Stephanie Cawthon
Biographic Data
| ID | 6511413 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Stephanie Cawthon |
| GIVEN NAMES | Stephanie |
| FAMILY NAME | Cawthon |
| SIGNATURE | CAWTHON S |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at Austin |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5533-3820 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 59 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 26 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Mentoring Graduate Students with Disabilities
Graduate education is important for career and social mobility, but it is inaccessible to many students with disabilities. Prior research describes structural and societal barriers—including but not limited to ableism and discrimination—and their impact on graduate students with disabilities. This review discusses challenges unique to graduate education such as faculty-student power differentials, unwillingness to disclose disability for fear of …
Longitudinal Models of Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students often experience systemic barriers to academic success, especially low expectations of what they know and can do. Longitudinal data analysis is critical to understanding how academic achievement for DHH students progresses over time and where they may need additional support on their academic journey to achieve at the level of their hearing peers. This study provides an analysis of NWEA MAP® GrowthTM data f…
Bulletin
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide an overview and insights gained from the development of the new Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People (Deaf Professionals Network, 2022) [https://www.csavr.org/deafmsp]. Vocational Rehabilitation, as a field, seeks to support disabled people as they train for and enter the workforce. There are many barriers to equitable access to workforce readiness and career success fo…
The Self-Determination Inventory
Research literature and community narratives both emphasize the importance of self-determination in the lives of deaf youth. This paper describes the development, initial validation, and potential applications of a translated measure of self-determination for deaf youth, the SDI:SR ASL Translation (SDI:SR ASL). A sample of 3,309 young people who completed the SDI:SR, of whom 392 were deaf, was used in this validation study. Results provide prelim…
Evidence-Based Practices in Deaf Education
The evidence base for educational interventions for deaf students has been, and continues to be, called into question due to a lack of “gold standard” research available to support it. Yet the paucity of research in deaf education is not only in the volume of research that meets rigorous standards but also in its lack of attention to and inclusion of a deaf-centered perspective on the inferences made about the strength of study findings in the fi…
Trauma and Resilience Among Deaf Individuals
Resilience in the face of trauma is an important yet elusive construct in human development. While there are prevalent data suggesting high rates of trauma among deaf individuals, valuable insight on how resilience evolves among deaf individuals within the context of trauma has yet to be explored sufficiently. This study explored the concept of resilience through semi-structured interviews with a total of 19 experienced mental health providers. U…
Research in Deaf Education
This edited volume, Research in Deaf Education: Contexts, Challenges, and Considerations, provides readers with critical foundational information with which to view contemporary research in deaf education. Deaf education as a field is experiencing a high degree of turnover in its researchers, as well as major shifts in how deaf individuals access information and engage with society as a whole. To conduct research in deaf education includes a need…
Making the Case for Case Studies in Deaf Education Research
When done well, case studies can provide rigorous and powerful evidence. This chapter provides a definition of case studies and outlines the process of conducting case study research in five stages: (1) determining the research questions, (2) designing the study (case selection and preparation), (3) collecting the data, (4) analyzing the data, and (5) reporting on the findings. In addition, the ways that case studies are uniquely suited to addres…
Development of American Sign Language Guidelines for K-12 Academic Assessments
The U.S. federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was enacted with goals of closing achievement gaps and providing all students with access to equitable and high-quality instruction. One requirement of ESSA is annual statewide testing of students in grades 3-8 and once in high school. Some students, including many deaf or hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students, are eligible to use test supports, in the form of accommodations and accessibility tools, du…
Social Skills as a Predictor of Postsecondary Outcomes for Individuals Who Are Deaf
Social skills function as a vehicle by which we negotiate important relationships and navigate the transition from childhood into the educational and professional experiences of early adulthood. Yet, for individuals who are deaf, access to these opportunities may vary depending on their preferred language modality, family language use, and educational contexts. Drawing upon available data in the National Longitudinal Transition Survey 2 (NLTS2) a…
Alignment of Single-Case Design (SCD) Research With Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing With the What Works Clearinghouse Standards for SCD Research
The authors assessed the quality of single-case design (SCD) studies that assess the impact of interventions on outcomes for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). More specifically, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for SCD research were used to assess design quality and the strength of evidence of peer-reviewed studies available in the peer-reviewed, published literature. The analysis yielded four studies that met the WWC…
Including Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students With Co-occurring Disabilities in the Accommodations Discussion
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) are a low-incidence group of students; however, SDHH also have a high incidence of additional disabilities (SDHH+). Many SDHH and SDHH+ require accommodations for equal access to classroom instruction and assessment, particularly in mainstreamed educational settings where spoken English is the primary language. Accommodations for SDHH, overall, have increased under federal legislation including the …
Assessing English Literacy as a Predictor of Postschool Outcomes in the Lives of Deaf Individuals
Lower English literacy achievement of deaf students is often hypothesized to be an impediment for successful adult life experiences. Yet, literacy practices that individuals engage in throughout their daily lives are much more complex than what school-based measures of English can capture and particularly so for deaf individuals. A national large-scale data set with a sample of over 1,000 deaf youths was used to assess what, precisely, standardiz…
Assessing Impact, DIF, and DFF in Accommodated Item Scores
This pedagogical article is intended to explain the similarities and differences between the parameterizations of two multilevel measurement model (MMM) frameworks. The conventional two-level MMM that includes item indicators and models item scores (Level 1) clustered within examinees (Level 2) and the two-level cross-classified MMM (in which item scores are cross-classified by two Level 2 classifications including item and examinee) are discusse…
A National Perspective on Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs in Deaf Education
Teachers' sense of efficacy, or the belief that teachers have of their capacity to make an impact on students' performance, is an unexplored construct in deaf education research. This study included data from 296 respondents to examine the relationship of teacher and school characteristics with teachers' sense of efficacy in 80 different deaf education settings in the US. Deaf education teachers reported high overall efficacy beliefs but signific…
Elementary and secondary teacher self-efficacy for teaching and pedagogical conceptual change in a drama-based professional development program
Drama for Schools
Applied theatre often draws upon critical pedagogy and constructivist methodology as a way to bring participants into direct engagement with their own learning experiences. As learners, adults bring a wealth of perspectives that further affect how they interact with an applied theatre experience. Drama for Schools (DFS) is a professional development programme that partners graduate students and academics with teachers in elementary and secondary …
The Effects of American Sign Language as an Assessment Accommodation for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) often need accommodations to participate in large-scale standardized assessments. One way to bridge the gap between the language of the test (English) and a student's linguistic background (often including American Sign Language [ASL]) is to present test items in ASL. The specific aim of this project was to measure the effects of an ASL accommodation on standardized test scores for SDHH in reading a…
The "Wh" Questions of Visual Phonics
Visual Phonics is a reading instructional tool that has been implemented in isolated classrooms for over 20 years. In the past 5 years, several experimental studies demonstrated its efficacy with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through a national survey with 200 participants, this study specifically addresses who, where, how, and why a sample of teachers use Visual Phonics in their everyday reading instruction. Through checklists of tea…
The Truth is Out There
Science and Evidence of Success
In the United States, students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) are required to participate in high-stakes standardized assessments under No Child Left Behind reforms. In 2006-2007, states added science to reading and mathematics as a tested content area. Many SDHH participate in these assessments using testing accommodations, but teachers have few evidence-based resources to draw upon when making accommodations decisions. Two research ques…
The Implicit Nature of Access for Deaf Persons
Alternate Assessment Use With Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
The purpose of this paper is to present findings on alternate assessments for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). Drawn from the results of the "Second National Survey of Assessments and Accommodations for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing," this study investigated three alternate assessment formats: portfolio, checklists, and out-of-level testing. Analysis includes descriptive data of alternate assessment use across all three…
Accommodations Use for Statewide Standardized Assessments
The Second Annual National Survey on Assessments and Accommodations for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing investigated the types of testing accommodations used on 2004-2005 statewide standardized assessments as well as recommendations for best practices. A total of 444 participants who served over 9,000 students as teachers, administrators, or other educational professionals responded to the survey. The most widely used accommodations were…
Hidden Benefits and Unintended Consequences of No Child Left Behind Policies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of thi…
Making the Case for Case Studies in Deaf Education Research
When done well, case studies can provide rigorous and powerful evidence. This chapter provides a definition of case studies and outlines the process of conducting case study research in five stages: (1) determining the research questions, (2) designing the study (case selection and preparation), (3) collecting the data, (4) analyzing the data, and (5) reporting on the findings. In addition, the ways that case studies are uniquely suited to addres…
Elementary and secondary teacher self-efficacy for teaching and pedagogical conceptual change in a drama-based professional development program
Hidden Benefits and Unintended Consequences of No Child Left Behind Policies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of thi…
Teaching Strategies in Inclusive Classrooms With Deaf Students
The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher speech and educational philosophies in inclusive classrooms with deaf and hearing students. Data were collected from language transcripts, classroom observations, and teacher interviews. Total speech output, Mean Length Utterance, proportion of questions to statements, and proportion of open to closed questions were calculated for each teacher. Teachers directed fewer utterances, on average, to…
National Survey of Accommodations and Alternate Assessments for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in the United States
This paper reports the results of the National Survey of Accommodations and Alternate Assessments for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in the United States (National Survey). This study focused on the use of accommodations and alternate assessments in statewide assessments used with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. A total of 258 participants responded to the survey, including 32 representing schools for the deaf, 168 from distri…
Accommodations Use for Statewide Standardized Assessments
The Second Annual National Survey on Assessments and Accommodations for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing investigated the types of testing accommodations used on 2004-2005 statewide standardized assessments as well as recommendations for best practices. A total of 444 participants who served over 9,000 students as teachers, administrators, or other educational professionals responded to the survey. The most widely used accommodations were…
Hidden Benefits and Unintended Consequences of No Child Left Behind Policies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of thi…
Alternate Assessment Use With Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
The purpose of this paper is to present findings on alternate assessments for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). Drawn from the results of the "Second National Survey of Assessments and Accommodations for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing," this study investigated three alternate assessment formats: portfolio, checklists, and out-of-level testing. Analysis includes descriptive data of alternate assessment use across all three…
Science and Evidence of Success
In the United States, students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) are required to participate in high-stakes standardized assessments under No Child Left Behind reforms. In 2006-2007, states added science to reading and mathematics as a tested content area. Many SDHH participate in these assessments using testing accommodations, but teachers have few evidence-based resources to draw upon when making accommodations decisions. Two research ques…
The Implicit Nature of Access for Deaf Persons
Drama for Schools
Applied theatre often draws upon critical pedagogy and constructivist methodology as a way to bring participants into direct engagement with their own learning experiences. As learners, adults bring a wealth of perspectives that further affect how they interact with an applied theatre experience. Drama for Schools (DFS) is a professional development programme that partners graduate students and academics with teachers in elementary and secondary …
The Effects of American Sign Language as an Assessment Accommodation for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) often need accommodations to participate in large-scale standardized assessments. One way to bridge the gap between the language of the test (English) and a student's linguistic background (often including American Sign Language [ASL]) is to present test items in ASL. The specific aim of this project was to measure the effects of an ASL accommodation on standardized test scores for SDHH in reading a…
The "Wh" Questions of Visual Phonics
Visual Phonics is a reading instructional tool that has been implemented in isolated classrooms for over 20 years. In the past 5 years, several experimental studies demonstrated its efficacy with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through a national survey with 200 participants, this study specifically addresses who, where, how, and why a sample of teachers use Visual Phonics in their everyday reading instruction. Through checklists of tea…
The Truth is Out There
Assessing Impact, DIF, and DFF in Accommodated Item Scores
This pedagogical article is intended to explain the similarities and differences between the parameterizations of two multilevel measurement model (MMM) frameworks. The conventional two-level MMM that includes item indicators and models item scores (Level 1) clustered within examinees (Level 2) and the two-level cross-classified MMM (in which item scores are cross-classified by two Level 2 classifications including item and examinee) are discusse…
A National Perspective on Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs in Deaf Education
Teachers' sense of efficacy, or the belief that teachers have of their capacity to make an impact on students' performance, is an unexplored construct in deaf education research. This study included data from 296 respondents to examine the relationship of teacher and school characteristics with teachers' sense of efficacy in 80 different deaf education settings in the US. Deaf education teachers reported high overall efficacy beliefs but signific…
Elementary and secondary teacher self-efficacy for teaching and pedagogical conceptual change in a drama-based professional development program
Including Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students With Co-occurring Disabilities in the Accommodations Discussion
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) are a low-incidence group of students; however, SDHH also have a high incidence of additional disabilities (SDHH+). Many SDHH and SDHH+ require accommodations for equal access to classroom instruction and assessment, particularly in mainstreamed educational settings where spoken English is the primary language. Accommodations for SDHH, overall, have increased under federal legislation including the …
Assessing English Literacy as a Predictor of Postschool Outcomes in the Lives of Deaf Individuals
Lower English literacy achievement of deaf students is often hypothesized to be an impediment for successful adult life experiences. Yet, literacy practices that individuals engage in throughout their daily lives are much more complex than what school-based measures of English can capture and particularly so for deaf individuals. A national large-scale data set with a sample of over 1,000 deaf youths was used to assess what, precisely, standardiz…
Social Skills as a Predictor of Postsecondary Outcomes for Individuals Who Are Deaf
Social skills function as a vehicle by which we negotiate important relationships and navigate the transition from childhood into the educational and professional experiences of early adulthood. Yet, for individuals who are deaf, access to these opportunities may vary depending on their preferred language modality, family language use, and educational contexts. Drawing upon available data in the National Longitudinal Transition Survey 2 (NLTS2) a…
Alignment of Single-Case Design (SCD) Research With Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing With the What Works Clearinghouse Standards for SCD Research
The authors assessed the quality of single-case design (SCD) studies that assess the impact of interventions on outcomes for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). More specifically, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for SCD research were used to assess design quality and the strength of evidence of peer-reviewed studies available in the peer-reviewed, published literature. The analysis yielded four studies that met the WWC…
Development of American Sign Language Guidelines for K-12 Academic Assessments
The U.S. federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was enacted with goals of closing achievement gaps and providing all students with access to equitable and high-quality instruction. One requirement of ESSA is annual statewide testing of students in grades 3-8 and once in high school. Some students, including many deaf or hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students, are eligible to use test supports, in the form of accommodations and accessibility tools, du…
Research in Deaf Education
This edited volume, Research in Deaf Education: Contexts, Challenges, and Considerations, provides readers with critical foundational information with which to view contemporary research in deaf education. Deaf education as a field is experiencing a high degree of turnover in its researchers, as well as major shifts in how deaf individuals access information and engage with society as a whole. To conduct research in deaf education includes a need…
Making the Case for Case Studies in Deaf Education Research
When done well, case studies can provide rigorous and powerful evidence. This chapter provides a definition of case studies and outlines the process of conducting case study research in five stages: (1) determining the research questions, (2) designing the study (case selection and preparation), (3) collecting the data, (4) analyzing the data, and (5) reporting on the findings. In addition, the ways that case studies are uniquely suited to addres…
Trauma and Resilience Among Deaf Individuals
Resilience in the face of trauma is an important yet elusive construct in human development. While there are prevalent data suggesting high rates of trauma among deaf individuals, valuable insight on how resilience evolves among deaf individuals within the context of trauma has yet to be explored sufficiently. This study explored the concept of resilience through semi-structured interviews with a total of 19 experienced mental health providers. U…
Evidence-Based Practices in Deaf Education
The evidence base for educational interventions for deaf students has been, and continues to be, called into question due to a lack of “gold standard” research available to support it. Yet the paucity of research in deaf education is not only in the volume of research that meets rigorous standards but also in its lack of attention to and inclusion of a deaf-centered perspective on the inferences made about the strength of study findings in the fi…
Longitudinal Models of Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students often experience systemic barriers to academic success, especially low expectations of what they know and can do. Longitudinal data analysis is critical to understanding how academic achievement for DHH students progresses over time and where they may need additional support on their academic journey to achieve at the level of their hearing peers. This study provides an analysis of NWEA MAP® GrowthTM data f…
Bulletin
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide an overview and insights gained from the development of the new Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People (Deaf Professionals Network, 2022) [https://www.csavr.org/deafmsp]. Vocational Rehabilitation, as a field, seeks to support disabled people as they train for and enter the workforce. There are many barriers to equitable access to workforce readiness and career success fo…
Psychology (26 works) · Hearing Impairment and Communication (21 works) · Mathematics education (13 works) · Pedagogy (13 works) · Disability Education and Employment (11 works) · Linguistics (11 works) · Developmental psychology (10 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport (8 works) · Medical education (8 works)