Reading, writing and the Texas supplement to the essential elements for the hearing impaired

Students need educational programs which foster maximum development of their personal knowledge, skill, and competence. To accomplish this, they should have access to a well-balanced curriculum, effective instruction and opportunities to succeed. In accordance with this philosophy, the 67th and 68th Legislatures of the State of Texas (1981-1984) established rules and procedures for the implementation of a state basic curriculum. Under this mandate, school districts are required to implement the provisions of these rules in "a manner which will enable all students to participate actively in a well-balanced curriculum and master, to the best of their ability, the knowledge, skills, and competencies established through the essential elements," in order to become accredited by the Texas Education Agency. To meet these requirements and make the goals wholly appropriate for hearing-impaired students in Texas, the Division of Services for the Deaf of the Texas Education Agency developed an in-depth expansion of these state-mandated essential elements in the area of English Language Arts, grades K-8. This expansion, the Supplement to the Essential Elements for the Hearing Impaired (SEE-HI) includes the original language arts essential elements as well as supplemental goals and sub-goals necessary for students who have language deficiencies, especially those caused by hearing loss.