Response to “Gallaudet’s Integrity Questioned”
[This was sent to the Washington Post today as a "letter to the editor" in response to today's article on Gallaudet's Integrity (11/9). Remains to be seen if it'll be published.]
Editor…
I can’t comment on the questions about grade adjustments raised in today’s article (Gallaudet’s Integrity Questioned, 11/9/06), because I don’t really have any first-hand knowledge or experience with this.
However, the assertion that many incoming Gallaudet students are ill-prepared for college-level work is nothing new to many of us within the Gallaudet community. While this may be an indictment of Gallaudet’s recruitment, admission, and retention practices, it is also an indictment of Deaf Education in general in America. Language and math acquisition do not start in one’s freshman year at college—it starts at birth and continues throughout pre-school, and elementary, middle, and high schools. Is it any coincidence that the declining preparedness of Gallaudet’s incoming students over the past several years has occurred at the same time that more and more deaf grade-school students are pulled out of American Sign Language-centric environments and mainstreamed into public schools where their first, or natural, language is not used to teach English, math, and other subjects? Think about it—one does not use English to teach English to Spanish-speaking people, rather, English is taught using the students’ native language, Spanish. ASL is a language in its own right, with its own grammar and syntax rules.
Is it also any coincidence that this declining preparedness has come at the same time that the first large wave of students with cochlear implants are now college-aged? Are parents focusing so much on “fixing†their baby’s deafness that they are neglecting language acquisition and development? Cochlear implants are not the culprits if parents recognize that these implants do not make their baby “hearing†and that language-based early intervention is of utmost importance.
Gallaudet can do something about this. Has Gallaudet been aggressive enough in publicizing nationwide the successes of its own Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (note emphases)? Has Gallaudet focused attention on setting up a national model for educational success for deaf babies, toddlers, and students? Gallaudet is a research center for Deaf and deafness-related issues, including education. Can Gallaudet do more to publish and promote its findings in this area? After all, a higher level of incoming students not only benefits Gallaudet, but also all of Deaf America.
Roger Kraft
Maryland School for the Deaf (Frederick) graduate, 1985
Gallaudet University graduate, 1990 and 1994
Sioux Falls, SD
GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
[This was sent to the Washington Post today as a "letter to the editor" in response to today's article on Gallaudet's Integrity (11/9). Remains to be seen if it'll be published.]
Editor…
I can’t comment on the questions about grade adjustments raised in today’s article (Gallaudet’s Integrity Questioned, 11/9/06), because I don’t really have any first-hand knowledge or experience with this.
However, the assertion that many incoming Gallaudet students are ill-prepared for college-level work is nothing new to many of us within the Gallaudet community. While this may be an indictment of Gallaudet’s recruitment, admission, and retention practices, it is also an indictment of Deaf Education in general in America. Language and math acquisition do not start in one’s freshman year at college—it starts at birth and continues throughout pre-school, and elementary, middle, and high schools. Is it any coincidence that the declining preparedness of Gallaudet’s incoming students over the past several years has occurred at the same time that more and more deaf grade-school students are pulled out of American Sign Language-centric environments and mainstreamed into public schools where their first, or natural, language is not used to teach English, math, and other subjects? Think about it—one does not use English to teach English to Spanish-speaking people, rather, English is taught using the students’ native language, Spanish. ASL is a language in its own right, with its own grammar and syntax rules.
Is it also any coincidence that this declining preparedness has come at the same time that the first large wave of students with cochlear implants are now college-aged? Are parents focusing so much on “fixing†their baby’s deafness that they are neglecting language acquisition and development? Cochlear implants are not the culprits if parents recognize that these implants do not make their baby “hearing†and that language-based early intervention is of utmost importance.
Gallaudet can do something about this. Has Gallaudet been aggressive enough in publicizing nationwide the successes of its own Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (note emphases)? Has Gallaudet focused attention on setting up a national model for educational success for deaf babies, toddlers, and students? Gallaudet is a research center for Deaf and deafness-related issues, including education. Can Gallaudet do more to publish and promote its findings in this area? After all, a higher level of incoming students not only benefits Gallaudet, but also all of Deaf America.
Roger Kraft
Maryland School for the Deaf (Frederick) graduate, 1985
Gallaudet University graduate, 1990 and 1994
Sioux Falls, SD
GALLYNET-L@gallynet.org
reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
November 19th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Roger,
Thank you for mentioning KDES and MSSD. JKF had centralized these schools into something trivial called Laurent Clerc National Education Center (I’m not exactly sure how it’s spelled…) but this very Center was influenced by JKF over many years. Nothing was apparently accomplished in promoting and preserving ASL. Although Gallaudet does recognize ASL, it’s just a PR stuff. No application. No practice. Both IEP and NCLB leave Deaf children far behind.
November 19th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
I might miss anything about what happened to the old Preparatory program that had actually helped a lot of us to accomplish to graduate Gallaudet University. Without the Preparatory program, a lot of us would not make it to graduate. We really owe Gallaudet University for the Preparatory program. Please restore the program so more deaf young people can graduate.
Thanks, Don
November 20th, 2006 at 1:26 am
Actually, it’s not quite correct to say Gallaudet recognizes ASL (yet), because the definition of ASL in the University Faculty Guidelines is erroneous and includes signing in English order:
“The term American Sign Language is to be used in an all-inclusive sense and includes signs expressed in English word order, with or without voice–in much the same way many deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate among themselves and with hearing people.”
November 20th, 2006 at 8:39 am
English is still number one to get by in this country. ASL is great for children to use but should be encouraged to use English more in classrooms via reading. I understand that most children who use ASL only have the tendency of not wanting to read nor write which would hurt them more in the future facing the tough world. Around one out of 250 Deaf who use ASL only can read “Les’ Miserables”.
November 20th, 2006 at 8:57 am
Don, the Preparatory School was closed down in 1995 as it was considered cost-ineffective. I do think if it is resurrected, it will help the students’ remedial courses. This is more practical than sending them to community colleges where there may not be adequate support for the deaf students, indeed.
Yes, Brian is right. ASL isn’t being used consistently at Gallaudet. The Signed Supported English is the main commuication mode used there.
November 20th, 2006 at 9:07 am
Mitchell, that’s not correct. Many deaf people who were exposed to ASL during their critical language development went on to master written English as a second language.
Deaf children who aren’t exposed to the full access of a language during the critical period will have problems with English.
Regardless of what communication methods deaf kids use, of course they should master written English.
November 20th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Yes, it is nothing new getting ill-prepared students enrolled at Gallaudet but aren’t they entitled to receive the luxury of direct instruction as opposed to other post-secondary programs lacking this type of service? Where else does this direct instructional program is offered (other than Gallaudet, NTID and CSUN) anyway?
So get preparatory program back and running at Gallaudet then!
Also get Gallaudet more busy to be a proactive leader in raising the educational standards in primary and secondary programs for deaf students where ASL/English environment can be used to benefit learning!
It is alarming to see how my deaf son’s 4th grade class at a school for the deaf disappeared this year! Six out of twelve who got C.I.s at the age 1 are gone to mainstreamed programs at their local public schools before 1st grade. Recently, the remaining students in that class moved out of town to go to a larger school for the deaf and some went mainstreaming due to a variety of reasons.
As for CI kids, we know that access to ASL (other than the interpreter) is very minimal. Based on my observation, their progress in learning is not as effective as it should have been. I know this for a fact since I am a teacher myself and after seeing how my son is hitting off in math, reading and writing much more than they have done so. How do I know about this? He still keeps in touch with them including CI kids allowing me to see how they are doing. I can see that they are struggling to have the ability to reason and to comprehend reading. I have concluded that they are lagging behind with academics because they are deprived from having the benefit of using ASL as a tool to learn English. Even one of the interpreters confessed to someone who is my friend that this CI student is functioning at 1st grade level where she is supposed to be at 3rd grade level (that was last year).
These kids started off using ASL then it was taken away when they enroll in mainstreaming programs. It is really a dilemma to see how hearing parents prioritize hearing and speaking over reading and writing for their deaf children.
To answer Roger’s question:
Has Gallaudet focused (let me add ENOUGH) attention on setting up a national model for educational success for deaf babies, toddlers, and students?
The answer is NO!
Can Gallaudet do more to publish and promote its findings in this area?
The answer is YES, much more needed!
November 20th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
You see how hearing people are with their English? They require English Courses all the way up from K to 12 grade, and beyond. If one goes to college, English is required and its a life long commitment to be proficient in English. ASL is second class, or even 3rd class? Is it an inferior language, a burden, not equal, and even not recognized? Its not mandatory in our lifetime? Is it because of ignorance? Well think about it, and how far did we go to communicate in sign language when any of us got any degree of hearing loss? Does anyone have any business to educate those who got any hearing loss even those who got any hearing loss? Look at ourselves, and anyone else. What do we know? Do we all know better? I would say that we do, and need to get on the top of it, and it’s overdue promoting ASL and treat it as a bona fide language. Once both English and ASL go hand in hand, we all will be able to communicate and learn, and there is no friction between both worlds silent or not.
We have to succumb, be passive? Its pathetic if we continue to be. It’s never too late and time is now, and stop the ignorance!
By the way, if you are all looking for a new President of Gallaudet University, nominate me.. LOL..
November 20th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Michael,
Don’t laugh. It’s not at all that far-fetched. Just get a Ph. D. and some administive experience, and be downright charming. It doesn’t hurt to kiss a few Deaf babies, too.
November 21st, 2006 at 7:58 pm
Deaf Pro, it looks like setting up the preparatory program again is what Gally needs.
Bunjer, why not go ahead and get the credentials? We always need qualified administrators.
November 27th, 2006 at 11:30 am
J.Mitchell–Where did you get your information? There are countless studies that show that Deaf kids that use ASL from birth or from a young age are also skilled at English–more so than some hearing people!