Persistence in postsecondary environments of students with hearing impairments

Journal of Rehabilitation,  Jan-March, 2008  by Daniel L. Boutin

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Students in higher education must avoid withdrawing from college in order to achieve their intended outcomes. Attrition has been a topic of consideration for students with disabilities but specifically those with hearing impairments. Up to 75% of deaf and hard of hearing students fail to complete college (Rawlings, Karchmer, DeCaro, & Allen, 1991; Stinson & Walter, 1992; U.S. Department of Education, 1999). Deaf and hard of hearing students have unique needs in general but particularly in higher education that separate them from other students who are hearing. Students with hearing impairments may differ from their hearing peers on the types of technology used for academic success, language development and communication methods, and social interactions (Lane, Hoffmeister, & Bahan, 1996; Marschark, 1997). Therefore, a review of persistence specific to this population might be helpful for rehabilitation counselors working with consumers with hearing impairments.

How can rehabilitation counselors and other human service providers assist deaf and hard of hearing students to become prepared to persist? A set of resource personnel can work with people with hearing impairments to reduce the risks of attrition. In this article, the benefits of attending college will be discussed, particularly for students with hearing impairments. An explanation of a longitudinal model of persistence along with its impact on students with hearing impairments provides a framework for understanding the components of the decision to remain at, or leave college. Finally, suggestions are made to reduce the attrition rates for students with hearing impairments in higher education.

College Benefits for Students with Hearing Impairments

The socioeconomic consequences of college are evident when considering graduates and nongraduates. In addition, the benefits of attaining a college degree continue throughout the lifespan. Some of the benefits may include higher levels of career mobility, enhanced earnings, and an increased likelihood of stable employment (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). For example, people with bachelor's degrees are more likely to gain entrance into managerial and professional jobs than people without the degree. Economically, people with bachelor's degrees earn 20% to 40% more than a high school graduate. People who withdraw from college or have no more than a high school education are more likely to be unemployed than people who are college graduates (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991).

Deaf and hard of hearing college graduates also experience socioeconomic benefits in areas such as career mobility, earnings, occupational status, and unemployment. Schroedel and Geyer (2001) found that people who are deaf and hard of hearing have enhanced their career mobility and increased their earnings after graduating from college. Welsh and Walter (1988) reported that more deaf college graduates were working in managerial and professional occupations (67%) than those without a degree (6%). Most deaf workers without a college degree reported working in technical (36%) or operator (31%) occupations. The unemployment rate for people with hearing impairments without a college degree is 24% versus 2% for deaf alumni of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a postsecondary environment that also houses the National Institute for the Deaf (NTID), a federally mandated institution of higher education for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. In fact, those with bachelor degrees are 10 times more likely to be employed than people without college degrees (Welsh & Walter, 1988). Deaf graduates have higher earnings than deaf non-graduates. For example, the average earnings of deaf graduates of RIT were more than twice as much as the average for deaf non-graduates. Although deaf college graduates' earnings are 93% of hearing college graduates (Welsh & Walter, 1988), a 1994 report by the U.S. Department of Education (1999) found that the average salaries of bachelor recipients with hearing impairments were the same as those without disabilities. However, not every student with a hearing impairment persists until degree completion.

Persistence and its Impact on Students with Hearing Impairments

The concept of persistence is important to consider since it affects college students with and without disabilities. Tinto (1987) is clear that persistence means to remain in college until graduation whether or not multiple institutions of higher education are utilized. Persistence is particularly important during the first year of college since most attrition occurs at this time (Tinto, 1998). The first 10 weeks is especially important as students have yet to complete the transition to college. The U.S. Department of Education (1998) calculates that 25% of first-year students withdraw from higher education before the end of the academic year. Tinto (1993) reported a 50% first-year attrition rate for 2-year colleges and a 29% first-year attrition rate for 4-year colleges.