Our teachers should be excellent, and they should look like America. Richard Riley (l998)

Obj. 1.3: Teacher Diversity Team Leaders: Sharon Baker, U. of Tulsa Joyce Daugaard, U. of MN

Year 1 Activities: l Survey preservice teacher diversity. l Survey recruitment, preparation, retention strategies used in Deaf Ed. l Research recruitment, preparation, retention strategies effective in increasing teacher diversity.

Year 2 Activities l Disseminate findings. l Offer support to teacher prep. programs to integrate strategies.

D/HH Student Demographics: White 51% Black15% Latino25% Am. Indian 1% Asian 4% Other 2% Multi-ethnic 2% (Source: Gallaudet Research Institute, Dec. 03)

Changing demographics… D/HH students l Decline in White students: 71% to 51 % l Increase in Latino students: 9% to 24.5% l Increase in Asian students: 1% to 4.3%

Preservice Teacher Diversity Survey Data May of 72 programs (57%) 1,607 students reported Gender: Male: 8%, Female: 92%

Preservice Teacher Ethnicity: l White87% l Black 7% l Asian 2% l Latino 3% l Am. Indian 0.1% l Multi-ethnic 0.7%

Hearing Status: l Hearing89% l Hard of Hearing 4% l Deaf 7%

Diverse Deaf Ed Programs: l McDaniel College l U of North Carolina-Greensboro l Kean University l Lamar University l Eastern Michigan University l University of Arizona l Gallaudet University l Boston University

Recruitment Strategies Cited Most: l Scholarships / stipends l Use alumni as recruiters l Provide academic support services l Invite D/HH lecturers l Provide deaf role models

Recruitment Strategies Cited Least: l Advertise via ethnic magazines, deaf magazines, ethnic contacts. l Visit minority-serving institutions. l Deploy current students in target communities.

Support Strategies Cited Most: l Alternative methods of assessment. l Advising strategies sensitive to diverse students. l Early and frequent advising.

Support Strategies Cited Least: l Move coursework to areas of diverse students. l Provide coursework in local schools.

Retention Strategies Cited Most: l Curricula that reflect diversity. l Immediate corrective action plan for academic difficulties. l Graduate follow-up to elicit ways to improve program and retention.

Retention Strategies Cited Least: l Special orientation programs. l Emphasis on school-based roles with paid compensation. l Partner with schools in retention and induction initiatives.

Rate your success……. 74% felt they did a poor-moderate job of recruiting and preparing diverse preservice teachers.

Impact of Teacher Diversity on Student Outcomes l General consensus: increased learning if there is teacher-student match l Few studies l Conflicting results

Benefits of Diverse Teachers on Student Learning: l Passive teacher effect l Role models l School / community liaison l Language proficiency l Knowledge of learning styles l Enhance education of all children