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Gallaudet University
PARTNERS FOR PROGRESS
Design And Implementation of a Longitudinal
Graduate Follow-Up Study With Collaborating Program
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS |
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Deadline for application: 2/15/99
Selections announced: 4/1/99 |
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Transition from school to postsecondary education and employment is a priority for Gallaudet University's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (the Clerc Center). Through the Partners for Progress program, the Clerc Center is seeking collaborations with educational programs to improve transition programming for deaf and hard of hearing students. This Request for Collaboration (RFC) responds to significant areas of need identified by the Clerc Center through a process of public input from parents, educators, researchers, members of the deaf community, transition specialists, adult service providers, and administrators. This RFC targets traditionally underserved students who are from families who do not speak English, or live in rural areas, or are members of minority groups, or have additional disabilities, or are low achieving academically.
If you are associated with a high school program that serves deaf and hard of hearing students, you may be interested in this Request for Collaboration (RFC) to improve transition programming in your school.
Q: What is the purpose of this proposed collaboration?
A: The purpose of this collaboration is to better prepare deaf and hard of hearing high school students for postsecondary education and employment by utilizing the experiences of recent deaf and hard of hearing graduates from high schools in two ways:
Q: What is the background for the development of this collaboration? A: The current research and legislation, which impacts on transition programming for students, reveals a clear trend—schools must become more relevant to life after school in order to be more effective. In preparation for developing a RFC to improve transition programming for deaf and hard of hearing students, the Clerc Center needed more information about current programming and what this trend to make schools more relevant might mean for deaf students and the programs that serve them. As a starting place, the Clerc Center sought more information about the needs of students currently in middle and senior high school. In addition to reviewing the research and legislation, the Clerc Center gathered information about current needs from a number of parents and professionals directly concerned with transitional programming.
Respondents described some of the needs of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents that directly impact on transition programming as follows:
There are many deaf and hard of hearing students sitting in middle and high schools right now who are not sufficiently benefiting from work experiences and exposure to other transition programming. Administrators and educational staff are concerned that these students gain maximum benefit from their transition programming. They need specific information about evaluating the effectiveness of the program for deaf and hard of hearing students; however, this process is one of the most important and complex tasks in administering educational programs. Many schools are searching for tools and strategies to help them evaluate their programs.
This proposed collaboration will assist administrators in evaluating their transition program by obtaining valuable information from their graduates. It will also respond directly to the current needs of deaf and hard of hearing students in classrooms through the development of instructional materials. The essence of the collaboration is to gain insight into the challenges deaf and hard of hearing students face in transitioning from high school into postsecondary life. The collaboration will apply this information to make future transition programming more relevant by bringing the reality of postsecondary life into the schools.
Q: Tell me more about these two projects in the RFC.
A: The two projects will be conducted simultaneously. Both projects will be based on information gained through examining the experiences of recent deaf and hard of hearing high school graduates. |
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The Longitudinal Follow-up Study The focus on recent graduates in the the Clerc Center study is premised on the idea that the influence of high school impacts most directly on the years immediately following graduation. Similarly, information from recent alumni will provide the most valuable feedback for the current programs. Although this study will not provide information about the ultimate career choice and adjustment to life that a survey of later graduates would, it is intended to provide information that is more useful to internal program improvement. This three-year longitudinal follow-up will employ quantitative and qualitative methods to address a range of questions. An in-depth interview is at the heart of this study. It will be used to elicit demographic information such as what schools the graduates have attended, where they have worked, and whether or not they are living independently. The interview will also seek information about how they got where they are now. What challenges do they face in making career decisions? How do they handle relationships with family, peers, co-workers, and adult service providers? What strategies do graduates use to develop support systems? What obstacles do they face in advocating for themselves? How do they feel about the preparation they received at the high school level for the challenges they currently face? The analysis will seek to uncover patterns among student responses that may lead to useful program change. The information gained from the studies at MSSD and the collaborating programs has the potential to enhance their individual programs. The information on the content of each program evaluation will be confidential; however, a review of the process and lessons learned about common problems and successes found in each of the studies is one of the goals of the collaboration.
The Instructional Package
The videotapes are not designed to be used as stand alone instructional materials but as a stimulus for an adult-led discussion group. A study guide for leading the discussion group will be provided. The guide will require leaders, at a minimum, to cover a core of common planning or problem-solving areas that are depicted in the tapes. The instructional materials place the challenges of the near future in an immediate, easily understandable context. The interviews put distant career goals within the context of the first years of postsecondary life. The students will gain a better understanding of the preparation that really is the key to obtaining those goals. |
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Q: How many programs will be selected?
A: It is anticipated that no more than two programs will be selected; however the actual number of programs selected will depend on the number and quality of applications received. Q: Who is eligible to apply? A: Public or private secondary school programs in the United States and territories, that graduate a minimum of five deaf or hard of hearing students per year, are eligible. Applications can be initiated from the school, district, or state level and one application can cover more than one school in a district. The highest priority will be given to programs in public schools that serve traditionally underserved students who are: from families who do not speak English, or live in rural areas, or are members of minority groups, or have additional disabilities, or are low achieving academically. Q: What is the process for selection? A: Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts, including parents, members of the deaf community, and researchers and practitioners in the area of transition. Based on these reviews, the Clerc Center will select projects for collaboration. Q: How do I apply? A: The instructions for application and additional details about the collaboration are on the next pages. The deadline for application is February 15, 1999. Q: If I have questions, whom do I contact? A: Call or write: Gary Hotto |
