Overview
Staying up to date on reading research while meeting and assessing the literacy needs of learners who are deaf or hard of hearing may feel like a juggling act. This module series is designed to provide educators and practitioners with what they need to implement best practices and provide access to reading instruction for each deaf or hard of hearing learner they serve.
This module is the sixth in the series and focuses on assessment. This online module equips educators with the tools to effectively assess literacy in Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners. You will explore the purpose of assessment, the difference between proficiency and progress, and the layers of assessment within the "assessment funnel." The module also clarifies the distinction between accommodations and modifications, with practical examples of each. Special attention is given to assessing skills unique to DHH learners, along with resources and tools to ensure assessments are both accessible and meaningful. By the end, you will know how to connect assessment data to instruction and better support each learner’s literacy development.
This module is brought to you by The Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness in partnership with the Teaching All Learners Center at OCALI and The American Printing House for the Blind (APH).
Estimated Time to Complete: 1 hour
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the assessment funnel and the types of assessment within each layer.
- Explain the difference between accommodations and modifications and provide an example of each.
- Name two specific skills that need to be assessed for DHH learners that may not need to be assessed for all learners.
Shawna Benson, M.Ed., Program Director, Teaching Diverse Learners Center at OCALI. Shawna Benson has been an employee at OCALI since August 2008, where she is currently the Program Director for the Teaching Diverse Learners Center. She was the recipient of the Kathe Shelby Leadership Award in 2014. Benson has two degrees from Ashland University, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education grades 1-8 and a Masters in the Education of the Handicapped (K-12). From 2004-2014 she worked as an Associate Professor at Urbana University. Benson’s teaching experience includes courses such as Educational Technologies, Curriculum, Materials and Strategies for the Intervention Specialist, Diagnostic Reading and Remediation, Role of the Intervention Specialist and Classroom Management. She has also worked as the Director of Assessment and the Director of Disability Services at the same institution.
Previously, she was employed through Knox County Educational Service Center and State Support Team Region 7 as the Assistive Technology, Autism and Low Incidence Consultant. Prior to consulting she taught students with and without disabilities in ages ranging from infancy through age 21. She has experience co-teaching in inclusive settings and providing intervention to students with a range of exceptionalities, ages, needs, and interventions, which has provided her with a wealth of information that she now applies to her current work.
Angelica Gagliardi, M.Ed., Teacher of the Deaf, Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Angelica has been a Teacher of the Deaf for more than ten years serving students in residential programs, day school programs, and mainstream programs throughout her career. Angelica has a passion for literacy, which was the focus of her graduate degree. She also works as an adjunct faculty at Kent State University helping our soon-to-be educators develop high expectations for Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners by using research-based strategies to provide full access to grade-level standards. She also served as an Outreach Specialist for The Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness for three years, supporting professionals across the state as they worked to serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners in Ohio classrooms.
Various organizations have approved modules and webinars in the Learning Hub for continuing education credit.