How Public Input Shapes the Clerc Center's Priorities:

Identifying Critical Needs in Transition from School
to Postsecondary Education and Employment

by Judith M. LeNard, M.Ed.

Judith M. LeNard, M.Ed., has worked at Gallaudet University for more than 30 years in a variety of positions, including teacher, administrator, and program evaluator. Currently she works in Exemplary Programs and Research, part of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. In her job as coordinator of transition projects, LeNard directs the Longitudinal Graduate Study and the development of TIPS, an instructional package for teaching planning and decision-making skills to deaf and hard of hearing high school students. She resides in Maryland with her husband, mother, and three barking dogs. LeNard welcomes comments about this publication: Judith.LeNard@gallaudet.edu.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the many people who responded to the Clerc Center's interviews and questionnaires and shared their concerns and suggestions for improving family involvement and transition programming for deaf and hard of hearing youth. These willing volunteers are essential to the Clerc Center's national efforts to identify and address critical needs.

For the transition from high school to postsecondary education and employment input process, the Clerc Center is especially indebted to Marita Danek and Howard Busby for stimulating discussion among colleagues and others with their comprehensive, and sometimes provocative, proposals for transition programming. The experts and interested individuals who participated in the National Dialogue contributed greatly to the Clerc Center's understanding of the complex issues and transitional planning for deaf and hard of hearing students. Many thanks to Bernadette Banks, Marcia Downie, Kay Lam, Rich Luecking, Paul Meyer, Don Schutt, Dwight Solomon, Susan Starnes, Douglas Watson, and Kim Wiecki for a lively and informative meeting.

The public input process and this paper could not have been completed without the help of many Clerc Center staff. Most important has been the contribution of Jane Fernandes, provost of Gallaudet University, who provided the funding and administrative support for this process. Gary Hotto and Patrick Atuonah need to be acknowledged for the many hours of effort in implementing the public input process. Thanks to Marilyn Galloway for her help in setting up the National Dialogue and providing transition references.

A special thanks goes to Margaret Hallau for her leadership in the entire process and patience in helping me rearrange my words and organize my thoughts so others could read them. Thanks to editors Shawn Mahshie, Jennifer Hinger, and Catherine Valcourt for formatting and preparing the paper for printing. Lastly, I want to thank my family for living with a workaholic.

Any errors are my own.

Judy LeNard

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