Deaf or Hard of Hearing K to 12 

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Competencies and Skills and Blueprint

The test design below describes general testing information. The blueprints that follow provide a detailed outline that explains the competencies and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

table describing the format of the test, including test time, number of questions, and required passing score
Format Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions Approximately 80 multiple-choice questions
Time 2 hours and 30 minutes
Passing Score A scaled score of at least 200

 

Competencies, Skills, and Approximate Percentages of Questions

graph of percentages of each competency's weight toward overall test score, described in table below

table describing the competencies, skills, and approximate percentage of each competency's weight toward overall test score
Competency Approximate Percentage of Total Test Questions
1 Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education 13%
2 Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and of hearing loss 10%
3 Knowledge of language development and communication 16%
4 Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture 14%
5 Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan 16%
6 Knowledge of formal and informal assessments 13%
7 Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications 18%

Competencies and Skills

Competency 1—Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education

  1. Identify federal and Florida laws, regulations, and legal decisions that pertain to persons who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  2. Analyze key communication philosophies and models (e.g., listening and spoken language, Total Communication, ASL-English bilingual) that provide the basis of educational practice.

  3. Apply understanding of the rights and responsibilities of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, parents or guardians, teachers, other professionals, and educational programs.

  4. Examine the foundations of deaf education, including the sociocultural, historical, and philosophical forces unique to deaf education.

  5. Apply legal and ethical guidelines and practices in the field of deaf education (e.g., confidentiality, due process, referral, assessment, FAPE).

  6. Identify the roles and responsibilities of teachers of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  7. Determine appropriate activities, literature, resources, and references to support parent or guardian involvement in decisions regarding the student's social-emotional, communication, cognitive, and academic development.

  8. Apply strategies for collaborating with a variety of support personnel (e.g., speech-language pathologists, paraprofessionals, general education inclusion facilitators, interpreters).

Competency 2—Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and of hearing loss

  1. Identify concepts and terminology related to the primary components and functions of the auditory system.

  2. Determine the types and causes of hearing loss and comorbid disorders associated with specific etiologies.

  3. Compare the nature and characteristics of unilateral, bilateral, conductive, mixed, sensorineural, progressive, and intermittent hearing loss.

  4. Identify current educational definitions of hearing loss, identification criteria, and identification issues and incidence and prevalence data.

  5. Determine appropriate types and uses of amplification systems and auditory devices (e.g., cochlear implants) and procedures for using and maintaining them.

Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and communication

  1. Identify the phonological, semantic, morphemic, syntactic, and pragmatic components of language.

  2. Identify typical stages and progressions of speech and language development (including listening and spoken language, signed language, and written language).

  3. Analyze language samples of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing using linguistic principles, including students who use ASL as well as students who use listening and spoken language.

  4. Identify key elements of various modes of communication (e.g., ASL, listening and spoken language, various forms of manually coded English) and strategies for facilitating the communication.

  5. Apply strategies and methods for developing students' expressive and receptive language proficiency (i.e., spoken and/or signed, and written).

  6. Apply strategies for integrating language instruction across the curriculum and developing language meaningfully in authentic settings.

  7. Apply strategies for planning and implementing instruction in the use of assistive technologies and communication devices (e.g., amplification, FM systems, captioning).

  8. Identify the effects of sensory input (e.g., visual, tactile, auditory) on the development of language and cognition for students who are deafblind, D/deaf, hard of hearing, and other exceptionalities.

Competency 4—Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture

  1. Demonstrate basic comprehension of a message in ASL.

  2. Select the correct English interpretation when given a basic message in ASL.

  3. Select the corresponding ASL interpretation when given a message in English.

  4. Identify the cultural practices and defining characteristics unique to the Deaf Community.

  5. Identify the differences between ASL and other signed communication systems.

  6. Apply strategies for facilitating students' use of an ASL interpreter in social and academic settings.

  7. Contrast the linguistic features of ASL with spoken English.

Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

  1. Identify the components of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan.

  2. Identify components and criteria of eligibility determination for students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing in the state of Florida.

  3. Identify the roles and responsibilities of the additional professionals who provide educational, related, supplemental, and support services.

  4. Identify the procedural safeguards outlined in IDEA and Section 504 as related to the education of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  5. Analyze appropriate present level of performance statements based on specific assessment data for the following areas: communication, social-emotional, independent functioning, curriculum and learning, health, and transition.

  6. Apply key elements to identify and evaluate measurable annual IEP and Transition Individual Education Plan goals based on present level of performance statements.

  7. Identify components of a Communication Plan to determine the specific needs of a student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  8. Determine postsecondary programs and opportunities for students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, given their career interests and abilities.

Competency 6—Knowledge of formal and informal assessments

  1. Interpret the results of an audiological evaluation that includes unaided/aided test results.

  2. Apply key terminology used in formal and informal assessments (e.g., audiological screenings, cognitive, academic, inventories, acoustic, environmental).

  3. Distinguish between assessment instruments and procedures used for evaluating expressive and receptive language and speech perception and production of students with various types and degrees of hearing loss.

  4. Apply methods to informally assess the communication, social-emotional, independent functioning, curriculum and learning, health, and transition skills of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  5. Interpret assessment information to determine the curriculum needs of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

  6. Determine appropriate modifications and accommodations for formal and informal assessments and assessment procedures.

  7. Determine appropriate considerations for the selection and use of instructional technology with students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

  1. Apply strategies to address environmental barriers to facilitate access to the total school environment and the curriculum (e.g., physical and nonphysical barriers affecting acoustics, accessibility, and communication).

  2. Apply strategies and methods for promoting auditory skill development (e.g., auditory training strategies), including techniques for stimulating and using residual hearing.

  3. Apply research- and evidence-based accommodations and modifications that provide access to the curriculum and the environment and that promote independence.

  4. Use first- and second-language teaching strategies to provide instruction across content areas.

  5. Apply research-based strategies and methods to teach literacy and content area reading and writing.

  6. Apply research-based strategies and methods to teach skills across the curriculum (i.e., prevocational and vocational skills).

  7. Apply strategies to promote students' skills in the areas of self-advocacy, personal responsibility, social competence, and independence.