All students in the department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education complete formative and summative assessments as part of each course offering. Data on the number of bachelor's, master’s and doctoral degree recipients and program completion rates for the department are collected annually.
Student Performance
Across degree programs, student performance is measured through:
Objective Tests: Tests measure students' acquisition of factual knowledge and rudimentary application of concepts and skills. Examples of objective tests include multiple choice, short answer, and essay tests.
Authentic Application Assignments: Class assignments are given for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills required in professional settings. Examples of application assignments include case presentations, sign language competency assignments, assistive technology demonstrations, and evidence-based practice summaries.
Clinical Observations/Evaluations: Evaluations of students' clinical or teaching performance are completed by clinical supervisors or student-teaching supervisors, in on-campus and off-campus sites. Supervisors rate students on their acquisition and demonstration of the specific knowledge and skills required in practicum settings, developed in alignment with professional accreditation standards, where applicable.
Learning Outcome and Objectives
The following knowledge and skills are assessed, and requirements met in the appropriate discipline, in order to be eligible for national certification. Standards cited refer to ASHA references.
Audiology
Students will demonstrate prerequisite skills and knowledge of life sciences, physical sciences, behavioral sciences, and mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the foundations of clinical practice in audiology. In addition, they will have:
1. completed a course of study that addresses the knowledge and skills necessary to independently practice in the profession of audiology. (Std. I)
2. been granted a graduate degree from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). (Std. II)
3. completed a course of study that includes academic course work and a minimum of 1,820 hours of supervised clinical practicum sufficient in depth and breadth to achieve the knowledge and skills outcomes stipulated in Standard IV.
4. been supervised by individuals who held the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Audiology. (Std. III)
5. demonstrated knowledge delineated in Foundations of Practice (Std. IV. A1-A21)
6. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Foundations of Practice (Std. IV. A22-29)
7. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Prevention and Identification (Std. IV. B1-B6)
8. demonstrated knowledge delineated in Assessment (Std. IV. C1)
9. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Assessment (Std. IV. C2-C11)
10. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Intervention (Treatment) (Std. IV. D1-D7)
11. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Advocacy/Consultation (Std. IV. E1-E3)
12. demonstrated knowledge and skills delineated in Education/Research/Administration (Std. IV. F1-F6)
13. met the education program’s requirements for demonstrating satisfactory performance through ongoing formative assessment of knowledge and skills. (Std. V-A)
Deaf Education
Bilingual-Bicultural Track
At the conclusion of the academic program in Deaf Education (Bilingual-Bicultural), students will be able to:
1. perform as a classroom teacher of deaf children, and possess the requisite pedagogical skills to ensure that their teaching is effective and appropriate
2. demonstrate excellent expressive and receptive skills in American Sign Language
3. demonstrate appropriate use of American Sign Language in teaching literacy skills in English
4. infuse unique Deaf cultural information into the classroom setting
5. foster identity and pride in the student who is deaf
6. understand the research, literature, and best practices related to teaching the child who is deaf
7. possess English as a second language and American Sign Language competencies in relation to literacy development
8. understand how diagnostic information can be used in developing appropriate teaching strategies for the deaf child
9. work closely with other professionals in developing and implementing plans for educating the deaf child.
10. be knowledgeable of the laws that impact the deaf child
11. understand and facilitate the development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
12. select, use, and troubleshoot appropriate amplification systems for the deaf and hard of hearing
13. understand the necessity of early identification of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the educational and placement options available for parents
14. explain the major problems and issues involved in education of the deaf and hard of hearing and strategies for dealing with these issues
15. describe the history of Deaf Education in the United States and its impact on the present status of Deaf Education
Listening and Spoken Language Track
(to be added)
Speech-Language Pathology
Upon successful completion of the Master’s Degree Program students will have:
1. demonstrated knowledge of the principles of biological sciences, physical sciences,
mathematics, and social/behavioral sciences (Std. III-A)
2. demonstrated knowledge of basic human communication and swallowing processes, including
their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural
bases (Std. III-B)
3. demonstrated knowledge of the nature of speech, language, hearing, and communication
disorders and differences and swallowing disorders, including the etiologies, characteristics,
anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural
correlates in the nine areas noted in the standard (Std. III-C)
4. knowledge of the principles and methods of prevention, assessment and intervention for people with communication and swallowing disorders (Std. III-D)
5. demonstrated knowledge of standards of ethical conduct (Std. III-E)
6. knowledge of processes used in research and the integration of research principles into evidence-based clinical practice (Std. III-F)
7. demonstrated knowledge of contemporary professional issues (Std. III-G)
7. demonstrated knowledge about certification, specialty recognition, licensure, and other
relevant professional credentials (Std. III-H)
9. completed a curriculum of academic and clinical education that follows an appropriate
sequence of learning sufficient to achieve the skills outcomes in Std. IV-G (Std. IV-A)
10. skill in oral and written and other forms of communication sufficient for entry into
professional practice (Std. IV-B)
11. completed a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of
speech-language pathology, including 25 hours in clinical observation and 375 hours in direct
client/patient contact (Std. IV-C)
12. completed at least 325 clock hours while engaged in graduate study (Std. IV-D)
13. been supervised by individuals holding a current ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in
the appropriate area of practice. The amount of supervision was appropriate to the student’s level
of knowledge, experience, and competence and was sufficient to ensure the welfare of the client/
patient populations (Std. IV-E)
14. gained knowledge and experience with individuals from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds
and with client/patient populations across the life span (Std. IV-F)
15. met the education program’s requirements for demonstrating satisfactory
performance through ongoing formative assessment of knowledge and skills (Std. V-A)