Did ASDB Fail This Deaf Teen?
Wednesday December 19, 2007
KVOA in Tuscon, Arizona reported today that a recent deaf graduate of the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind graduated unprepared for college - even though he was the class valedictorian. Chad Kennedy's parents are upset that he graduated with only a third grade reading level, and that the school did not diagnose a reading disability early enough. Chad was turned down by colleges that felt he was not ready. Finally, he was accepted by a college, on the condition that he take three years' worth of pre-college courses.
The parents filed complaints, and attempted to take the case to court. A judge dismissed the case at the school's request. Read the article and post here what you think - do the parents have a case, or should they put up and shut up?
Update 12/26/07: Chad's parents responded to this blog posting and to readers' comments. Read what Chad's parents had to say.
Comments
How can any parent of any child not know the reading level of their child by the time they graduate High School at the age of 18.
The parents here are blaming the school, they should be blaming themselves.
Talk about lack of involvement in their childs life to find out at this late date that their child cant read and blame someone else.
Typical American family!
I agree with Lolypup. The parents should be blamed for not being involved in their son’s reading activities. It takes a village to raise a child so where were they?
Hi Jamie:
Interesting article!!! I am curious did Chad come home from school everyday or was he living in the dorm at ASDB?
If so, maybe that why the parents were unaware of his reading abilities. This is the reason why I am against deaf students living at the dorm on the school campus because of situation like Chad. It is very important for parents to get involved in their child education. However, in some cases it may not be possible due to lack of deaf programs in their area.
Even if this deaf child lived in the dorm, parents should ALWAYS communicate with this child on weekends. Parents should have picked up the hints on how much this child learned from school.
I mainly blame on schools, because its their job to make the children smarter.
Parents and staffs at schools are totally ignorants!
I mentioned ’schools’ because I noticed many schools are like ASBD.
this is why many parents don’t want their children attending schools for the deaf. Also while the parents do share some of the blame, the school did not follow the IEP they had agreed to with the parents. How is it that he was named valedictorian ? that should be a real concern. so then everyone who graduates from that school is in the same situation ?
not Oregon – reading level requirement is 9th grade to have real full diploma. Very high rate of students graduated with it.
Utah’s JMS is current at 6 to 7th grade level because of the requirement of the school is that it is a Bi-Bi school.
secondly, was the information about Chad’s reading problem withheld from the parents during annual IEP meetings? I wouldn’t put all the blame on the parents when other factors have not been explained.
reply to #6,
most of the mainstreamed students in Utah have to take REMEDIAL classes in community college to catch up on reading and English before they can be accepted for regular college courses.
The real issue here is willing participants from the Deaf Community to help with the local school districts.
I don’t like this article from KVOA because of not enough detials! Like how many years did Chad study at ASDB? Did he live in the dorm? Did his parents inolve school’s education? etc. Not enough information!
One thing, I agree that every parents are responible tocheck their children’s education while their children are studying at school like mine.
Did this article say that?? You see… not enought information!!
Wendy Kennedy, Chad’s mom, is an interpreter!!!! A sign language interpreter? If that’s so, how could she overlook her own son’s level of education from ASDB? Surely she would catch it a long time ago!
The ASDB requested the judge to dismiss the case in which he happily agreed. That’s really shame. I think the state of AZ should look at the situation now.
If Chad’s a class valedictorian and read level is 3rd grade, that means all other students are much lower than him. The state of AZ should act now to improve the education at ASDB.
For some reasons, his parents didn’t know of his reading level, though they should have been cognizant. However, this doesn’t excuse the school from not doing their part.. educating and preparing the child for outside world. The fact that he graduated top of the class, with only a third grade reading level is disquieting. In other words, the majority of the students in that class were even performing less than the third grade average. With a top performing student, one expects better than the average results.
This doesn’t reflect well on the deaf school. This will also discourage parents of prospective students from exploring the possibility of deaf school for their kids.
In my personal opinion, both ASDB and his parents were responsible for not preparing him well for the “real world”. Did you notice that Chad’s dad did not sign on television? He chose to speak and did not bother to sign for his Deaf son. Poor Chad. Parents should learn how to communicate with their deaf children effectively. Schools are also responsible for their Deaf students. I used to teach for ASDB, but I am sorry to say that ASDB is one of the worst schools for deaf students. I strongly favor deaf schools over mainstreamed schools; however, ASDB is not the best choice unfortunately. I am not surprised that many ASDB students are not able to perform at their appropriate grade level. ASDB has a hearing superintendent who is not able to carry on basic conversations with Deaf students and employees. Also, all except one doesnt know sign language. Some teachers, dormitory counselors, and other professionals are not signing fluently. It is time for ASDB to revamp its education!!! I feel bad for Chad and his parents. I wish I could tell the Judge about ASDB, but Chad’s parents should take their case to the Department of Education.
FYI: Chad was a day student at ASDB.
To Disappointed in ASDB,
Thank you for sharing your comment.
Your comment sounds worse than my more than 25 years ago that I graduated at ASDB. That is sad. I agree with you that ASDB needs to pay attention on deaf students’ future! This school sounds like if they are sleeping too much!
We are Chad’s parents. We would like to fill you in on more of the story about Chad and his education. First of all we are very involved parents with all of our children. Wendy became an interpreter because of her desire to be able to speak to her son in his language and to help other deaf children in the public schools. Chad was mainstreamed in public elementary school. In 5th grade(Dec 1998) we, along with the public school requested ASDB test Chad because we were concerned about his delay in reading and writing. ASDB, who are suppose to be the experts in deaf education, said Chad had delays because he was not in a all day signing environment at a deaf school. Chad had an interpreter, a teacher of the deaf and 4 other deaf students in class with him. We exposed Chad to everything we could visually and physically including many trips to places where he could touch, see and feel things in the real world. Chad also has a very strong supportive extended family including a deaf cousin. We took ASDB’s recommendations and moved our family so Chad could attend ASDB as a day student. We were not going to put Chad in the dorms because he is our son and he belongs at home with his family every day. From Chads first day at ASDB we continually questioned what else could we do to help Chad. We did everything they told us. They repeatedly told us that it was normal for the deaf to hit a wall in reading at the 3rd to 4th grade level and if he could break thru that wall he could do very well because he has an above average IQ and has the cognative ability to learn to read and write the english language well.
At Chads 7th grade IEP, we again questioned what else we could do to help him. He was not progressing. Again they told us the same thing about the 3rd to 4th grade wall. ASDB was ready to advance him to the 8th grade when Chad himself asked if he could repeat the 7th grade because he wanted to improve his reading and writing. We of course supported him 100% on it. Chad was told by ASDB many many times that he did not try hard enough or study enough. They made him feel stupid. Do you know what it is like as a parent to hear your son say “My school thinks I’m stupid”? After we moved into a new school district(Chad was in 10th grade) their Hearing Impaired Representative meet Chad for the 1st time at his IEP meeting and within 15 to 20 minutes knew their was a problem. After they conferred with an ASDB employee and read the evaluation that ASDB did on Chad in 5th grade. They asked us if we had ever been told if Chad has a learning disability. We were surprised because we had never been told that and that the evaluation did not say that. The ASDB employee said it did not say it directly but that reading between the lines implies it. We immediatly went to the Superintendant at that time and they agreed that there was a problem. They had Chad tested right away and found that he a reading disability. We immediatly called for an IEP team meeting and requested special tutoring for Chad for the next two years and summers. They agreed. They provided the tutoring for one summer and the fall semester and then took it away from him. We went to the Supervising teacher of the deaf and the principal of the deaf and requested Chad be placed back into tutoring. They refused and bluntly told us “It did not matter that ASDB did not tell us that Chad had a learning disability they would not have done anything differently” and “You can fight this all you want to it does not mean you are going to win.” We then went to the current superintendant and the assistant superintendant and met with them for 3 hours. They agreed with our requests for Chad and said they were reasonable. After a few weeks went by they had done nothing to change his schedule. We filed our first complaint with the AZ Department of Education. They found ASDB out of compliance and said that ASDB had the data needed to find him with a learning disability in 5th grade. ASDB had only progressed Chad’s reading 1/2 grade level in 6 1/2 years. He went from a 2nd grade level in 5th grade to a 2 1/2 grade level in 10th grade. Chad came into ASDB with and IEP that said a Psychological Educational Evaluation would be done on Chad in Dec 2001. ASDB failed to do this and they failed to do it again in Dec 2004. The AZ Department of Education said ASDB owes Chad compensatory services for the 6 1/2 years they failed to provide for him. They said Chad was denied FAPE. Chad’s next IEP said Chad would have 48 hours of summer school of which only 12 hours were provided. We filed another complaint and ASDB admitted they were wrong and the Department of Education found them out of complaince again. ASDB administration continued not care about Chads education and we filed a 3rd complaint of which they were found out of compliance again. The administration also told us that we should be satisfied with Chads reading level and that “Their are other government organizations that can help him” Chad does not, nor do we want, for him to live off of SSI and Access all his life. He wants to go to college and get a good educationto support himself and a family. he wants to be an independant, contributing member of society.
In Jan of 2007, Chad’s Sr. year we were finally scheduled to have a hearing in court. We had to ask for a postponement because we needed to find legal council. The hearing was set for April 07 and then ASDB asked for a postponement. The hearing was set for May 07 and then 3 days before the hearing Chads grandfather passed away and ASDB and the judge agreed to postpone the hearing again so we could attend to the funeral preparations and funeral. Chad graduated as class valadictorian on May 31st.(By the way, ASDB’s attorney took Chad’s valadictorian speech from his councelor before the scheduled hearing with the intention of using it at the hearing and making it public before Chad even had a chance to give it. They never asked his permission for it. They just took it.) ASDB then asked to have the case dismssed because he had graduated and the judge agreed. We have filed an appeal in Superior court.
On the news story we were not signing because we had an interpreter signing for Chad off camera. That is how Chad wanted it.
Chad is so grateful to be out of ASDB. He had no plans to ever set foot there again. He is very happy in his college in Utah. He is an amazing young man and has the desire to get a good education in spite of what ASDB did to him.
What are parents suppose to do when the professionals in deaf education do not properly diagnose a child and do not follow the IEP. We would be happy to answer any questions you have.
We agree that ASDB needs to undergo some major changes. Especially in the current adiministration.
As an added note, the current assistant superintendant of ASDB was Chad’s interpreter in 1st grade in public school. That makes it even more dissappointing for us with ASDB’s cuurent administration.
I am currently in school to become a speech language pathologist. My passion is the deaf and hearing impaired. The problem is that hearing impaired people have a very difficult time learning to read. This school, being for the deaf, has to know this and should work hard to fix this (not saying that the parents shouldn’t be involved as well). The parents are not to be blamed because they are not the ones who continued to pass this child along without the correlating grade-level knowledge of reading. I am so disgusted with how schools seem to pass these children along without preparing them to go further with their education. I personally think that the parents should fight for their son. Someone really needs to step up and let these schools know, special needs or not, that passing children through the grades because of Bush’s law (No Child Left Behind) is not acceptable. These children need the knowledge to become successful adults because they all have the potential to do so.
To the parents: If you cannot get the law suit to go in your favor, I hope that you do not give up. Do the classes to help him read better and do not let this stop your son to the best he can be. I do not agree with what the school did, but it happened and that does not define Chad. Good luck!
I am also disappointed that ASDB basically slacked on this young man’s future. This seems prevalent in a lot of deaf schools, and needs to stop. I experienced lackluster education at CSD Fremont, despite being in the ‘A’ class. I basically cruised through highschool without really lifting a finger. I now have a hard time with my study habits and math because of this. The slacking needs to stop, and the initiative needs to be taken.
To Chad’s Parents: Don’t Give Up! I am Deaf and the best advice I was ever given was, “Become an expert of your child.” I was raised in California, oralism. We have a Deaf daughter. After researching Deaf World, we really did not want to enroll her in Deaf School. When she was in 5th grade, she demanded home education. It was the best decision she made. Because of my upbringing, I have helped her speech-wise, and have surrounded her with extensive exposure to various learning environments. She LOVES reading and her library card. Keep doing what you think is best for Chad. The sky is the limit, no matter what surrounds you.
After raising a deaf grandaughter for the past nine years, I sympathise with these parents. Arizona is not the only State school that is failing in educating the deaf children. Our grandaughter went to Ohio School for the Deaf. Because we had worked with her ourselves in the elementary and middleschool years every night, teaching her to spell and look up the meaning of every word and use it in asentence, Nicky is reading on a 7th grade level. It was not anything the deaf school taught her. They are just running them through and not really caring where they stand achademically. At least that is my experience. As parents of challenged children, we have to give a little more!!!
This just shows how prevalent the school systems, both Mainstreamed and Deaf, has failed many, many Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
When the schools don’t do their part to teach the students, then the students fail. If the parents don’t do their part to teach and raise their children to succeed in school, then the children fail. Remember that quote: “It takes a village to raise a child.”?? Both of the schools and the parents, even more so, have to be involved in guaranteeing the students’ success in education, on the job and in life.
Also, I feel that the Oral/CI-militants have hampered the Deaf schools’ progress, but this is an issue saved for another time, another day, soon.
One more note, I applaud Chad’s parents in taking ASDB to court. It is my hope they will sue to make things right for Chad and for all the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the school system everywhere and NOT for the money!
Parental responsibility is a key to activating positive change. In our family, we encourage natural learning using each individual’s preferred communication mode. We sign, write, talk, use of a solid basis of total communication is essential. Natural communication encourages learning & success. Personal responsibility is encouraged through the layering of positive success. I’ve run through the hoops dealing with the ladder of special education in the public schools. The laws are cumbersome. We decided to go with our guts, to go against the popular grain, and do what was best for our kids. They excelled when we let go of the system.
I’m sorry about Chad’s situation. Sounds like he worked hard to make the grades but without proper follow-up by the schools. Why did’nt the school administer reading test before they could go to another level of school, like from elementary to middle school. Should be a standard. In NC public schools, students have to pass a certain level of reading before they can even gratuate or move up. I can associate with Chad’s situate. I am now severe/profound in my heasring. Child hood chronic ear infections and Rhemnumatic fever as a small child started the progressive heaing loss I am leaving with today. I struggled in elementary school to keep up with the other students. I was called timid and slow learner on my report card. My mom worked with me the best she could. My hearing was never checked to see if I had a problem causing my problems. Finally in the 5th grade the teacher told me I had to go to summer school to take a speed reading course or I would not go to the 6th grade. I took the course but not sure it really helped. This was in the latter 50’s. I struggled the rest of my school life. I did not try to go to college because I did not have the ability. I believe that putting check points in various levels of school for reading would help resolve the problems that Chad and other student suffered from. Waiting till after the fact is to late and now Chad has a price to pay before he will be able to start college.
I graduated from ASDB long time ago and I used to be in mainstream school at other state and when I came to ASDB was big different. At mainstream school was the best for me because they have good education than ASDB. I know mainstream is the best to get good education for some deaf kids. Im not saying ASDB is bad for them but it’s depend how they were teach by ASDB staffs. I just wish that all Staffs know sign languages so they can learn better like picking up words that they didnt know about. In reading level is too low for not going to college but in case for Chad, he’s very lucky guy for going there. I know college is very hard for low level. I want to say to Chad and his family not give up and I have been through that before. I just wish ASDB do something alittle different like right now. The kids need better education and also can get in college.
This case is unfortunately very common. Chad is one of the fortunate few who has parents who are willing to fight for his education, as well as himself wanting to fight for his education.
The same situation can be also found in mainstreamed schools not just deaf schools. It is mainly a case by case situation rather than a common solution.
ASDB is mainly composed of hearing teachers, administrators and supervisors. I will say this, not every hearing person is the same – I am sure that there is an excellent hearing person working towards a better education for deaf children at ASDB, but he/she is hiding because of the oppressive attitude that has been illustrated over and over again at ASDB.
Imagine if there were an efficient blending of cultures and languages at ASDB as shown at Indiana and Maryland Schools for the Deaf, how richer the deaf students (and the blind students as well) would be if they had the opportunity to utilize all of the resources available to them rather than being limited by attitudes that oppress success levels.
To Jessica (#16) – ‘hearing impaired’ is a medical perspective, a large percentage of us prefer to be called deaf, hard of hearing or a person with hearing loss which is a cultural/lingual perspective.
Deaf/HOH individuals would not have a hard time with their reading levels if they had the early education prevention in place, aggressive lingual approach and teamwork. Children learn from exposure in their environment. Having a hearing loss frequently causes parents or other people in the child’s environment to consider it a lost effort to teach the child anything. That attitude is there before they enter the school system (again, not intended for everyone, including the Kennedys).
Today we have a battle…a war…over the choice of spoken English and ASL. What both ’speaking’ languages share in common is the English written language since we’re in America. I am bilingual, have been since I was found deaf. Not every deaf/HOH child can be bilingual – some can be even trilingual (especially in Spanish speaking families).
The word to ASDB (and other academic institutions) – hire deaf/HOH experts in education, trained and experienced in working with deaf/HOH children in the field of education with a positive attitude and a fierce commitment to pushing deaf/HOH children succeed above and beyond the stereotyped attitudes and research.
Word to parents – pay attention, ignoring your child(ren) won’t get them and you anywhere. Learn ASL, use it. Education comes first before 24/7 speech training.
To the Kennedys – keep it up, hope that Chad will become an active part in revamping the education of deaf and HOH children across the nation in the near future! (Even the No Child Left Behind fails many students with or without disabilities).
With our dyslexic grandson, we had a major problem, too. The mainstream schools failed him as well. He was put in a class for Learning Disabilities without addressing the specific problem. If children think in pictures, and connect with the 3 dimensional things, not two dimentional, the teaching methods have to be changed for them to succeed. With proper therapy, they can advance and pass the tests. One of the methods some uses is to do testing, not written testing. If written homework is given, it should be kept very short as they need much more time to complete everything. They are brilliant but have difficulty connecting with non-picture words. These words often tie everything together. This affects their reading comprehension. Check out the book: “The Gifted Dyslexic.” I believe that many deaf children may have the same problem because of thinking in pictures instead of words. The therapy that worked with the dyslexic, just might work for the deaf.
Did anyone ever challenge the colleges, asking if Chad could take the tests orally through an interpreter? Or could the test to be given by someone who signs? He might have passed the tests if the testing method was adjusted.
Just food for thought.
Anna
After hearing about this story from my parents and I can’t say that I’m shocked at all. I dropped out from ASDB recently mainly because they were refusing to give me the education that matched my level. They are not very forthcoming especially with the fact that other students are not very well educated. I struggled with ASDB’s administration for two years before finally reaching the decision to drop out and pursue a course to get my GED. It’s likely that I will plan to attend college and get a degree in MBA. I’ve noticed that this situation is rather common among various deaf schools all over America. The nation is leaving the deaf students behind and they are not listening to our needs. They are not interested in obvious and glaring facts that ASDB is graduating students who aren’t capable of attending college and graduate (let alone live well without college education). I know I am ranting but I attended ASDB first when I was a third grader although I left ASDB because they put me in a class for the low functioned (when it was clear that I was not one) and eventually my parents found out, they got pissed then I left ASDB and went to a mainstream school which I received a normal education. I went back to ASDB 2 years ago only to receive a weak education when compared to mainstream schools or even private schools. Fast forward to today only to hear about this isn’t surprising at all to see a student graduate from ASDB and find out that he is not prepared for college.
If you want my suggestion for a better future for your children who are attending ASDB right now. I would give you the best suggestion I can, take your children out and put them in mainstream schools to receive better education.
Wow “dissident”: I’ve taught in a mainstream school setting in CA for too many years to count and I have yet to encounter a Deaf high school drop-out who can write as eloquently as you. (Actually, I could only hope my hearing students were as literate.)
Tell us your background. Were you born deaf? Do you sign fluently? Do you use an interpreter? Are your parents Deaf? Do they sign? How did you succeed where so many others across the country have failed? You are an inspiration.