News & Events

2012 Needs Assessment News

The pepnet 2 Needs Assessment is your opportunity to tell us your thoughts and ideas about important factors affecting post-secondary outcomes for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The information you provide will help us tailor our resources, products and trainings to meet the transition and postsecondary needs of people who are D/HH, and the professional who work with them.

The Needs Assessment gathers information using a variety of tools, including an online survey. This survey is for:

• Individuals who are D/HH (at least 18 years old),
• Parents of individuals who are D/HH, and
• Professionals who work with individuals who are D/HH 
  (e.g., teachers, VR, interpreters, DSS specialists, One Stop Center personnel, transition specialists, faculty. Regardless of the length or breadth of your experience in the field, whether you work with one individual who is D/HH or many, and whether you are a professional new to the field or have many years of experience, we want your opinions!)

Please visit Needs Assessment Survey by mid June 2012 to participate in the survey.

We plan to have a preliminary evaluation of survey results available in August 2012, and will notify participants when the final NA report is available.

We value your opinion and look forward to your input.

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Outcomes Measurement in Deaf Education

A report on the National Summit on Deaf Education March 3, 2012 Working Meeting

Submitted by pepnet 2 Program Specialist Marcia Kolvitz

Outcomes measurements are essential in evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and can demonstrate the need for systems change to improve outcomes for these students—but defining and standardizing those measures is difficult.

The National Summit on Deaf Education (NSDE) has been working to develop standardized outcomes measures improve deaf education programs since their 2005 conference. Initially conceived as a one-time event, NSDE’s Outcomes Measurement in Deaf Education the Summit has since hosted six face-to-face meetings and four webcasts. (Archives of the webcasts will be available Summer 2012.) PEPNet helped plan the events and pepnet 2 has now taken the lead in planning Summit activities and working with state teams to develop a plan that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s expectations for systems change and capacity building at the state level to improve student outcomes.

Improving Educational Programs

On March 3, 2012, the National Summit on Deaf Education hosted Outcomes Measurement in Deaf Education, a working meeting held to identify

• outcomes statements,
• performance indicators, and
• benchmarks

to measure student progress and guide efforts to improve educational programs. The group comprised 99 participants from 32 states. A diverse mix of participants including parents, educational administrators, outreach staff members, university faculty, early intervention specialists, advocates, speech pathologists, and audiologists contributed to rich discussions and thoughtful recommendations.

A Bit of History

The Summit has evolved from a grassroots effort by a small group of state department of education consultants struggling to identify systematic changes that could improve educational outcomes for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The approach has been collaborative, and included leadership teams from each state comprising deaf education professionals, parent leaders, and other stakeholders working to develop solutions.

Examples of Progress

Since the National Summit on Deaf Education was initiated in 2005, more than 25 state teams have formed across the country. Although some are not very active, others have established goals and made progress in addressing needs and issues in their states. During the 2012 working meeting, representatives from three state teams shared their progress reports.

Minnesota

Minnesota assembled a steering committee, including representatives from various state agencies and parent organizations, to develop a 3-year data-driven plan to prepare high school graduates for postsecondary education or employment. More information is available online.

Texas

A series of meetings of the Texas state team produced a working document that includes performance excellence indicators that correspond to the National Agenda goals, and results that correspond to the Texas state plan, and federal requirements. View the draft document.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s 2005 state plan (revised to include students who are deafblind in 2007), led to two legislative actions. The first was the inclusion of the communication plan into the IEP process in K-12 settings. The second initiative provided funding for the technical assistance network (PATTAN) for professional development and mentoring for educational interpreters. More information is available online.

Moving Forward

The March 2012 working meeting provided an opportunity for participants to identify outcomes measures for each goal included in the National Agenda on Deaf Education. Instead of working as members of their state teams, participants formed discussion groups based on the goal that best matched their interest and experiences.

National Agenda Goals

The National Agenda includes eight goal areas that reflect the concerns of the constituencies:

1. Early Identification and Intervention;
2. Language and Communication Access;
3. Collaborative Partnerships;
4. Accountability, High Stakes Testing, and Standards-Based Environments;
5. Placement, Programs, and Services;
6. Technology;
7. Professional Standards and Personnel Preparation; and
8. Research. (For the purpose of the 2012 meeting, the group did not address the research goal, but added a goal related to parental engagement.)

Each group was charged with:

1. reviewing the goal;
2. identifying several outcomes statements;
3. developing several performance measures or indicators for each outcomes statement;
4. identifying any appropriate benchmarks; and
5. noting any potential overlap with other goal areas.

Value of Outcomes Measures

On March 2, 2012 the U.S. Department of Education announced new steps to help close the achievement gap for students with disabilities by focusing on results. This shift from a compliance-driven approach ties beautifully into the goals of the Summit’s working meeting: to identify outcomes statements, performance indicators, and benchmarks that educational programs can use to measure student progress and improve student outcomes.

Next Steps

The work accomplished at the 2012 Summit will continue through committee assignments using Internet collaboration tools. Once the online framework is established, past and present Summit participants will be invited to join the discussion. When completed, the expanded National Agenda will be available as a best practices template for states to use to collect and report data on performance measurements. Colleagues who are interested in participating are encouraged to contact Marcia Kolvitz to find out more about their states’ activities, and to join the community of practice when it is established.

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pn2 Technical Assistance Team

Resources You Need, When You Need Them

Submitted by pn2 Associate Director for Technical Assistance Bambi Riehl

The pepnet 2 (pn2) Technical Assistance (TA) team responds to questions and requests for information from anywhere in the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. entities in the Atlantic and Pacific. While “technical assistance” might sound like computer tech support, our technical assistance specialists have information and resources covering a much broader range of topics.

Typical requests:

• “We need to provide classroom accommodations for our school’s first student who is deaf. How do I find qualified interpreters and/or captionists? What else do I need to know?”
• “How can we make uncaptioned video clips accessible for an individual who is deaf?”
• “Is there a directory of ‘deaf-friendly’ postsecondary schools?”
• “Can a person who is deaf or hard of hearing qualify for admission to nursing school?”
• “Where can I find an amplified stethoscope?”

We can answer some questions quickly by providing links to online resources. Other more complex queries will take more time, requiring in-depth investigation, and collaboration with pn2 Research and Evidence Synthesis (RES) and Personnel Development (PD) staff.

Communication your way

You can bring your questions and requests to the pn2 TA team via a variety of communication pathways:

• Telephone: 503-838-8642
• Videophone: 414-937-5353
• Email: help@pepnet.org
• Live Chat: www.pepnet.org 
  (The Chat link is in the upper right corner of the web page.)
• Videoconference: Contact us to arrange for as many as 15 participants.

Ready to Respond

As the pn2 2012 Needs Assessment reveals new trends that generate new questions, the TA team will respond with appropriate answers, materials and resources for:

• Parents
• Students,
• K-12 teachers,
• Interpreters,
• Postsecondary administrators,
• Captionists, or
• Anyone else working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In addition, the pn2 TA team collaborates with the PD and RES teams to foster the creation and expansion of communities of practice by connecting organizations, institutions and people from anywhere in the U.S. who share concerns, questions and experiences relating to our mission.

Associate Director Bambi Riehl leads the pn2 TA team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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pn2 Job Search Skills Training Now in Spanish

Submitted by pepnet 2 Personnel Development Specialist Christine Skocznski

El popular pepnet 2 "Getting a Job!" videos de entrenamiento y documentos suportivos son accessibles en español.

In English: The popular pepnet 2 Getting a Job! (GaJ!) training videos and supporting documents are now available in Spanish.

Like its English companion, the new Spanish GaJ! training features videos of adult role models who are deaf recounting in American Sign Language how their careers evolved, from their first jobs as kids to the fulfilling positions they now hold—but with Spanish translations of the narration, captions and text.

GaJ! provides support for students who are deaf or hard of hearing as they transition to work. Training materials explain rights and responsibilities confered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and explore the benefits—and elligibility requirements—of Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Security. A complete job search package includes examples of resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, and a job application worksheet. Included Educators’ Guides—also in Spanish—help professionals lead students through the job-search process.

Former PEPNet Associate Director Ginny Chiaverina and pn2 Associate Director for Personnel Development Mary Morrison coordinated the development and production of the GaJ! training.

View Getting a Job! in Spanish

View Getting a Job! in English:

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DESIGN: The 35th Annual AHEAD Conference and 2012 pepnet 2 Training Institute

Registration information is now available for the co-convened AHEAD Conference and pepnet 2 (pn2) Training Institute (pn2-TI). The 2012 event is AHEAD’s 35th, and the second time the two groups have combined their flagship events. The conference, dubbed Diversity, Equity, Social Change, Influence, Global, New Orleans (DESIGN), will take place in New Orleans July 9 – 14, 2012.

Registration for either event admits attendees to programming and exhibits of both conferences—a welcome two-for-one deal for attendees with limited travel and conference budgets. The conference venue is the Sheraton New Orleans Canal Street:

The Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
For reservations call the hotel at: 504-525-2500 
Or make your reservation online.

Here’s what this outstanding double conference offers:

• More than 150 concurrent sessions, providing information on technology, law, multi-cultural perspectives, transition, universal design, communities of practice, service provision, best practices, and more;
• Three Plenary sessions;
• More than 15 pre-conference sessions;
• A vast array of poster sessions; and
• 30,000 square feet of exhibits and vendor booths!

To register please visit AHEAD Conference. Use the AHEAD registration form to register for pn2-TI events. To register by mail or fax, print and send the online form.

Important Dates:

• Register by June 1 to take advantage of the early bird conference rate.
• June 7, 2012 is the last day to request individual access services/accommodations.
• June 11 is the last day to book your hotel room at the $159 conference rate.

More details: If you would like to volunteer at the conference, serve as a moderator, find a roommate or check local travel information go to AHEAD Conference or pepnet 2 Training Institute.

We’ll keep you posted on late breaking conference news as our planning continues – and we look forward to seeing you in New Orleans in July!

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Introducing:

Bambi Riehl, B.A., CI/CT, pepnet 2 Associate Director for Technical Assistance.

Bambi Riehl leads the pepnet 2 team of technical assistance specialists who respond to information and resource requests from stakeholders. She has worked for PEPNet since 1997, and with postsecondary students who are deaf or hard of hearing for more than 20 years. She has held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) including Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program Coordinator, Interpreter Scheduler, Student Advisor, Staff Interpreter, and Interpreter Training Program Instructor.

In addition to her work at UWM, Ms. Riehl has held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in English/Speech Communications with a minor in Theatre, and received her American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program certification from St. Paul College.

She holds Certified Interpreter and Certified Translator certificates from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and is particularly interested in the continuing evolution of video remote interpreting.

Ms. Riehl and the TA center are housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

 

Cindy Camp, M.A., pepnet 2 Personnel Development Specialist

Cindy Camp is a Personnel Development Specialist for pepnet 2 (pn2), housed at Jacksonville State University (JSU) in Jacksonville, Alabama. Her pn2 responsibilities include coordination of pn2's training and presentation schedules, and content development for new trainings. She is currently developing eLearning QuickClasses—short intensive courses on topics of interest to pn2 stakeholders.

Ms. Camp holds a Master’s degree in English from JSU. She is a nationally certified interpreter with Alabama mental health interpreting certification. She a C-Print trainer and has 12 years experience as a C-Print captionist.

Ms. Camp’s areas of expertise include speech-to-text services, accessible technology, and post-production captioning. She has collaborated with the Described and Captioned Media Program to produce a series of FAQ on captioning, and participated in the development of Speech-to-Text Services: An Overview of Real-Time Captioning. She is a well-known presenter and writer on these and other topics.