Dear Colleagues,

The education of deaf students has a long and controversial history, with debates on effective teaching methods, language and communication approaches, and educational placements dating back to the early 18^th century. In the United States, Gallaudet College (now University) was established and authorized by Congress to confer college degrees in 1864. It could be argued that the debates on the best educational methods for deaf students intensified after the Milan Conference (1880), giving birth to what has been called the oral (spoken)-manual (sign) controversy. However, these debates have touched on other critical areas such as language teaching approaches, the teaching of literacy and mathematics, and the qualifications of effective teachers. Later in the 20^th century and continuing into the 21^st century, early intervention, advances in hearing technologies, and the increasing diversity among deaf students—particularly those with additional disabilities and for whom English is not their first or home language—attracted increased attention.

This Special Issue aims to explore the aforementioned topics in greater detail. The contributors were selected to consider issues in their areas of expertise and address the following questions about the education of deaf students: 1) Where are students educated? 2) Who is educating them? 3) How are they being educated? 4) What do we know about their achievement and how is it being measured? and 5) How are we educating the educators (i.e., teacher preparation, paraprofessionals). The focus is on the education of deaf students informed by perspectives and research from several disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, speech and hearing science, and—of course—education.

The Introduction provides information on the historical foundations and the changing demographics of deaf individuals. It is acknowledged that there are a variety of global contexts for the education of these individuals that have influenced the development of research and practice as well as the establishment of policies. These contexts have also had an undeniable impact on the availability of resources and the perspectives of the construct “deafness.” This introductory piece provides an examination of the emerging construct of “insider-outsider” views. That is, who are the insiders or outsiders when it comes to discussing and implementing the education of students?

The following three sections of the Special Issue cover broad domains identified by the co-editors (Mayer, Trezek, and Paul): Access, Education, and Student Populations. Contributors to the Access section will focus on topics such as hearing (e.g., cochlear implants) and access technologies (e.g., CART, captions)—much of which has been influenced by the advent of advanced high-tech mechanization. The controversial construct “communication modality” that lies at the heart of the “oral-manual debate” will also be examined. This will include a discussion of the merits of oral and sign systems as well as natural signed languages (e.g., American Sign Language, British Sign Language).

Contributors to the Education section will address early childhood education, particularly early intervention, which has become a major focus due to the wide-spread implementation of newborn hearing screening, early amplification, and the subsequent opportunities to develop age-appropriate language. This section will also discuss educational placement, exploring the shifts from special schools or congregated settings to mainstream or inclusive settings (i.e., in general education) that are a feature of the current context. The final topic in this section focuses broadly on curriculum and instruction and includes a discussion of evidence-based pedagogical practices for content areas such as language and literacy.

Three areas will be addressed in the final section, Student Populations. Since the mid-20^th century, there has been an increase in cohorts of deaf students with complex needs that affect learning (e.g., learning disabilities, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders). As a consequence of immigration, there has also been an increase in the number of students whose home language is not English. The final topic in this section will consider the thorny construct of student identities. What does it mean to be deaf? What are the perspectives associated with concepts such as deafness, Deaf Identity, Deaf Gain, hearing loss, hearing impairment, disability, among others?

In the Conclusion, the co-editors will attempt to summarize the main points and provide directions for further theorizing, research, and practice. Given the overarching focus on education in this Special Issue, implications for primary (student) and secondary consumers or stakeholders (e.g., parents, educators) will be discussed, including views on the future of teacher preparation.

It is important to highlight the co-editors’ perspectives on the tone for this Special Issue. Recognizing the passions associated with these topics, contributors will be guided to provide a balanced reason- and/or evidence-based treatment that describes the historical and current contexts and presents their views on emerging questions and issues in the most even-handed manner possible. This Special Issue should provide a synthesis of theoretical and reseach findings that complement the existing literature on the education of deaf students. In summation, the co-editors envision a robust, healthy, and engaging dialogue that encourages further reflection and proffers critical information for stakeholders in regard to improving the educational and social welfare of deaf students. 

Prof. Dr. Connie Mayer
Dr. Beverly J. Trezek 
Prof. Dr. Peter V. Paul 
Guest Editors

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• deaf
• hard of hearing
• deaf education
• hearing loss