Preparation Manual

Section 3: Overview and Exam Framework
Deafblind EC–12 (185)

Exam Overview

Table outlining the test format, number of questions, and time.

Exam Name	Deafblind EC–12
Exam Code	185
Time	5 hours
Number of Questions	90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question
Format	Computer-administered test (CAT)

The TExES Deafblind EC–12 (185) exam is designed to assess whether an examinee has the requisite knowledge and skills that an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools must possess. The 90 selected-response questions and the 1 constructed-response question are based on the Deafblind EC–12 exam framework. Questions on this exam range from grades EC–12. Your final scaled score will be based only on scored questions.

The Standards

§235.1. General Requirements.

1. The knowledge and skills identified in this section must be used by an educator preparation program in the development of the curricula and coursework as prescribed in §228.30 of this title (relating to Educator Preparation Curriculum) and serve as the basis for developing the examinations as prescribed in §230.35 of this title (relating to Development, Approval, Implementation, and Evaluation of Teacher Certification Standards).
2. Unless provided otherwise in this title, the content area and grade level of a certificate category as well as the standards underlying the certification examination for each shall include the following:
1. the relevant Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education, as prescribed in §74.1 of Part II of this title (relating to Essential Knowledge and Skills);
2. the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) adopted by the State Board of Education, as prescribed in §74.4 of Part II of this title (relating to English Language Proficiency Standards);
3. the relevant knowledge and application of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote students' development of grade-level skills; and
4. the relevant grade-banded Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Standards, specifically including how to effectively address the needs of all student populations.
3. A person must satisfy all applicable requirements and conditions under this title and other law to be issued a certificate in a category. A person seeking an initial standard certification must pass the appropriate examination(s) as prescribed in §230.21 of this title (relating to Educator Assessment).

Statutory Authority: The provisions of this §235.1 issued under Texas Education Code, §§21.003(a); 21.031; 21.041(a) and (b)(1), (2), and (4).
Source: The provisions of this §235.1 adopted to be effective March 8, 2018, 43 TexReg 1267; amended to be effective March 6, 2019, 44 TexReg 1125.

In addition to the General Requirements stated above, prospective educators of students who are Deafblind are held accountable for the understanding and demonstration of knowledge and skills documented within §235.135. Deafblind Standards: Early Childhood–Grade 12 in the Special Education Certificate Standards.

Domains and Competencies

The content covered by this exam is organized into broad areas of content called domains. Each domain covers one or more of the educator standards for this field. Within each domain, the content is further defined by a set of competencies. Each competency is composed of two major parts:

• The competency statement, which broadly defines what an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools should know and be able to do.
• The descriptive statements, which describe in greater detail the knowledge and skills eligible for testing.

Domain I—Knowledge of Learners and the Visual, Auditory, Tactile, and Sensory Systems

Competency 001—(Foundations): Apply knowledge of key philosophical, historical, and legal foundations in the education of learners who are deafblind.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key deafblind etiologies and terminology of congenital or adventitious conditions.
2. Apply knowledge of key theories and philosophies for providing instruction and access for learners who are deafblind (e.g., Jan van Dijk, Lilli Nielson, Barbara Miles, the child-guided approach for evaluation).
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the range of vision and hearing of learners who are deafblind and the diversity within the culture of learners who are deafblind.
4. Apply knowledge of key research and practices to promote learning, engagement, communication, access, and inclusion for learners who are deafblind.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the clinical, functional, and legal definitions for eligibility and services for learners who are deafblind/blind/visually impaired/D/deaf/hard of hearing.

Competency 002—(Learners' Strengths and Needs): Apply knowledge of the complex and unique effects of combined vision and hearing impairment as well as the strengths of the tactile sense of learners who are deafblind.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of typical child development stages and progressions within all developmental domains from birth to age 22.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the critical roles of vision, hearing, and touch in child development and learning.
3. Apply knowledge of the implications of combined sensory impairment and the importance of the tactile sense on accessing and understanding information and the environment (e.g., potential for isolation, opportunity for incidental learning, emotional implications).
4. Understand the potential impact of the combined effects of vision and hearing impairment and tactile accessibility on the development of concrete and abstract concepts.
5. Apply knowledge of the combined effects of hearing and vision impairment and the tactile experiences on the development of interpersonal relationships, including the importance of sensory-attuned reciprocal interactions to support bonding, attachment, inclusion, and friendships.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of additional disabilities, including additional sensory disabilities (i.e., touch, vestibular, proprioception, taste, and smell) on learners who are deafblind.
7. Apply knowledge of the effects of the age of onset (congenital vs. adventitious), degrees, and/or progression of hearing and vision impairment on learners who are deafblind.

Competency 003—(Anatomy/Physiology of the Auditory, Visual, Tactile, and Sensory Systems): Understand the key components and functions of the human auditory, visual, tactile, and sensory systems.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key terminology to identify the structures and key functions of the auditory system, including areas of the brain involved in processing auditory stimuli.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of key terminology to identify the structures and key functions of the visual system, including areas of the brain involved in processing visual stimuli.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of key terminology to identify the structures and key functions of the tactile system, including areas of the brain involved in processing tactile stimuli.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the key terminology and functions associated with sensory integration, including proprioceptive, vestibular, and kinesthetic systems.
5. Understand the role of the intact and functional sensory systems on development and learning for learners who are deafblind.

 

Domain II—Assessment, Instructional Planning, and the Learning Environment

Competency 004—(Evaluation and Assessment): Apply knowledge of the educational evaluation and assessment process to determine a learner's strengths and needs, and apply appropriate assessment strategies in the learner's preferred mode of communication to support the learner.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key assessment terminology, including concepts associated with formal, informal, and alternative assessments (e.g., reliability, validity, baseline, ecological inventory, performance assessments).
2. Demonstrate knowledge of key specialized terminology associated with ophthalmological, optometric, and other vision-related medical reports (e.g., visual acuity, visual field, visual efficiency, OD, OU, OS) used to identify learners' strengths and needs and determine educational programming.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of key specialized terminology associated with audiological evaluations, audiograms, and other diagnostic hearing assessments (e.g., unilateral, bilateral, mixed, conductive, sensorineural, bone conduction threshold, pre- or post-lingually deafened, pure-tone audiometry) used to identify learners' strengths and needs and determine educational programming.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the components of a functional vision evaluation (FVE) and learning media assessment (LMA), including strategies and methods for creating nonbiased accommodations and modifications to support the diverse needs of learners who are deafblind.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the components of a communication evaluation, including strategies and methods for creating nonbiased accommodations and modifications to support the diverse needs of learners who are deafblind.
6. Interpret FVE and LMA, communication assessment data, expanded core curriculum (ECC) evaluation, including understanding how to integrate relevant clinical assessments of vision, hearing, and medical/neurological information (i.e., etiology) to inform the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team decisions regarding eligibility, services and supports, learner goals, and appropriate accommodations and modifications.
7. Apply knowledge of strategies and methods for evaluating expanded core curriculum (ECC) skills, including determining readiness to begin specific ECC skills.
8. Apply knowledge of functional sensory evaluations, including evaluations of the tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, and kinesthetic systems, as a foundation for identifying accommodations, adaptations, and strategies for learners who are deafblind.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of evaluative methods using co-active, child-guided, and functional routines and motor sequences, as appropriate, to assess learners who are deafblind, including collecting and evaluating multiple sources of data.
10. Apply knowledge of processes for creating, selecting, and evaluating assessment instruments and assessment methods and procedures to ensure the use of culturally responsive, nonbiased assessment practices.

Competency 005—(Instructional Planning and the Learning Environment): Apply knowledge of the diverse strengths and needs of learners who are deafblind to plan meaningful instructional opportunities that encourage social interaction and active engagement and promote a joy of learning in home, school, and community environments.

For example:

1. Apply knowledge of key components and features of tactile learning and tactile modes of communication to promote learners' active engagement and academic success in one-to-one, small-group, and large-group settings, and for facilitating independence (e.g., direct instruction, modeling, peer-to-peer).
2. Apply knowledge of practices that have been validated for learners who are D/deaf or hard of hearing and are blind or have low vision, including explicit instruction, guided instruction, peer learning, and reflection; and apply knowledge of how to differentiate instruction by selecting, adapting, and using instructional strategies and materials according to the characteristics of given learners who are deafblind.
3. Apply knowledge of a balanced assessment system (e.g., pre-assessment, formative assessment, summative assessment) to identify the strengths and needs of individual learners, including establishing baseline data, developing differentiated task analyses or instructional plans, and adjusting instruction using progress monitoring.
4. Apply knowledge of strategies and methods for the use of tactile tools, organizers, and other specialized instructional materials that enhance access to the curriculum and support programming and instruction across a variety of instructional settings and in learners' preferred language and communication mode.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and practices for developing communication-rich environments that support sensory-appropriate modes of social engagement within the context of developmentally appropriate (age and/or grade), meaningful activities.
6. Apply knowledge of methods and activities for facilitating incidental learning experiences to promote access, conceptual understanding, and communication, including providing a variety of direct sensory experiences for learners who are deafblind.
7. Apply knowledge of ways to incorporate learner preferences to design motivating instructional activities across learning environments (e.g., choice making, hands-on experiences, learners' preferred language and communication mode).
8. Apply knowledge of ways to create and maintain a safe, equitable, and productive learning environment for learners who are deafblind, including establishing and explicitly teaching routines, managing transitions, planning additional time for tactual modeling and exploration, and using environmental adaptations and accommodations (e.g., strategic seating, acoustics, lighting, line of sight, tactile supports).
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the potential for elements in the environment to be perceived as stressful by the learner who is deafblind and ways to effectively remove or address these elements to promote access and independence by the learner.
10. Demonstrate knowledge of the positive behavior supports systems and interventions that effectively address the communicative intent of learners who are deafblind and that reflect an understanding of and respect for diversity.
11. Apply knowledge of methods, materials, and activities for evaluating the communicative intent related to observable behavior of the learner who is deafblind, including identifying the learner's preferred mode of communication.
12. Demonstrate knowledge of components of transition planning, including assessment and procedures for developing and monitoring transition plans from prekindergarten through school and postsecondary environments.
13. Apply knowledge of methods and strategies for integrating interveners and educational interpreters into the general education classroom and school environment to support access to instruction, mobility, and communication for learners who are deafblind.

 

Domain III—Promoting Learning, Communication, and Independence

Competency 006—(The General Education and Expanded Core Curriculum): Apply knowledge of a variety of instructional strategies, methods, and meaningful activities to promote access, success, and independence in both the academic and expanded core curriculum for learners who are deafblind.

For example:

1. Apply knowledge of tactile learning methods and strategies in functional, leisure, recreational, and play activities.
2. Apply knowledge of evidence-based and/or research-based principles and teaching strategies for supporting access to instruction and communication for the learner who is deafblind (e.g., co-active movement, co-active signing, scaffolding skills, multimodal instruction).
3. Apply knowledge of strategies, methods, and activities for developing awareness of kinesthetic and proprioceptive sensory systems as they relate to the body in the environment (e.g., spatial orientation strategies, mobility techniques, positioning, balance).
4. Apply knowledge of strategies, methods, and activities for teaching and supporting developmentally appropriate self-advocacy and self-determination skills.
5. Apply knowledge of strategies and activities that promote learners' knowledge and use of instructional accommodations in their preferred language and communication mode to improve access to instruction, to promote participation in academic and social activities, and to promote independence across settings.
6. Apply knowledge of strategies and activities for promoting vocational and career awareness and work-related skills and for supporting learners' access to employment.
7. Apply knowledge of strategies and activities for developing independent living skills (e.g., personal hygiene, dressing, preparing and eating meals, shopping, budgeting).
8. Apply knowledge of strategies and activities for supporting learners' use and application of orientation and mobility skills, including using environmental features, protective techniques, and self-advocacy for optimal environmental accommodations and modifications and requesting/refusing assistance as needed.
9. Apply knowledge of strategies to optimize learners' sensory efficiency skills and learning channels (e.g., multimodal, visual and auditory, tactile, tactile-bodily).
10. Apply knowledge of meaningful and developmentally appropriate strategies and methods for developing and promoting literacy, vocabulary, and language skills that are appropriate to learners' preferred mode of communication and needs.
11. Apply knowledge of strategies, resources, and technologies for developing literacy skills, including instruction and activities to develop tactile perception and tactile readiness.

Competency 007—(Communication): Apply knowledge of a variety of linguistic and nonlinguistic communication modes and knowledge of the importance of identifying and developing learners' preferred mode of communication to promote learning, self-determination, and independence.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of dynamic modes of formal and informal communication and language theories (e.g., body movements, gestures, Bodily Emotional Traces [BETs], co-active signing, Visual American Sign Language [VASL], Signing Exact English [SEE-II], Conceptually Accurate Signed English [CASE], Protactile Language [PTL], tactile signing [TASL], listening and spoken language [LSL]).
2. Apply knowledge of approaches that are applicable to teaching learners who are deafblind (e.g., body movements, gestures, Bodily Emotional Traces [BETs], co-active signing, Visual American Sign Language [VASL], Signing Exact English [SEE-II], Conceptually Accurate Signed English [CASE], Protactile Language [PTL], tactile signing [TASL], listening and spoken language [LSL]).
3. Demonstrate knowledge of static modes of communication and approaches to literacy (e.g., real objects, tactile symbols, pictures, print, braille, digital technology).
4. Apply knowledge of strategies, methods, and activities for developing static and dynamic communication skills and creating opportunities to practice effective expressive and receptive communication or language in the learner's preferred mode (e.g., low-tech communication devices, objects and tactile symbols, natural conversations, story boxes, experience books).
5. Apply knowledge of methods, materials, and activities for assessing communication along a continuum from pre-intentional and pre-symbolic to full communicative competencies.
6. Apply knowledge of methods, materials, and activities for integrating communication in all contexts and daily activities (e.g., use of naturally occurring events, routines, explicit instruction), including creating and promoting opportunities for learners to communicate with peers, family members, and school staff.

Competency 008—(Technology: Low- and High-Tech): Apply knowledge of the role of both low- and high-tech devices and digital supports to promote independence, engagement, communication, and learning.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of types, characteristics, and uses of hearing assistive technology (HAT), amplification systems, telecommunications, and optical and non-optical low vision aids.
2. Apply knowledge of strategies and methods for teaching learners to use optical, electronic, and non-optical devices to optimize visual efficiency and to independently use dual learning media such as visual and auditory information or auditory and tactile information.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for planning and implementing instruction in the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, including digital applications, visual alert systems, and captioning.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of how to manage and incorporate appropriate assistive technology that enhances auditory, visual, and/or tactile functioning in learning environments across settings.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to collaborate with technology professionals to identify and support customized tools to meet the accessibility needs of learners who are deafblind, including awareness of accessibility in physical and virtual environments.

 

Domain IV—The Educator as a Professional

Competency 009—(Collaboration and Consultation): Apply knowledge of techniques for fostering active inquiry, collaboration, instructional coaching, and supportive interaction between professionals, family members, interveners, paraeducators, and learners who are deafblind.

For example:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the intervener for individual learners who are deafblind, including providing training and coaching to support the intervener's role and responsibilities related to the learner's needs.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of methods to provide training to caregivers, school personnel, and peers that will support access and quality interactions for the learner who is deafblind.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the orientation and mobility specialist and other appropriate specialists in collaborating and supporting learners' access, safety, and independence, including recommending appropriate referrals to other specialists or assessing the need for assistive devices or additional evaluations.
4. Apply knowledge of ways to collaborate with the educational team to identify and provide support related to learners' access to and progress in or toward the general education curriculum.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of how to work with the educational team to create a transition plan for learners who are deafblind that includes opportunities for a high quality of life beyond the educational setting, including ways to develop and implement communication systems appropriate to the mode and developmental level of learners who are deafblind.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to educate, facilitate, and collaborate with all educational team members, including family members, to ensure that an individual learner's unique needs are being supported by all team members during evaluation and instruction in home, school, and/or community settings.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to effectively communicate evaluation results to educational team members, including family members and the learner, to support the decision-making process that considers the proper eligibility criteria and educational programming for learners who are deafblind.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate resources for families and individuals who are deafblind that provide technical assistance at the local, state, and national levels, including home and community services and supports for learners who are deafblind and their families.
9. Understand ways to assist others in the development of trusting relationships and in becoming competent communication partners with learners who are deafblind, including providing training to caregivers, school personnel, and peers that will improve the quality of their interactions and relationships with learners who are deafblind.
10. Understand the value of peers and role models who are D/deaf, blind, or deafblind on family perceptions, decision making, and learner outcomes.

Competency 010—(Educator Responsibilities, Ethical Practice, and Professional Growth): Understand teaching as a profession, maintain and adhere to ethical standards and professional conduct, and understand the value of reflective practice and professional growth.

For example:

1. Understand the specialized roles and responsibilities of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team members, including learners who are deafblind, teachers of students who are deafblind, other educators, related service personnel, and family members.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the regulations, rules, and guidelines relevant to appropriate comprehensive evaluation, eligibility, and placement procedures and processes for deafblind services, including transition services.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the regulations, rules, and guidelines relevant to Child Find.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the components of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and procedures for developing, implementing, and amending IEPs in collaboration with the IEP team.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to identify and support all least restrictive environment (LRE) options to facilitate the team decisions and to address the diverse strengths and needs of learners who are deafblind.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of principles and professional practices related to the rights of learners and families, including accessibility, inclusion, equity, and due process (e.g., procedural safeguards, due process rights, free appropriate public education [FAPE], Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act).
7. Demonstrate knowledge of the professional code of ethics for special educators and the application of these standards in the teacher's role and practice.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of effective strategies for engaging in regular intentional reflection and self-evaluation activities to identify personal strengths and weaknesses, to become aware of biases, to improve instructional practice, and to determine goals for professional growth.
9. Understand effective practices related to advocating for learners who are deafblind and their families through engagement with local, regional, state, and national initiatives related to the field.

 

Domain V—Analysis and Response

Competency 011—(Analysis and Response): In a written response, analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to identify a given learner's strengths and needs and design appropriate instruction.

For example:

1. Analyze and interpret assessment information related to a given learner, including qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of formal and informal assessments (e.g., vision and hearing assessments and reports, anecdotal observation notes, communication and adaptive behavior assessments, relevant social history information), to identify the learner's strengths and needs.
2. Synthesize data and information related to the given learner to generate one recommendation for evidence-based and/or research-based instruction and provide a rationale for the recommendation.
3. Describe how a teacher would implement and monitor the progress of the recommendation.

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