Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Signs of improvement at School for the Deaf, Riverside | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
New courses and tutoring sessions aren't the only steps the School for the Deaf, Riverside, has taken over the last two years to bring up student achievement.
Even making sure to use sign language in every conversation is a way to help students learn, according to Superintendent Mal Grossinger.
Efforts to improve student performance at the school may not show results for years. Many students arrive at the school after years in traditional public schools, often lagging far behind.
Deaf students do not pick up vocabulary at home in the same way as other students, who learn new words simply by hearing their parents talk, Grossinger said. Many do not begin learning English until they enter school, he said.
"The biggest challenge for our deaf students is that they don't have the language from home," Grossinger, who is deaf, said through a sign language interpreter.
That's one reason why Grossinger insists that staff members use sign language at all times, even during casual conversations among hearing people. The rule was in place before Grossinger arrived but wasn't always followed.
Students can then follow these conversations and develop language and social skills, he said. Many staff members who did not know sign language, including clerical and accounting staff members, are taking classes to learn it.
The school has taken other steps to bring up achievement and improve the atmosphere since Grossinger arrived in 2006 as interim superintendent to replace Harold Kund, who retired. Grossinger, 51, who lives in Riverside, became the permanent superintendent last year.
One of two state schools for the deaf in California, the school serves more than 450 students in preschool through 12th grade. Grossinger was a principal at the state's other school for the deaf, in Fremont, before coming to Riverside, and he has worked in deaf education for 25 years.
He said students who attend the School for the Deaf starting in preschool have a leg up on other students, many of whom wait until high school to enroll.
Few students at the school score proficient on state tests in English and math. This year the school's Academic Performance Index, which combines scores on state tests, was 408. The state target is 800 on a scale of 200 to 1,000.
One of the biggest challenges now facing the school is the requirement that all students pass the state's exit exam to earn a high school diploma.
The exam became a graduation requirement in 2006, but special education students could earn a diploma without passing it until last year's graduating class.
Students with disabilities can have accommodations on the test, such as an interpreter to sign an unfamiliar written word or phrase, but many students still struggle. Among students at the Riverside school who took it for the first time last year as 10th graders, only 6 percent passed the English portion and 16 percent passed math.
Earlier this week, teacher Sharon Vollmar went over idioms she referred to as "crazy English" in a class for seniors who have met all their graduation requirements aside from the exam. An example was "out of earshot."
"They use their eyes to listen and hear. To a deaf person, 'out of earshot' would be around the corner, behind a building where we can't see them," said Laurie Pietro, a spokeswoman for the school.
Later in the day, teacher John Vollrath had seven students come up with their own similes while four others worked on a computer program to build their reading and writing skills.
All of the students took the exam again last week, but won't get their results for several more weeks. Some said they are confident that if they didn't pass already, they will soon.
Josue Andrade said he began learning much more when he came to the school three years ago after attending regular public school in Los Angeles. Andrade, 19, said he used to be distracted easily, and sometimes interpreters were missing from his classes.
Now, he hopes to go to college to become an engineer, counselor or teacher.
"I wish I had come here earlier. I wish I had started in elementary," Andrade said through an interpreter. "My last three years have been awesome."
While preparing students for the exit exam, the school also has started honors classes and is preparing to offer advanced-placement courses.
Grossinger said he has gotten support from officials at the California Department of Education as he works to improve the school. One factor he can't control is salaries at the school, which are set by the state.
Teachers at the school and at schools for the blind and deaf in Fremont held a protest last month over their pay, which is lower than what teachers in nearby school districts earn.
Still, Vollrath said things at the school have gotten much better since Grossinger took over. Before that, the school was losing enrollment and some employees complained of intimidation and poor communication.
"If the politics of the time tend to be negative, you're going to have negativity on campus," said Vollrath, who has taught at the school for 28 years. "Right now it's very positive."
New courses and tutoring sessions aren't the only steps the School for the Deaf, Riverside, has taken over the last two years to bring up student achievement.
Even making sure to use sign language in every conversation is a way to help students learn, according to Superintendent Mal Grossinger.
Efforts to improve student performance at the school may not show results for years. Many students arrive at the school after years in traditional public schools, often lagging far behind.
Deaf students do not pick up vocabulary at home in the same way as other students, who learn new words simply by hearing their parents talk, Grossinger said. Many do not begin learning English until they enter school, he said.
"The biggest challenge for our deaf students is that they don't have the language from home," Grossinger, who is deaf, said through a sign language interpreter.
That's one reason why Grossinger insists that staff members use sign language at all times, even during casual conversations among hearing people. The rule was in place before Grossinger arrived but wasn't always followed.
Students can then follow these conversations and develop language and social skills, he said. Many staff members who did not know sign language, including clerical and accounting staff members, are taking classes to learn it.
The school has taken other steps to bring up achievement and improve the atmosphere since Grossinger arrived in 2006 as interim superintendent to replace Harold Kund, who retired. Grossinger, 51, who lives in Riverside, became the permanent superintendent last year.
One of two state schools for the deaf in California, the school serves more than 450 students in preschool through 12th grade. Grossinger was a principal at the state's other school for the deaf, in Fremont, before coming to Riverside, and he has worked in deaf education for 25 years.
He said students who attend the School for the Deaf starting in preschool have a leg up on other students, many of whom wait until high school to enroll.
Few students at the school score proficient on state tests in English and math. This year the school's Academic Performance Index, which combines scores on state tests, was 408. The state target is 800 on a scale of 200 to 1,000.
One of the biggest challenges now facing the school is the requirement that all students pass the state's exit exam to earn a high school diploma.
The exam became a graduation requirement in 2006, but special education students could earn a diploma without passing it until last year's graduating class.
Students with disabilities can have accommodations on the test, such as an interpreter to sign an unfamiliar written word or phrase, but many students still struggle. Among students at the Riverside school who took it for the first time last year as 10th graders, only 6 percent passed the English portion and 16 percent passed math.
Earlier this week, teacher Sharon Vollmar went over idioms she referred to as "crazy English" in a class for seniors who have met all their graduation requirements aside from the exam. An example was "out of earshot."
"They use their eyes to listen and hear. To a deaf person, 'out of earshot' would be around the corner, behind a building where we can't see them," said Laurie Pietro, a spokeswoman for the school.
Later in the day, teacher John Vollrath had seven students come up with their own similes while four others worked on a computer program to build their reading and writing skills.
All of the students took the exam again last week, but won't get their results for several more weeks. Some said they are confident that if they didn't pass already, they will soon.
Josue Andrade said he began learning much more when he came to the school three years ago after attending regular public school in Los Angeles. Andrade, 19, said he used to be distracted easily, and sometimes interpreters were missing from his classes.
Now, he hopes to go to college to become an engineer, counselor or teacher.
"I wish I had come here earlier. I wish I had started in elementary," Andrade said through an interpreter. "My last three years have been awesome."
While preparing students for the exit exam, the school also has started honors classes and is preparing to offer advanced-placement courses.
Grossinger said he has gotten support from officials at the California Department of Education as he works to improve the school. One factor he can't control is salaries at the school, which are set by the state.
Teachers at the school and at schools for the blind and deaf in Fremont held a protest last month over their pay, which is lower than what teachers in nearby school districts earn.
Still, Vollrath said things at the school have gotten much better since Grossinger took over. Before that, the school was losing enrollment and some employees complained of intimidation and poor communication.
"If the politics of the time tend to be negative, you're going to have negativity on campus," said Vollrath, who has taught at the school for 28 years. "Right now it's very positive."