Updates and current trends in deaf education teacher preparation programs: an update to Dolman (2010)

Deaf education teacher preparation programs (TPP) are essential for ensuring that teachers entering the classroom are equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills for providing effective education to deaf and hard of hearing learners. However, research over a decade old already suggested that enrollment, graduation rates, and even numbers of programs has been on the decline even while demand for deaf education teachers remains steady. The purpose of this article was to update our current knowledge in the field of deaf education TPP, including the number of programs still operating, their student enrollment and demographics, their instructor employment, demographics, and areas of expertise. We found that despite a deep need for trained teachers, programs have continued to close since the most recent survey (completed in 2010). We also note a significant demographic mismatch between current faculty leading preparation programs, the pre-service teachers enrolled in these programs, and deaf and hard of hearing students enrolled in PK-12 schooling. These findings indicate the need to push for programs to operate despite relatively small numbers, as well as the need to purposefully recruit diverse faculty and future teachers working in deaf education classrooms.