ODYSSEY 2012 36 The California School for the Deaf (CSD), Fremont, is a deaf-centered bilingual program. Our approach to curriculum development, instructional pedagogy, and assessment integrates best practices in deaf education, bilingual education, and general education. The goals of our program are outlined in our Expected School-wide Learning Results. Core Values Since the authors of Unlocking the Curriculum (Johnson, Liddell, & Erting, 1989) proposed “…the use of ASL as a first language and as the language of instruction for deaf children,” CSD has consistently and continuously celebrated its status as a bilingual school for students who are deaf. We have a holistic view of deaf children as healthy individuals who are culturally distinct, have language rights, and deserve to be educated in a language-rich environment. This approach is supported by the World Federation of the Deaf (2012), which notes on its website: Deaf children learn best in sign language. A bilingual approach is becoming more popular in many countries. It means that the teaching language is sign language in all subjects for Deaf children. At the same time, it has a strong emphasis on teaching reading and writing skills of the language used in the country or society. This approach has facilitated in good learning results because it supports the natural learning and communication environment of a Deaf child. Laura Peterson received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education of the deaf from California State University (CSU), Fresno, and her administrative services credential from CSU, East Bay. She taught English at the middle school and high school levels for eight years, served as an English curriculum specialist for five years, and was a high school principal for nine years. Currently the director of instruction at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, Peterson welcomes questions and comments about this article at [email protected]. deaf bilingual program By Laura Peterson RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM, PEDAGOGY, AND ASSESSMENT IN A Photos by John T. Consoli A special thank you to Adele Ann Eberwein, elementary principal, and Robin Zane, curriculum and media supervisor, for their assistance with this article.
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ODYSSEY 201236
The California School for the Deaf (CSD), Fremont, is a deaf-centeredbilingual program. Our approach to curriculum development,instructional pedagogy, and assessment integrates best practices indeaf education, bilingual education, and general education. The goalsof our program are outlined in our Expected School-wide LearningResults.
Core ValuesSince the authors of Unlocking the Curriculum (Johnson, Liddell, & Erting, 1989)proposed “…the use of ASL as a first language and as the language of instruction fordeaf children,” CSD has consistently and continuously celebrated its status as abilingual school for students who are deaf. We have a holistic view of deaf childrenas healthy individuals who are culturally distinct, have language rights, and deserveto be educated in a language-rich environment. This approach is supported by theWorld Federation of the Deaf (2012), which notes on its website:
Deaf children learn best in sign language. A bilingual approach is becoming morepopular in many countries. It means that the teaching language is sign language in allsubjects for Deaf children. At the same time, it has a strong emphasis on teachingreading and writing skills of the language used in the country or society. This approachhas facilitated in good learning results because it supports the natural learning andcommunication environment of a Deaf child.
Laura Petersonreceived her bachelor’sand master’s degrees ineducation of the deaffrom California StateUniversity (CSU),Fresno, and heradministrative servicescredential from CSU,East Bay. She taughtEnglish at the middleschool and high schoollevels for eight years,served as an Englishcurriculum specialist forfive years, and was ahigh school principal fornine years. Currently thedirector of instruction atthe California School forthe Deaf in Fremont,Peterson welcomesquestions and commentsabout this article [email protected].
deaf bilingual program
By Laura Peterson
RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM,
PEDAGOGY, AND ASSESSMENT IN A
Photos by John T. Consoli
A special thank youto Adele AnnEberwein, elementaryprincipal, and RobinZane, curriculumand media supervisor,for their assistancewith this article.
2012 ODYSSEY 37
Bilingual Instruction andCalifornia CurriculumAs an accredited public school in the stateof California, we teach to the CaliforniaState Board of Education Standards anduse state-adopted materials. In addition,great effort has been made to developAmerican Sign Language (ASL) curriculawithin our ASL/English bilingualprogram. We believe that proficiency inthe first language of ASL will lead toproficiency in English. We have reliedlargely on the work of Jim Cummins(2006), a Canadian researcher who focuseson bilingual education, to understand howa strong foundation of conceptualknowledge in ASL can and does transfer toliteracy in English.To assist our students in developing
grade-level fluency in ASL, the school hasallocated instructional time to teachingASL and invested in curriculum andmaterials development. Over the past fewyears, ASL teachers and specialists havebeen hired and formal courses establishedwithin each department. Immersioncourses are available to elementarystudents. Much of our work has beenguided by language planning traininggiven both by our own staff and by theGallaudet University Language PlanningInstitute’s Center for ASL/EnglishBilingual Education and Research(CAEBER), which provides guidance andtechnical assistance in the implementationof ASL/English bilingual professionaldevelopment in schools and programsacross the nation. Our Deaf Studies
ODYSSEY 2012
resource teacher and ASL teachers meetweekly to work on the signacyframework, an outline of thecomponents of a solid teaching programfor ASL. They also focus on producingmaterials that teachers can use in theclassroom. We have invested heavily invisual media technology such asMacBooks that are used to allowstudents to receive content and producework in both ASL and English.
Bilingual Best PracticesEvery teacher receives training inbilingual best practices. Texts includeColin Baker’s Foundations of BilingualEducation and Bilingualism and Freemanand Freeman’s ESL/EFL Teaching.Following the model first established byCAEBER in ASL/English BilingualProfessional Development, teachers meetin groups, read research, and participatein follow-up activities and reflectionsduring a two-year, weekly professionaldevelopment program. All facultymembers (in their second year ofteaching and beyond) have completed orare in the process of completing thistraining. By requiring all CSD teachersto participate in this professionaldevelopment, we have a commonunderstanding and a shared educational
language that informs and strengthensour discussions about students,instructional practices, and curriculumdevelopment.
AssessmentIn addition to developing curricula andinstructing students, our teachers serveon an ASL Assessment Committee todevelop appropriate assessments tomeasure student proficiency in ASL.These assessments, in addition to ourEnglish proficiency tests, measuregrowth in proficiency and guideinstruction. Students who needadditional development in ASL areprovided with support such as one-to-one pull-out services or immersioncourses. All students take an ASL classas a core subject to build their languageproficiency and higher-order thinkingskills. Lessons are developed that addressall parts of the ASL assessment rubric.
Expected School-wideLearning ResultsLast spring a group of communitymembers, parents, students, and staffmembers was called upon to participatein a two-day summit with the purposeof revising and expanding our ExpectedSchool-wide Learning Results.
Participants were carefully chosen torepresent the diversity reflected in ourschool community, and they includedstakeholders from our CommunityAdvisory Council; our Association ofParents, teachers, and counselors;representatives from local colleges anduniversities; and other advocacy andactivist groups. Members of the CSD community arevery mindful of our membership in theDeaf community. Our students and stafflearn about shared experiences,language, culture, and society—conceptsemphasized by Paddy Ladd (2003) inUnderstanding Deaf Culture: In Search ofDeafhood. As a reflection of working in acollective community, an interactive,collaborative process was used asparticipants developed a list of desiredoutcomes for our students. After thesummit, these Expected School-wideLearning Results were reviewed by staffmembers and parents, and bothstakeholder groups were given theopportunity to provide feedback. Theresulting statements reflect the hopesand values of the CSD community forour graduates:
• Students will have healthy Deafidentities through sharedexperiences, language, culture,history, and society.
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2012 ODYSSEY
• Students will be competentbilinguals in ASL and English.
• Students will be prepared to achievetheir academic, career, and personalgoals.
• Students will demonstrate goodcharacter and lead healthy lifestyles.
• Students will be competent andresponsible users of technology.
• Students will be lifelong learnerswith critical thinking skills.
• Students will contribute to theircommunities as advocates for humanrights and social justice.
Our core values and status as abilingual school are clearly reflected inthe vision of our stakeholders. Thesevalues have guided and will continue tolead our mission of educating our deafstudents.
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References
Baker, C. (2006). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Tonawanda, NY:Multilingual Matters LTD.
Cummins, J. (2006). The relationship between American Sign Language proficiency andEnglish academic development: A review of the research. Toronto: University of Toronto.
Freeman, Y. S., & Freeman, D. E. (1998). ESL/EFL teaching. Portsmouth, NH:Heinemann.
Johnson, R. E., Liddell, S. K., & Erting, C. J. (1989). Unlocking the curriculum:Principles for achieving access in deaf education. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
Ladd, P. (2003). Understanding deaf culture: In search of deafhood. Tonawanda, NY:Multilingual Matters LTD.
World Federation of the Deaf. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from www.wfdeaf.org/human-rights
Resource
Center for ASL/English Bilingual Education and Research. Retrieved March 9, 2012,from www.gallaudet.edu/CCS/LPI_and_CAEBER.html
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