Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 9.
This bill requires the Tennessee School for the Deaf, together with the West Tennessee School for the Deaf, to establish a two-year deaf-mentor pilot project consisting of three programs with one program to be located at each of the following locations: the West Tennessee School for the Deaf in Jackson; the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Knoxville campus; and the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Nashville campus. The pilot project must:<br /> <br /> (1) Focus on preventing language deprivation, providing a positive impact on a child's social and emotional development through a deaf role model, and ensuring that children who are deaf have equal access to learning opportunities at home and in the community;<br /> (2) Use a deaf mentor curriculum; and<br /> (3) Provide hearing parents of children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind with the option of using a deaf mentor to expose the parents' children to American Sign Language and deaf culture.<br /> <br /> The deaf mentors participating in the pilot project will be required to:<br /> <br /> (1) Make regular visits to the homes of young children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind;<br /> (2) Interact with the children using American Sign Language;<br /> (3) Demonstrate to family members how to use American Sign Language; and<br /> (4) Help families understand and appreciate deafness and deaf culture.<br /> <br /> The pilot project will begin with the 2019-2020 school year. At the end of the pilot project, this bill requires the department of education to evaluate the pilot project to determine whether the project and programs should be continued or replicated. The department must report its findings and conclusions to the education committee of the senate and the education administration and planning committee of the house of representatives by no later than February 1, 2022.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 30, 2019, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 567, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 reduces the pilot project from two years to one year, and from three programs to one program, which will be implemented at the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Knoxville campus.<br /> <br />
This bill requires the Tennessee School for the Deaf, together with the West Tennessee School for the Deaf, to establish a two-year deaf-mentor pilot project consisting of three programs with one program to be located at each of the following locations: the West Tennessee School for the Deaf in Jackson; the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Knoxville campus; and the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Nashville campus. The pilot project must:<br /> <br /> (1) Focus on preventing language deprivation, providing a positive impact on a child's social and emotional development through a deaf role model, and ensuring that children who are deaf have equal access to learning opportunities at home and in the community;<br /> (2) Use a deaf mentor curriculum; and<br /> (3) Provide hearing parents of children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind with the option of using a deaf mentor to expose the parents' children to American Sign Language and deaf culture.<br /> <br /> The deaf mentors participating in the pilot project will be required to:<br /> <br /> (1) Make regular visits to the homes of young children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind;<br /> (2) Interact with the children using American Sign Language;<br /> (3) Demonstrate to family members how to use American Sign Language; and<br /> (4) Help families understand and appreciate deafness and deaf culture.<br /> <br /> The pilot project will begin with the 2019-2020 school year. At the end of the pilot project, this bill requires the department of education to evaluate the pilot project to determine whether the project and programs should be continued or replicated. The department must report its findings and conclusions to the education committee of the senate and the education administration and planning committee of the house of representatives by no later than February 1, 2022.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 30, 2019, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 567, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 reduces the pilot project from two years to one year, and from three programs to one program, which will be implemented at the Tennessee School for the Deaf, Knoxville campus.<br /> <br />
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