Deaf & Hard of Hearing Education in Idaho

The Transition Process

Background

Over the past several years, changing populations and needs have led the State Board of Education (SBOE) and policymakers to propose changes to the way educational services are delivered to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. During the past year committees of professionals, parents and other stakeholders have worked diligently to improve the current structure of deaf education in Idaho. The goal of these changes is to create a model which will be responsive to the needs of children and allow for increased access to appropriate educational services for all of Idaho’s deaf and hard of hearing children. The outcome of the committee work has been the establishment of new standards for deaf and hard of hearing education and the development of a new service delivery model.

Standards

The standards with minor changes following public comment were approved by the State Board of Education during their October meeting. Click here for a copy of the board approved standards, along with the guidelines.

Service Delivery Model

• The Transition Committee voted approval for a regionalized model May 23, 2007.
• The Transition Committee held its final meeting and approved a draft service delivery model on June 22, 2007.
• The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee(JLOC) met to hear the Follow- Up Report regarding the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind July 12, 2007. After presentation of findings from the Office of Performance Evaluation (OPE) and testimony by the Transition Coordinator and Office of the State Board of Education that concerns surrounding oral deaf education would be addressed in the standards and through a new service delivery model, the committee unanimously voted to close the OPE report.