Establishment of American Sign Language Content Standards in Schools for the Deaf: The Early Innovators

• In Event: Critical Issues in Deaf Education

Abstract

Guided by the conceptual structure of neo-institutional and organizational change theory, this qualitative case study interprets the reflections offered by the leadership team of deaf education researchers and school professionals who developed national K-12 ASL content standards under the auspices of a grant administered by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center during the 2011 and 2012 calendar years. Through interviews with each project team member, this study explored participants’ perceptions of the organizational change processes through which intentional ASL pedagogy and the concurrently developing national K-12 ASL standards were implemented in four schools for the deaf. Responses fall into five categories: Struggle for ASL legitimacy; resources; obstacles; professional development training; and K-12 ASL classes.

Authors

• Janice Smith Warshaw, Illinois School for the Deaf

• Ross E. Mitchell, University of Redlands