Students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind have functional educational needs unique to their disability. The Eligibility Criteria Guide includes a section on Expanded Core Curriculum for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (pages 25-27). This “Expanded Core Curriculum” document is intended to provide the reader with an understanding of the unique needs of students who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind in order to successfully develop the skills identified in the Wisconsin Academic Standards.
The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) targets areas of functional skill development for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind so that they may access the General Education curriculum and achieve the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, as well as identified areas of need included within the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In addition, this document can be used to highlight areas of knowledge and expertise that a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing can bring to the IEP team.
Process of Development in Wisconsin
The ECC for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind in Wisconsin was the result of collaborative efforts of a group of CESA staff, input from many teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing within the state, and members of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach staff. Documents referenced as resources are listed below: