FTCE Deaf or Hard of Hearing K–12: specialist foundations key terms

The subject knowledge or reasoning a lesson targets, distinguished from the language and participation demands through which students access it.

The allocation of gaze among a person signing, captions, displayed materials and written work, which instruction should sequence deliberately.

Knowledge acquired informally through surrounding interaction, requiring intentional accessible sharing when information would otherwise be missed.

Evidence-based descriptions of current academic and functional performance that connect individualized educational needs with appropriate goals and supports.

IEP analysis of language, direct communication, direct instruction and wider educational needs for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Legal protections supporting informed family participation and appropriate dispute processes, applied through the current relevant federal and state requirements.

A hearing difficulty involving sound transmission through the outer or middle ear, requiring appropriate specialist evaluation rather than classroom diagnosis.

Hearing loss involving the inner ear or auditory nerve, distinguished from an isolated transmission problem in the outer or middle ear.

The relationship between the desired sound signal and competing background sound, affecting classroom speech access alongside distance and acoustics.

The specific knowledge or ability a measure intends to evaluate, which should be distinguished from unrelated language and sensory barriers.

The interpretation of multiple sources of evidence together rather than allowing one score or observation to determine an educational conclusion.

Assessment that evaluates performance against specified learning targets or criteria rather than ranking the learner against a comparison population.

A determination under applicable education rules about disability and educational need, distinct from cultural identity or audiological description alone.

Coordinated work in which educators, specialists, families and students contribute expertise while retaining clear responsibilities and appropriate boundaries.

A historical educational emphasis on speech and spoken-language methods, understood within broader debates over accessible language and instruction.

A visual-manual system representing English features, which should not be confused with the independent grammar of American Sign Language.

A system combining visible hand cues near the face with mouth movements to help distinguish sounds of a spoken language.

A broad philosophy of using appropriate communication resources for the learner, not a guarantee that simultaneous speech and signing are fully accessible.

Facial, head and body features that may contribute grammatical or discourse information in signed language, beyond merely expressing emotion.

The use of manual alphabet forms within signed communication, including names and some unfamiliar terms, rather than a substitute for an entire language.

Cultural and linguistic community experience associated with Deaf identity, recognizing diverse individual affiliations, histories and language preferences.

An instructional technique linking a sign, a fingerspelled form and a printed word to strengthen meaningful connections across representations.

Literacy instruction connecting the learner's accessible account of a shared experience with a written text for discussion and reading.

The ability to reflect on how language works, including comparing ASL and English structures without treating one as a defective version of the other.