News and Notables - Flash

From: Gallaudet - Jun 1, 2007

Welcome to the latest edition of News and Notables Flash from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. If you receive text e-mails only, or if links displayed on this page do not work, please visit this page.
If you would like to send News and Notables Flash to a friend, please visit this page.

Clerc Center Seeks Participants for a Stakeholder Meeting
on Early Language and Literacy Development

Gallaudet University Regional Center
Haverhill, Massachusetts

Application Deadline: July 9, 2007
Meeting Date: November 13-14, 2007
*Please note change of date*

The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is pleased to announce the second in a series of stakeholder meetings to allow us to learn from you, our constituents. The November 2007 meeting will focus on early language and literacy development in young deaf and hard of hearing children. Parents of children in the 0- to 5-year-old age group, professionals in early intervention and parent-infant programs, administrators, and state-level supervisors - your feedback is critical!

The first stakeholder meeting was held this past November in the Washington, D.C., area and it drew participants from all over the country. Participants found the meeting a valuable experience. A participant from Memphis, Tennessee, wrote, "Thank you for your invitation to the Laurent Clerc stakeholder meeting this fall 2006. As a teacher, I returned to the 'front lines' energized and having a few more strategies in my bag. Thank you for this opportunity!"

The upcoming November meeting will be held in the northeast United States in Haverhill, Massachusetts, home to the Gallaudet University Regional Center at Northern Essex Community College. Recognizing that the experiences of educators in various regions of the country are unique to that region, the Clerc Center will focus the November meeting on individuals from the Northeast to gain a better understanding of their experiences. Future meetings will be held at the Southeast, Midwest, and West Gallaudet University Regional Centers, as well as in Washington, D.C. (For additional information about the Gallaudet University Regional Centers, please visit the website.)

This stakeholder meeting will provide you with an opportunity to share effective language and literacy practices and to give us feedback on the Clerc Center's current initiatives in this area. This will help us chart the way for future work. Please join us. Complete an interest form today!

The Clerc Center's mission is to develop initiatives to support your work with deaf and hard of hearing students in schools and homes throughout the country. Staying in touch with the changing environment is critical. Through your experiences you have a unique perspective. We must work to raise student achievement levels and ensure deaf and hard of hearing students are achieving on or above the levels of their hearing peers, especially in the era of No Child Left Behind.

We all know the challenges facing our students. Among them:

- Early access to language - A strong language base is the foundation of education.

- Families’ access to information - Informed families are able to make the best decisions for their deaf and hard of hearing children. A strong collaboration between school and the home is critical for children to succeed.

- Skills to become independent adults - Deaf and hard of hearing students need the skills to become independent adults, as well as a comprehensive understanding of their rights and how to advocate for themselves, both in school and at work.

At the Clerc Center, we aim to address these challenges. Now we need your feedback! Do our products, materials, and training programs support your work in your classrooms or in your homes? Will our new product ideas address the challenges you encounter in your classrooms every day? What ideas do you have for products that will address these needs and raise student achievement for deaf and hard of hearing students?

If you are interested in participating in the July stakeholder meeting or would like to add your name to our interest list for future meetings, please click here to complete a participant interest form.

Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Clerc Center. The deadline for receiving interest forms for the November meeting is July 9, 2007.

Spread the word! If you know other professionals in the field or family members who could provide insightful feedback, please share this information with them and encourage them to complete an interest form. Participants will be selected to ensure a balance of representation from our constituent groups at each stakeholder meeting. There is a limit of 20 participants per stakeholder meeting.

For more information, please e-mail Clerc Center marketing and public relations coordinator Susan Flanigan.

Additional Clerc Center News

- KDES celebrates 150th anniversary - visit official website

- Check out upcoming Clerc Center training and events

- Clerc Center products on-line catalog

- Read the latest edition of World Around You

- New to Clerc Center News and Notables Flash? Visit the archives

The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University comprises two federally mandated demonstration schools for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It provides training and technical assistance to families, professionals, and programs; identifies, develops, evaluates, and disseminates innovative curricula and materials; and improves education for deaf and hard of hearing students throughout the United States in collaboration with schools and programs from around the country.

News and Notables Flash is an electronic publication of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center on the campus of Gallaudet University, KDES 3600, 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695.

Release Date: June 1, 2007