National Consortium On Deaf-Blindness Families Technical Assistance Information Services and Dissemination Personnel Training State Projects

A Collaborative Partnership Among The Teaching Research Institute (TRI) of Western Oregon University The Helen Keller National Center The Hilton/Perkins Program at Perkins School for the Blind

Organization TRI has conceived, led, managed and elevated technical assistance, dissemination, symposia and product development activities in the area of deaf- blindness for three decades

Organization HKNC has provided national leadership in deaf-blindness and services to youth and adults who are deaf-blind since it was established by Congress in 1967

Organization Perkins School for the Blind has served children who are deaf-blind for more than 150 years and operates the Hilton/Perkins Program, which provides consultation, training and technical assistance related to deaf-blindness throughout the nation and in developing countries

Organization A cooperative agreement will be developed between OSEP and The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness In a cooperative agreement, substantial involvement is expected between the U.S. Department of Education and the recipient when carrying out objectives and activities in the agreement

National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness Technical Assistance Information Services and Dissemination Personnel Training Critical Activity Areas

Needs of children and youth, their families and service providers Needs of children In 2005, 9849 children and youth in the United States were identified as deaf- blind (NTAC 2005) with 91% having at least one additional physical, cognitive or medical disability

Needs of children and youth, their families and service providers Needs of families Deaf-blindness presents substantial challenges not only for children, but also for their families It is critical that families have access to services and understandable information and resources

Needs of children and youth, their families and service providers Needs of service providers It is estimated that only 6% of children who are deaf-blind have a teacher trained in deaf-blindness (S. Bruce, personal communication, January 2006)

Federal Mandates and Initiatives State Performance Plans (SPP) and Annual Performance Reports (APR) require states to outline measurable and rigorous targets for 20 Part B indicators and 14 Part C indicators

Federal Mandates and Initiatives Relevance to Children & Youth who are Deaf-Blind a) Percentage of infants and toddlers birth to one year with IFSPs b) Percentage of infants/toddlers receiving services in the natural environment c) Participation and performance of children with disabilities on statewide assessments d) Percentage of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated, measurable annual goals and transition services e) Percentage of parents with a child receiving special education involved in the education process

Objectives 1) Communicate, collaborate and form partnerships as directed by OSEP 2) Implement multi-level needs assessment 3) Implement evidence-based practices 4) Implement technical assistance and personnel training 5) Build the capacity of youth who are deaf-blind and families

Objectives 6) Provide personnel training on the implementation of IDEA/evidence-based practices 7) Identify, collect, organize and disseminate information related to deaf-blindness 8) Develop and disseminate accessible products that synthesize evidence-based research, effective practices and emerging knowledge 9) Implement a comprehensive system of evaluation

Objective 1: Federal Partnerships Communicate, collaborate and form partnerships as directed by OSEP and with agencies, organizations and projects in order to improve results for children/youth and families PDM Self Assessment Collaborative Partners

Objective 2: Needs Assessment Implement an ongoing, multi-level needs assessment to systematically identify the needs of children/youth, families and service providers, including personnel training, in order to adequately and appropriately address those needs Census TA Process Surveys

Objective 3: Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices Provide national leadership in the implementation of evidence-based practices in order to address “gaps” in knowledge and to “scale up” current practices Practice Partnership Research Community of practice Research Synthesis

Objective 4: Technical Assistance Implement an array of technical assistance and personnel training activities to build the capacity of state and local agencies to meet the needs of children/youth and their families State-specific TA Multi-state TA National TA

Objective 5: Families & Consumers Utilize collaborative partnerships and facilitate efforts to build the capacity of youth who are deaf-blind and families in order to promote self-advocacy, personal empowerment and knowledge of deaf-blindness Collaborative Agreement with NFADB Underserved population AADB Teen Program Family Specialists Family Leadership Training Young adults – career explorations

Objective 6: Personnel Training Provide leadership in a coordinated national effort to promote personnel training on the implementation of IDEA and evidence-based practices in order to address the shortage of leadership and highly qualified personnel in the field of deaf-blindness National personnel training and leadership consortium Personnel training activities Collaboration with Personnel preparation programs

Objective 7: Dissemination of Evidence-Based Practices Identify, collect, organize and disseminate information related to deaf-blindness, including evidence-based practices, in order to respond to inquiries and increase knowledge that promotes effective early intervention, education and transition services, and supports families

Objective 8: Product Development Expand the utilization of information resources by developing and disseminating accessible products that synthesize evidence-based research, effective practices and emerging knowledge

Objective 9: Evaluation Implement a comprehensive system of evaluation to assess the impact of the Center’s objectives and activities across the four outcome domains of child, family, service provider and systems Formative Summative Use of Goal Attainment scale Use of OPI’s

Focus of Practice Partnership 1) Early and appropriate identification of children who are deaf-blind (under age one year) 2) Student achievement in language arts, math and science 3) Achievement of meaningful post-secondary goals through coordinated, measurable and annual transition services 4) Effective parent involvement for families representing different cultural, ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds 5) Accountability through effective evaluation strategies for collecting and analyzing data to improve results for children

Focus Area of Impact 1) Improve early and appropriate identification of children who are deaf- blind a) increase in the number of children under one year of age who are appropriately identified b) decrease in the number of states who report no children under the age of one year

Focus Area of Impact 2) Increase student achievement in language arts, math and science a)increased alignment of students’ instructional programs with the general education curriculum b)increased student achievement in academic content as documented through process monitoring and state-approved assessments

Focus Area of Impact 3) Increase achievement of meaningful post- secondary goals through coordinated, measurable and annual transition services a) Students and their families will more successfully transition from school-based services to post- secondary education, employment and community- based environments through the use of outcomes- based measurements and the National Child Count

Focus Area of Impact 4) Increase effective involvement in education planning of families representing different cultural, ethnic, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds a) increased understanding of the unique needs of their children b) improved access to diagnostic, intervention and educational services resulting in positive outcomes for children

Focus Area of Impact 5) Improve accountability through effective evaluation strategies and the collection and analysis of data a) All state deaf-blind projects will report their annual performance reviews, self-assessments and site reviews using valid and reliable assessments for documenting change in awareness, knowledge, skills, and child outcomes