Issues and Trends in American Annals of the Deaf Publications 2001 to 2007

Abstract

In 2001 the American Annals of the Deaf published reviews of all literacy-related articles (Moores and Miller, 2001) and all other instruction-related articles (Moores, Jatho, & Creech, 2001) covering 1996 to 2000 inclusively. Twenty articles dealing with literacy were identified. A major trend was a move away from what had been the dominant Whole Language approach to a more eclectic analytic orientation, with added emphasis on drill and practice, written repetition, instruction on phonological bases of language, use of bridge lists, and reliance on both American Sign Language (ASL) and English-based signing. Problems with the processing and production of English syntax remained regardless of curriculum, mode of instruction, and language used in the classroom. Despite the existence of excellent research on captioning, it was problematic for many deaf readers to take advantage of developments if basic barriers to literacy remain. Forty-six articles addressing instruction in non-literacy areas were identified and classified as follows: 1. Teacher/Professional Preparation 2. Teacher Characteristics 3. Modes of Instruction/Communication 4. Content/Curriculum 5. Placement 6. Student Characteristics A major concern was an almost complete lack of attention to content areas. Only three articles over the 5-year period addressed mathematics and there were none for science or social studies instruction. First-year teachers appeared to be satisfied with their training, although there was concern that the field is not preparing professionals to work in itinerant placements. A scarcity of highly trained personnel for faculty and administrative positions was noted, with implications for future programs. Given the numbers of deaf students with overlays of mild, moderate, and severe disabilities, there was inadequate attention devoted to the needs of these children. There was a similar lack of information on addressing the special needs of children identified as having minority identification. As a result of the reviews it was decided that die Annals should make an effort to encourage submission of manuscripts in several areas. First would be a push to have an increase in the number of submissions related to academic content, a difficult undertaking given the centuries-old concentration on reading. This, of course has taken on added importance due to the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation subsequent to the publication of die reviews mandating access to and success in the general curriculum. Odier critical areas involve the impact of major changes in student characteristics, academic placement, die rapid spread of surgical techniques such as cochlear implants, and the growing diversity of the deaf population. The response to the two articles covering the period from 1996 to 2000 was positive. They provided readers basic information about articles aggregated by category over a 5-year period. Readers could then go on to read appropriate articles for detail. The two reviews included somewhat more than one-half of all of the articles published in the Annals from 1996 to 2000. For this article, covering the seven years from 2001 to 2007, we decided to include all 183 articles in order to present a more complete picture of the journal's publications. Aware that some articles would fit within two or more categories, we nevertheless assigned each article to one of the following descriptors: 1. Instruction 2. Teacher/Professional Characteristics 3. Teacher preparation 4. Social/Social-Emotional 5. Health and Medical 6. Vocational 7. Cultural More than 100 articles fell within the Instruction category, with approximately one-third concerned with literacy. We subdivided Instruction as follows 1. Literacy 2. Communication, Academic Piacement, and Technology 3. Academic Content and Related Academic Content 4. …