EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy for Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
In the fall of 2010, a group of stakeholders established the Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy to advance the literacy proficiency of Georgia’s children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). This innovative project has undertaken the development of an on-line community of practice to support the achievement of grade-level reading proficiency by the end of third grade for all Georgia students with hearing loss, regardless of their communication modality. The commitment to achieving such outcomes for children with hearing loss supports the vision statement of the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, i.e., "By 2020, Georgia will be a national leader ensuring that every child is ready to succeed in kindergarten and on a path to read to learn by third grade." The implementation of a Community of Practice includes a professional network, a knowledge cener and systematic mentoring to support professionals’ knowledge, and skill building for language and literacy development of D/HH students:
The project will be discussed by Brenda Fitzgerald, Kenney Moore, and Comer Yates. As Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Dr. Fitzgerald is on a mission to close the “30 million word gap.” A study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley found that some children heard thirty million fewer words by their 4th birthdays than others, leading to demonstrated lower achievement. Fitzgerald has helped mobilize resources to address the gap as a way to help improve the early education problem in Georgia today. In addition to the Department of Public Health, Georgia Tech, and Emory University’s Marcus Autism Center as well as its School of Nursing are all on board. The United Way of Greater Atlanta has pledged $500,000 a year for three years to the program. The simple practice of providing a rich language environment to babies and toddlers provides nourishment for their brains, setting them up for better performance in school, and even a higher IQ. An example of her speaking on this topic can be found at http://tedxatlanta.com/videos/05062014-betterness/brenda-fitzgerald.
- Explain the importance of 3rd grade reading as an outcome measure for children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH).
- Explain how DHH outcomes act as a litmus test (or the canary in the coal mine) for a state's general child/student population.
- Describe language nutrition, its importance to brain development, and the projects Georgia has undertaken to ensure all children receive the language nutrition they need.
Presenter: Brenda Fitzgerald
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., serves as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and State Health Officer. Dr. Fitzgerald, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and a Fellow in Anti-Aging Medicine, has practiced medicine for three decades. As Commissioner, Dr. Fitzgerald oversees various state public health programs including Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Infectious Disease and Immunization, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Emergency Medical Services, Pharmacy, Nursing, Volunteer Health Care, the Office of Health Equity, Vital Records and the State Public Health Laboratory. Fitzgerald served on the board and as president of the Georgia OB-GYN Society and she worked as a health care policy advisor with House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Paul Coverdell. She has served as Chairman of the Board for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and remains a Senior Fellow. Additionally, she served on the Military Academy Selection Boards for Senators Paul Coverdell and Saxby Chambliss, and was a founding board member for the Paul Coverdell Leadership Institute. Dr. Fitzgerald holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School of Medicine. She completed post-graduate training at the Emory-Grady Hospitals in Atlanta and held an assistant clinical professorship at Emory Medical Center. As a Major in the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Fitzgerald served at the Wurtsmith Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) Base in Michigan and at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Dr. Kenney Moore is the Director for the Division of State Schools at the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). At the GaDOE, he provides state level supervision of the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD), the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB), the Georgia School for the Deaf (GSD), and the Georgia Parent Infant Network for Educational Services (GaPINES). Prior to his current role, Dr. Moore served as a school level leader at the AASD, GAB, and GSD. He has been a policy analyst, program specialist, and research and evaluation specialist at the GaDOE. Before joining the GaDOE in 2001, Dr. Moore was a middle school teacher in Georgia and Florida. He is the co-chair of the Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy Coalition. Dr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida in Language Arts/Social Studies, a master’s degree from the University of West Florida in Educational Leadership, and PhD in Policy Studies and Educational Leadership from Georgia State University.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -