding courses and will be reflected in the course objectives for this academic year.

Professional education programs have also reexamined clinical evaluations and follow-up studies to more closely aligned them with professional standards. Programs have been exploring the use of technology to facilitate the distribution and summary of assessments of candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions. The Department of Educational Administration and Supervision has been the first to use web-based support for its follow up study.

During the past six months the unit has been developing a plan for a comprehensive assessment system. As part of that self-study and development process, faculty have examined what assessment and evaluation is currently being used for candidate, program, and unit support. They have also been developing a timeline to strengthen the use of assessment and evaluation at the candidate, program, and unit level.

The unit has identified standards that inform candidate assessment at each of these points. The unit’s conceptual framework provide institutional standards, while the INTASC standards have been adopted by all teacher preparation programs as the focus for professional standards for teacher preparation. Other professional education programs use the standards of their professions (NASP and CACREP for example) to guide their candidate and program assessment. Beginning with the Fall of 2001 we have been communicating these standards to students as the desired outcomes for our programs via course syllabi, program orientations, and assessment alignment.

The unit is identifying and planning for strengthening major assessments. Candidate assessments have been in place for each of the five checkpoints, although there has been a lapse in follow-up studies for the past few years as the University underwent restructuring. Follow-up studies were reinstituted in Spring of 2001, and are currently being analyzed. Candidate assessment in the past has been strongest at program entry, and within courses. A portfolio evaluation process has been in place for a number of years. We are currently identifying gaps in the assessments used (e.g., dispositions), in relation to standards. Furthermore, with the help of school partners, we are identifying ways in which our assessments should be improved to model best practice and to be more effective. One such area is the development of clearer criteria by which assessments, such as the portfolio, will be evaluated. We are also developing a timeline for the continued development and implementation of the major assessments.

As we identify and plan for strengthening assessments, we are also developing a design for the collection, analysis and summarization of data. One finding of our self-study is that, while we have collected data on candidates at each of the transition points, we have not had in place a system for summarizing and analyzing the data on a programmatic level. We are also planning for a better repertoire of strategies with which to address candidate weaknesses in each of the standards-based areas.

We have begun discussions on the use of assessment to address unit operations. Gallaudet’s administration was dramatically restructured on the 2000-2001 academic year. The Professional Unit has been working within the new structure of the Graduate School and Professional Studies (GSPP) to determine who, what, and how technology-based assessment of the unit can take place.

Unit programs are constantly seeking new and expanded field opportunities for candidates. The Department of Administration and Supervision placed interns in Gallaudet Pre-College National Mission Programs and the Maryland School for the Deaf. New administrative internships are being opened in Prince George's County Public School District (MD) and the District of Columbia Public School District.

New field sites opened for Department of Education undergraduate candidates include John Adams Elementary School (Alexandria, VA), Friends Community School (College Park, MD), and Atholton Elementary School (Columbia, MD). New sites for graduate-level Education candidates include the H. Winship Wheatley Special Center (Capitol Heights, MD), the River School (Washington, DC), and the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf (Phoenix, AZ).

The undergraduate Early Childhood Program has recently undergone a major program revision that was accomplished through the work of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Task Force comprised of teachers, staff, and administrators from teachers and administrators working with ECE pre-service candidates. Part of the program revision included a decision to teach portions of the program in ECE settings and to require 100 contact hours in ECE settings as part of course requirements. The ECE Task Force continues to meet to discuss the relationship of curriculum and assessment to professional education standards.

In the Dept. of Education, a formal process for obtaining input to programs and services over the past year (10/2000 - 9/2001) was from the Collaboration Council, a special sharing and input session for cooperating teachers and schools conducted by Dr. David Martin, and from the Project Achieve program.

The School Psychology Program initiated new internship sites in the Denver Colorado Public Schools, Peoria Unified Public School District (Peoria, AZ), St. Mary’s County Public School (Leonardtown, MD), and the Columbia Regional Programs, Deaf/Hard of Hearing (Protland, OR). The addition of a new practicum site at the Prospect Learning Center (Washington, DC) offered candidates field experience with a variety of special education students from diverse, multicultural populations. Other collaborative efforts included faculty presentations to sites as well as inviting guest speakers from sites to present in classes, colloquium, and panel presentations.

The Department of Counseling initiated new field placements in Hawaii, Wyoming, Florida, Texas, and Ohio. Collaborations are part of Introduction to School Counseling with the invitation of alumni guest speakers (in addition to other speakers and field supervisors). Input and feedback from the field also comes from "supervisors' workshops" offered twice a year.

In the past year, diversity issues at Gallaudet have had unprecedented emphasis on campus. This is very evident in our Professional Education Unit in which diversity of students, faculty, curriculum and field experiences has never been greater.

The Department of Education currently has two Personnel Preparation grants from the U.S. Department of Education that support increasing the number of culturally diverse professionals: the Doctoral Leadership Program and Project Success for preparing teachers to work with deaf and hard of hearing students with multiple disabilities. All the graduate students recruited last year for the master's degree program in Multiple Disabilities are from backgrounds under-represented in the field.

Two newly hired faculty members were from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, an African American Deaf female and an Asian American Deaf male. Carefully selected practicum and student teaching placements for our students are at schools serving children from very diverse groups (e.g., Laurent Clerc Education Center, Mantua Elementary School, The Learning Center for the Deaf, Phoenix Day School for the Deaf). All graduate students are required to participate in the Culture and Language Colloquium offered to newly admitted students primarily for cultural immersion in deaf culture and increasing sensitivity to cultural diversity. In addition, the Department of Education sponsored a meeting of University-School Collaboration Council to discuss the future of deaf education and how schools and universities can work together to meet the diverse needs of all deaf and hard of hearing students and increase the number of teachers from under-represented groups. The council paid particular attention to meeting the needs of students from all diverse groups. The meeting was attended by faculty in the Department of Education and school faculty and administrators from various schools and programs from deaf and hard of hearing students.

In Fall 2000, all first year Department of Counseling students took part in Simsoc

(simulation of a society) a 15 hour diversity training led by Nancy Grant and Cheryl Wu, of California. This Fall 2001, a new cross-disciplinary course Seminar in Issues for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transsexual People is being offered by Dr. Fran White of the department for the first time with 18 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled from Education, Social Work, Counseling and other programs. Dr. Howard Busby, currently on sabbatical, is researching transition services in Southwestern states for Native American Deaf students. Dr. Busby was also elected this year as a member of the Board for the Inter-Tribal Deaf Council, the national organization for Native American Deaf.

During 2000-2001, Dr. Barbara Gerner de García has a research project "Preparing teachers to teach deaf and hard of hearing students from language minority families" funded by the Gallaudet Research Institute. She is also preparing a monograph on the education of deaf and hard of hearing students from language minority families. For the course EDF730 Multicultural Foundations for Counseling Department students in School Counseling (and Mental Health), Dr. Gerner de García is captioning three videotapes on Multicultural Counseling techniques, as well as including several diverse guest speakers in the class. Dr. Donna Mertens, a specialist in program evaluation has 3 articles on inclusivity in evaluation in press and/or published as well as a chapter published on researching disability and diversity.

The School Psychology Program implemented some revisions in its curriculum to infuse issues of diversity and exceptionality as it applies to the training of school psychologists. These revisions occurred in the following courses: PSY-766 School Psychology and Prevention Services; PSY-701 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in School Psychology; PSY-748 Psycho-educational Assessment and Programming for Exceptional Children; and PSY-765 Assessment III / Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Assessment. Currently, a new course is being developed to train candidates in working with families of exceptional children who come from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This new course will be offered during the Fall 2002 semester. Also, the program benefits from the expertise of adjunct faculty and field supervisors, who represent Latino/Hispanic and African American perspectives (e.g., Mr. Armando Peri, Fairfax public Schools; Ms. Yolanda Vauss-Berry, adjunct instructor; and Ms. Keisha Lucas, Prospect Learning Center, DC Public Schools).

As of September 1, 2001, two sites were added to the list of practicum and internship settings available to candidates, which reflect a diverse population in terms of faculty and students. The program was successful in adding Alexandria Public Schools as an internship site and Prospect Learning Center (District of Columbia Public Schools) as a practicum site. The School Psychology Program also prepared a Multicultural Education / Diversity Commitment statement affirming its investment in broadening the experience and training of our candidates.

Finally, the demographics of candidates entering the School Psychology Program for school years 2000 and 2001 included 12 candidates (i.e., nine Caucasians, one African-American, one Trinidadian, and one Native American). Moreover, of the 13 candidates, seven were hearing and six were deaf.

During the year 2000-2001, a female Deaf professor joined this department which previously had two male professors. The demographics of our students continue to be quite diverse and global. Classroom discourse continues to draw upon the diverse and multicultural experiences and reflections of our student body.

For the course on Human Relations Management, a new textbook on global and diverse management was chosen. In addition, one of the faculty presented and published a research study on the deaf community and newborn hearing identification and screening in Italy. She continues to be a Board member of the World Federation of the Deaf and is engaged in global leadership training for deaf leaders.

Faculty retirements in the School Psychology Program and Department of Education resulted in open positions for new faculty that were filled by highly-qualified candidates, Dr. Bryan Miller (Psychology), and Drs. Laurene Gallimore and Dr. Fred Mangrubang (Education). They join unit faculty who continue to model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching. For instance, during FY 2001, School Psychology faculty published chapters in texts, presented at conferences, received and participated in faculty development grants, moderated panels, presented workshops, and collaborated with field partners offering on-site presentations to parents, staff, and students. Renewal of the NCSP credential (National Certification in School Psychology), requiring documentation of 75 hours continuing education, was achieved by three psychology faculty. All NCATE-related psychology faculty received merit increases/reappointments based on performance evaluations of teaching, scholarly products, service, and communication criteria established for faculty.

During FY 2001, faculty in Educational Foundations and Research modeled best practices in scholarship, service, and teaching by authoring books, text chapters, proceedings, handbooks, grants, and surveys. Grants totaling more the $660,000 were obtained in support of projects such as Creating Flexible Technology for Teaching, FORUM Project, Methodological Problems with Teacher Narratives About Using Technology While Teaching, International Summit of National Evaluation Organization Presidents, Study of Ethnic/Racial Minority and Children with Disabilities, International Internships for Deaf College Students, Educational Excellence Through Technology Innovations and Collaborations, and Preservice Teachers as Change Agents. Collaborative efforts of faculty included participation in the Catalyst Project (a technology project of the Association of College Educators of the Deaf), GRI Genetic Study of Family Hearing Loss survey design for the Delmarva Foundation Health Care Service Medicare Survey, and directing the Annual Survey of Hearing Impaired Children and Youth. Merit increase evaluations (D-RE forms) and faculty vita document faculty degrees, certifications, and positive performance evaluations.

Faculty in Administration and Supervision modeled best practices in scholarship by authoring books, articles, proceedings, proposals, and reports. Best practices in service was modeled by serving/chairing advisory committees, local and national councils, committees, including leadership roles in the Gallaudet Faculty Senate. Faculty vita and merit evaluations (D-RE forms) document degrees, certifications, and positive performance evaluations.

The period of time since the last accreditation visit in 1997 until December of 2000 saw little change in governance within the NCATE unit. Until 2000 the Unit was identified as the School of Education and Human Services (SEHS). The Dean of SEHS established an administrative structure that utilized a "Council of Chairs" (COC) for information sharing and strategic planning. SEHS had also designated the Professional Education Programs Committee (PEP-C) as faculty governance body to review curriculum and assessment.

In December of 2000 all Schools were disbanded and two new Schools created, CLAST (the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), and GSPP (the Graduate School and Professional Programs). GSPP is made up of nine departments housing professional programs, five of which are part of the professional education unit. GSPP is also made up of six "Research and Outreach" Centers or Programs, including the Office of Graduate Education, Gallaudet Research Institute, the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Center for ASL Literacy, the Center for Global Education, and Technical and Information Support. In late Spring of 2001 new Deans were hired for the two schools. The Unit, made up of the departments of Education, Health and PE, Educational Administration and Supervision, Ed Foundations and Research, and programs within School Counseling and School Psychology, now resides primarily within the larger GSPP.

Much of the past year has been spent assessing the implications of the new administrative structure, including developing operational protocols and assessing resource availability. The final act of the SEHS faculty was to elect a faculty transition team to work with the new Dean of GSPP to assure governance and resources for the Unit. That team has been carrying out that charge through discussions with administration, and the development of new Professional Education Unit bylaws. The NCATE self-study process has been useful, during this time of transition, in helping to clarify the resources needed to meet the performance standards for the world-class professional education associated with NCATE accreditation. For example, discussions have begun regarding the possibilities for mutually supportive and reciprocal relationships between the Professional Programs and the resources available through the Research and Outreach segment of GSPP. We also anticipate that a newly revised, faculty approved Unit governance structure will be in place by December of 2001.

October 15, 2001

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