Educational Reforms in the US Since 1960s: Quality, Teachers, and Skills - Essay Sample

Introduction

Research indicates that over time, significant educational reforms have been witnessed across the United States since the 1960s. Those reforms have played a critical role in heightening the much-needed sense of awareness among various stakeholders attached to the education platform. In the modern-day world, people are keen on determining the quality of the curriculum, teachers, and skills dispensed to students (Marschark & Spencer, 2010). On the other hand, teachers' effectiveness is measured by the performance of their students rather than their classroom management strategies. Over time, there have been various legislations which have been introduced to streamline the education sector, especially for the students with disabilities such as those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Hence the emergence of educational placement reforms. Those placement reforms include separate schools, co-enrolment classes, separate classes, and resource rooms.

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Separate schools provide a learning environment that only suits the deaf students. In most cases, such schools have a maximum of two hundred students whereby after reaching high school, they reside at the school. The separate school emphasizes on the use of sign language as the core means of communication (Marschark & Spencer, 2010). Separate classes and resource rooms for the deaf students are found in public schools. Hence, such public school provides education to students that are deaf and those who are hearing. The core difference between separate classes and resource rooms is on the amount of time that students go to attend the general education classes.

A general education class is a term used to refer to classes attended by hearing students. Regular teachers manage them. In most cases, general education classes can have only a few deaf students, but they receive some special services. There is significant diversity in the kind of care given to the deaf student, but it is dependent on their needs. Co-enrollment classes adopt a policy of combining an equal number of both deaf and hearing students in one class (Scheetz, 2012). The curriculum of co-enrolment classes is designed in a way that students are exposed to sign language and the vernacular.

At first, people across the world have a common belief that deaf children had low intellectual ability. Hence, they never bothered to educate them. However, with the advancement in research, it was later found out that they were capable and of communicating and learning just like other people in society (Marschark & Spencer, 2010). It is of the essence to note that over the years, there has been a wide range of studies and debates undertaken to determine how to educate the deaf students. Those studies have led to the discovery of various pros and cons that are attached to each form of communication method. Hence, the emergence of the controversy on which is the best method to be used to educate and communicate the deaf students (Scheetz, 2012). Three core methods are globally known. They include total communication, manualism, and oralism. However, each of those methods has its pros and cons. Therefore, they should be sifted through to establish a plan that suits the students.

The oral method, which is referred to as oralism, uses voice training, lip reading, and spoken-language to educate deaf and hard-to-hearing students. The goal of the oral method is to aid the deaf student to overcome their situation and learn how to understand what they are being told orally (Scheetz, 2012). Training starts at an early age and works well with children that have moderate hearing loss. Hence, it helps the deaf student to avoid a situation where they rely on interpreters to communicate. However, the method does not favor the students that have a severe hearing loss.

The manual method, which is also referred to as manualism, is anchored on the use of hands and physical tactic of communicating. The fundamental purpose of manualism is providing deaf students with means of interacting with other members of the society without using any form of spoken language. The method is considered as the natural way which deaf people can use to learn how to communicate and express themselves (Scheetz, 2012). It is very the easiest way for children to interact and learn. However, the manual method has severe limitations because children that are taught using it have a hard time communicating with a hearing person. They always need an interpreter to facilitate the conversation between them and a hearing person. With that in mind, it is clear that manual method excludes hearing people from those that are deaf.

Total communication is a modern method for communicating and educating deaf people. Its core goal is the incorporate sign language, speech, and lip-reading and makes it one. Hence, facilitating deaf people to communicate in a diverse setting (Scheetz, 2012). Children that are exposed to such an advanced environment are presented with an opportunity to come up with their voice and also use more natural means of communicating. Research indicates that over time, the results of total communication methods have been amazing. That is because the technique works with all stakeholders in the education sector efficiently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mainstream and deaf residential schools have over time helped the deaf students to feel part of society. However, more research is needed to address various challenges that have been facing those students when exposed to mainstream and deaf residential schools. The research will lead to the emergence of better tactics, which will, in turn, be used to address those challenges (Wilson, 1997). An example of an excellent result of modern research is the emergence of the total communication method.

Reference

Marschark, M., & Spencer, P. E. (2010). The Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education (Vol. 2). Oxford University Press.

Scheetz, N. A. (2012). Deaf Education in the 21st Century: Topics and Trends. Allyn & Bacon.

Wilson, C. (1997). Perspectives in Education and Deafness (16th ed.).