Support and practice of CEASD program standards in one midwestern state

Area of Science:

• Education
• Special Education
• Deaf Education

Background:

• Effective programming for deaf students relies on established standards.
• Understanding the gap between ideal and actual practice is crucial for improvement in deaf education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived importance and implementation of Council on Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CEASD) standards in Kansas deaf education programs.
• To identify barriers hindering the implementation of desirable program standards.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was developed and administered to school districts and cooperatives in Kansas serving deaf students.
• Respondents reported on the perceived necessity and current practice of CEASD standards.
• Data on perceived barriers to standard implementation were also collected.

Main Results:

• CEASD standards generally received strong support from surveyed programs.
• However, a significant disparity exists between the level of support and the actual implementation of these standards.
• Specific standards with high support/low practice and high disparity are detailed.

Conclusions:

• While CEASD standards are valued, their widespread implementation in deaf education programs is lacking.
• Identified barriers need to be addressed to improve the quality of deaf education services.
• Findings have implications for national deaf education needs and future research directions.