From http://www2.newsvirginian.com/news/2010/dec/24/signs-change-ar-733944
Signs of change: Legislator wants American Sign Language to count for college admissions
By Megan Davis
December 24, 2010
Del. Dickie Bell has pre-filed a bill that would mandate that colleges and universities recognize American Sign Language (ASL) as fulfilling foreign language admissions criteria for incoming students.
Under a 1998 provision from the Virginia Department of Education, high school students may use American Sign Language classes to satisfy foreign language requirements for graduation.
But admissions departments at state universities and colleges do not have to accept sign language.
VSDB Superintendent Nancy Armstrong said she hopes legislation will encourage more high school students to choose ASL as their foreign language.
Read the full article at http://www2.newsvirginian.com/news/2010/dec/24/signs-change-ar-733944
January 2, 2011
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It certainly would help if the local schools would offer three years of ASL. They offer at least three years of every other offered foreign language EXCEPT ASL. So until these classes are offered, this legislation is not doing us much good.
ReplyDeleteWe fought for Stafford County Public Schools to offer three years of ASL and they only offered it for one year. Many students wanted it to continue, but the school district allowed it to fall by the wayside.
This reminds me of efforts to get more indigenous languages taught in K-12 schools. An approach addresses both issues at once makes a lot of sense-- recognizing classes as meeting "foreign" language requirements makes it easier to justify offering such classes in public schools.
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