Resume

PO Box 918

Leadville, Co 80461

970-590-5500

Current Work

The ADE-vantage is a consulting service focusing on deaf education and school-based audiology services. This practice provides consultation to agencies, school districts, state departments of education, and professional organizations regarding program development and evaluation, restructuring of systems, and accountability for services and student outcomes relative to children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Recent examples of state level work in deaf education include:

Ohio State University, Children’s Hearing and Language Development Resource Network (CHLDRN) of Ohio (2017-2018) - Facilitator for this Oberkotter funded collaborative planning grant establishing an effective statewide collaborative of stakeholders to identify and analyze current issues in follow-up services of early identified infants and toddlers and their families. Work included facilitating the steering committee and stakeholder meetings, and regional focus groups of families and professionals. Additional data was collected via online surveys. Information was presented in a final report of the findings and recommendations. The grant principle investigator is Derek Houston, PhD, Ohio State University.
Delaware Department of Education - Facilitator for Task Force to make recommendations to the legislature regarding House Resolution #20 which sought input on 1) the current condition of educational services available to persons birth to twenty-one who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind throughout the State of Delaware; and 2) the administrative location of the Delaware School for the Deaf and Statewide Services for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind students. Prepared written report for the legislature based on the recommendations. (2014)
Minnesota Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MCDHH) – Facilitation of a diverse stakeholder group representing key agencies including the MN Department of Health, MN Department of Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation to develop outcomes and measurable indicators for children and youth who are deafblind, deaf, and hard of hearing in MN. The resulting plan, Maximizing and Monitoring Learner Progress for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and their Families (2011), will guide data collection over a three year period. (2010-present)
Indiana Office of Management and Budget - External Consultant to advise in the creation of the Indiana Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education; assisted in the facilitation of stakeholder meetings and drafting team meetings for development of the Transition Plan and implementation of the transition Plan. (2012-2015)
New Hampshire Department of Education
- 2019-present: Two year grant, All Together Now New Hampshire, to implement NASDSE Guidelines, Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and developing a statewide system of support for educating deaf and hard of hearing students.
- Facilitation of a stakeholder group representing deaf education and provided support to the development of the New Hampshire Educational Service Guidelines for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (2010-2012)
Washington State Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss (CDHL) – Facilitation of a year-long study to identify strengths and gaps in deaf education services statewide and make recommendations to the legislature for system improvements. The results of the focus group meetings and other data collection activities were summarized, along with the recommendations, in the report, Status of Educational Services to Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth in Washington (CDHL, 2010).
National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
- Co-facilitator/co-editor (2016-2018): 3rd Edition of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Guidelines, Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
- As a contracted consultant for NASDSE, training was conducted for several state departments of education to improve statewide services to deaf and hard of hearing students. Follow-up technical assistance has been provided to Oklahoma and New Hampshire to develop deaf education service guidelines. (2007-2010)
Greeley-Evans School District, Greeley, CO – Facilitation of a review of the deaf and hard of hearing program that included coordinating a team of investigators and development of a report summarizing the findings and recommendations. Program performance data, interviews with teachers and administrators, and fact-finding meetings with parents and students occurred as part of this program review. (2007)
The Colorado Department of Education – Facilitation of a consensus process that resulted in authorship of the documents: A Blueprint for Closing the Gap: Developing a Statewide System of Service Improvements for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDE, 2002); Colorado Quality Standards: Programs and Services for Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDE, 2004). A self-assessment of the Quality Standards was also performed, analyzed, and reported by the Research and Development Center for Advancement of Student Learning in 2006 (Ft. Collins, CO).
Other consulting activities include: ·
- Pepnet2 (2011-2016) Consultant and facilitator for the OSEP federally funded PN2 Building State Capacity Summit project.
- Support and advocacy to families, school districts, and agencies to resolve specific assessment, services and placement issues involving child and youth who are deaf and hard of hearing.
- Design and implementation of school-based audiology programs.
- Processes for assessment of student performance and monitoring.
- Research in relevant areas for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Other Employment

Adjunct faculty appointments:

University of Arizona, College of Education, Disability and Psychoeducational Studies
Salus University, Osborne College of Audiology, International Audiology Certificate Program

Education

B.A., Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara (1975)

M.A., Audiology, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley (1976)

Ed.D., Special Education Administration: Audiology and Deaf Education Programs, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley (1982)

Background Experience

Colorado Department of Education

Supervisor (2005-06), Exceptional Student Services Unit, supervising all special education monitoring activities, the state performance plan for the U.S. Department of Education - OSEP, and services to students with low-incidenc disabilities; retired 7/31/06;
Senior Consultant (1998-2005 ), Exceptional Student Services Unit, providing leadership and technical assistance for all aspects of Deaf education, educational interpreting, and educational audiology;
Contracted audiology consultant (1990-1998), Exceptional Student Services, providing monitoring, support, and technical assistance to school districts in Colorado relative to audiology and hearing related services; provided leadership for educational audiologists employed by school districts and development of policy & guidelines for the provision of audiological services in the public schools.

Greeley Public Schools, Greeley, Colorado

Educational audiologist (1976-1998, half-time 1990-1998) providing a full range of audiological and hearing-related services to children birth-21;
Program coordinator and supervisor for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program (1983-87).

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO

Parent Facilitator, Colorado Home Intervention Program (1980-1992), providing support and guidance to families of children with hearing impairments birth-2 years;
CO-HEAR Regional Coordinator (1990-2001);
Audiology Regional Coordinator.

Hands & Voices

Co-Founder, Hands and Voices, Colorado Chapter (1991)
Co-Founder, Board member, and former President of the Board of Directors (2002-2013)

Awards and Honors