Meeting the challenge: building the capacity of teachers of the deaf to affect improved student outcomes

Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) present with specific challenges in language acquisition and literacy learning. For these children, developing age-appropriate language and literacy skills is often the exception, not the rule. This study defines the complex problem of disproportionate language and literacy acquisition and subsequent achievement outcomes D/HH individuals, when compared to their non D/HH peers and illustrates a significant opportunity gap. To combat this imbalanced achievement and consequential limitations in adulthood, I aimed to enhance students at the North Carolina School for the Deaf’s access to educators able to meet them where they are and employ interventions established in research to support substantial growth in language and reading. My theory of improvement maintains that: Equipping educators to identify, choose, and implement evidence-based interventions, with support, will enhance their self-efficacy and ability to meet the immediate language and literacy- learning needs of D/HH students, thus mitigating disparate academic performance outcomes. This was proposed to manifest in improved overall academic achievement, breaking down barriers provided by the current opportunity gap, and enhancing social justice for this marginalized group. Keywords: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH), language and literacy, disparate achievement, evidence-based interventions, teacher self-efficacy