Department of Education

GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language ........................................................................................................N-1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes.......................................................................N-2

Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers ..............................................................................N-3

Authorizing Legislation............................................................................................................N-4

Appropriations History.............................................................................................................N-5

Activity

Gallaudet University .......................................................................................................N-6
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

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Appropriations Language

 For the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, the Model Secondary School for the 

Deaf, and the partial support of Gallaudet University under titles I and II of the Education of the 

Deaf Act of 1986, [$117,541,000] $119,000,000: Provided, That from the total amount 

available, the University may at its discretion use funds for the endowment program as 

authorized under section 207 of such Act.

1

 (Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014.)

NOTE

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document which follows the appropriation language.
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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1

... Provided, That from the total amount 

available, the University may at its 

discretion use funds for the endowment 

program as authorized under section 207 

of such Act.

This language provides authority for the 

University to use funds from the general 

appropriation for the Endowment Grant 

program.
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Appropriation, Adjustments and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2013 2014 2015

Discretionary:

Discretionar y budget authority: Appropriation .......................................................... $117,541 $119,000 $119,000

Discretionar y budget authority:Construction............................................................ 7,975 0 0

Across-the-board reduction (P.L. 113-6) (ATB 2012)

Discretionar y budget authority: ( ATB 2012)Appropriation .......................................................... -235 0 0

Discretionar y budget authority: ( ATB 2012)Construction ........................................................... -16 0 0

Sequester (P.L. 112-25)

Discretionar y budget authority: Appropriation .......................................................... -5,913 0 0

Discretionar y budget authority:Construction............................................................ -401 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted discretionary appropriation

Subtotal, appr opriation:Appropriation............................................................ 111,393 119,000 119,000

Subtotal, appr opriation:Construction............................................................. 7,558 0 0

Total, adjusted discretionary appropriation ............... 118,951 119,000 119,000
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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2014

Authorized

2014

Estimate

footnote

2015

Authorized

2015

Request

footnote

University programs (EDA-l-A) Indefinite $119,000 Indefinite $119,000

Elementary and Secondary Education programs (EDA-I-A) Indefinite 01 Indefinite 01

Construction (EDA-l-103) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

Endowment grant (EDA-ll-207) Indefinite 01 Indefinite 01

Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (EDA-II-205) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 0

Total definite authorization

Total annual appropriation 119,000 119,000

Total appropriation 119,000 119,000

1

Funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education programs and Endowment Grant program is provided together with funding for operations 

through a single appropriations amount. The University determines the split between the University programs, Elementary and Secondary Education 

programs, and the Endowment Grant program. 
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Appropriations History 

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Foot

-

note

Senate 

Allowance Foot

-

note Appropriation Foot

-

note

2006 104,557 107,657 108,500 106,998

2007 107,598 N/A 1 N/A 1 106,998 1

2008 106,998 109,952 111,000 113,384

2009 119,384 119,384 2 124,000 2 124,000

2010 120,000 120,000 126,000 3 123,000

2011 118,000 123,000 4 128,000 3 122,754 5

2012 118,000 122,754 6 125,754 6 125,516

2013 117,541 125,516 7 125,000 7 118,951

2014 117,541 N/A 8

118,541 3119,000

2015 119,000

1 This account operated under a full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 110-5). House and Senate allowances are 

shown as N/A (Not Available) because neither body passed a separate appropriations bill. 2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular 2009 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 110th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 3 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only.

4 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 5 The level for the appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act 

(P.L. 112-10) passed April 15, 2011.

6 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill; the level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate 

Committee action only. 7 The level for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 8 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcomittee action.
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tivity

Gallaudet University

(Education of the Deaf Act, Title I, Part A and Section 207)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: Indefinite 

Budget Authority:

BA 2014 2015 Change

Operations $119,000 $119,000 0

Construction 0 0 0

Total 119,000 119,000 0

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Gallaudet University, which received its Federal charter in 1864, is a private, nonprofit 

educational institution providing elementary and secondary education programs for students 

who are deaf and undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs for persons 

who are deaf and hearing. Gallaudet also conducts a wide variety of basic and applied 

research on deafness and provides public service programs for persons who are deaf and 

professionals who work with persons who are deaf. To increase the effectiveness of its 

instructional programs, the University provides communications training, counseling, and other 

support services for its students. 

Gallaudet also operates the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (Clerc Center), which 

includes the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES), an elementary school for 

children who are deaf, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), a high school that 

provides secondary education programs for students who are deaf, and the National Mission

programs. The National Mission programs conduct research and provide training and technical 

assistance around the country. The Clerc Center maintains and operates KDES and MSSD for 

the primary purpose of developing, evaluating, and disseminating innovative curricula, 

instructional techniques and strategies, and materials that can be used in a variety of 

educational environments serving individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

To help ensure that the materials developed by the Clerc Center are relevant to potential users, 

the Education of the Deaf Act (EDA) requires KDES and MSSD to serve students preparing for 

college, other postsecondary opportunities or the workplace; and those with a broad spectrum 

of needs, including students who are lower achieving academically, come from non-English 

speaking homes, have secondary disabilities, are members of minority groups, or are from rural 

areas. The EDA also requires the University to ensure that special education and related 

services provided to children enrolled in these programs by their parents are in accordance with 

Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For children placed by a local 

educational agency (LEA), that agency is responsible for ensuring that special education and 

related services are provided to those children in accordance with Part B of IDEA. The EDA also 
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makes specific requirements and procedural safeguards from the IDEA applicable to parentally 

placed children at KDES or MSSD that would not otherwise apply because they are not placed 

by their LEAs. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) amended the EDA to 

require the University, in administering the Clerc Center, to select challenging academic content 

standards, academic achievement standards, and academic assessments of a State and adopt 

them pursuant to specified requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965. The HEOA further required the Clerc Center to implement these standards and 

assessments no later than the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. After contacting a wide 

range of States, the Clerc Center selected the State of Ohio as the State it would work with to 

meet the requirements. The Center began the process of implementing the requirements in 

school year 2008-2009 and is continuing this process in school year 2013-2014. In June 2010 

the Ohio State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards in English 

language arts and mathematics, as well as adopting more rigorous versions of Ohio’s academic 

content standards in science and social studies. The four set of standards will underpin 

teaching in Ohio classrooms by 2014-2015, and schools are encouraged to begin using the 

standards as soon as possible to prepare students for corresponding assessments that begin I 

2014-2015. The Clerc Center is in the process of adopting and implementing a curriculum that 

aligns with the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics and 

the more rigorous versions of Ohio’s academic standards in science and social studies. 

The Federal Endowment Grant program is designed to assist in meeting the future needs of 

Gallaudet University by producing a growing independent source of revenue for the University. 

No portion of the Federal endowment fund corpus may be withdrawn, except with the 

Department's approval and only due to a financial emergency or life-threatening situation. The 

Department makes matching payments to the endowment program equal to sums contributed to 

the fund from non-Federal sources. The EDA provides that Gallaudet University may retain up 

to 50 percent of the income of the fund for expenses necessary to the operation of the 

University such as personnel, construction and renovation, community and student services, 

technical assistance, and research. The other 50 percent of the interest returns to the corpus. 

The University has the discretion to determine the amount of funds to be designated for use 

under the Federal Endowment Grant program, subject to the availability of appropriations. As of 

September 30, 2013, the value of the Federal Endowment Grant program corpus, including 

Federal, private, and reinvested funds, was $73.4 million. This amount is consistent with the 

previous fiscal year.
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In 2013, the Federal Government provided $111.393 million to Gallaudet for the operation of the 

University, the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, and the Model Secondary School for 

the Deaf. The Federal appropriation for operations represented approximately 67 percent of 

total revenue for the University. Gallaudet used $83.910 million of the federal appropriation for 

university-level instructional, research, and outreach programs and $27.483 million for Clerc 

Center activities. The university-level allocation of the federal appropriation constituted 

approximately 61 percent of total estimated funding for university-level activities while the Clerc 

Center allocation represented nearly 100 percent of total estimated funding for KDES and 

MSSD. These figures understate the true percentage of funding that comes from the Federal 

Government, not only because they exclude any funds from the appropriation related to 

construction but because the figure the University uses for non-Federal revenue includes 

interest from the Federal Endowment Grant program, approximately $239,000 in fiscal year 

2013; and $6 million in revenue that the University received from Federal grants and contracts. 

Additionally, in fiscal year 2013, Gallaudet students received $9.8 million from Federal student 

aid programs and $9.6 million from Federal vocational rehabilitation programs. 

The following chart indicates the relative proportions that funding from various sources 

comprises of Gallaudet’s total budget.

Federal 

Appropriation 

(67.3%)

Federal Grants & 

Contracts (3.6%)

Other (1.2%)

Tuition and Fees 

(9.4%)

Contributions 

(1.8%)

Auxiliary 

Enterprises 

(12.9%)

Investment & 

Other Interest 

Income (3.7%)

FY 2013 Operating Budget 

($165.59 million)
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Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

(dollars in thousands)

2010................................................................................... $123,000 1

2011.....................................................................................122,754 2

2012.....................................................................................125,516 3

2013.....................................................................................118,951 4

2014.....................................................................................119,000

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1 Includes $5 million for construction. 2 Includes $4.99 million for construction. 3 Includes $7.98 million for construction. 4 Includes $7.56 million for construction.

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $119 million for Gallaudet University operations for fiscal year 2015 

to support University level programs and the Clerc Center, which includes national mission 

activities related to research, training, and technical assistance, the Model Secondary School for 

the Deaf (MSSD), and the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES). The request for 

operations is the same as the fiscal year 2014 level. The Department is not requesting 

additional funds for construction. 

These funds will be used to serve the approximately 1,519 degree-seeking undergraduate and 

graduate students estimated to be enrolled at the University and 275 elementary and secondary 

education students estimated for the Clerc Center programs during fiscal year 2015 and to 

maintain other operations and programs. The Department requests funding for Gallaudet in 

order to help promote educational and employment opportunities for persons who are deaf. 

Program Operations. The request includes $119 million for program operations, the same as the 

fiscal year 2014 level for operations. Between fiscal year 2004 and 2014, the appropriation for 

Gallaudet’s program operations increased by approximately 18.8 percent. During the same 

period, total postsecondary enrollment declined by 6.3 percent, from 1,870 to 1,753 while the 

combined enrollment at KDES and MSSD declined 27.2 percent, from 331 to 241. Gallaudet 

announced a plan in fiscal year 2008 to begin a long-term reduction in the total number of 

employees at the University, with an initial reduction of 3 percent of filled positions planned (86 

permanent positions). Gallaudet set a goal of 990 employees for 2009 and ended the year with 

991. Gallaudet now employs approximately 915 full-time employees and expects to maintain 

that level through 2015. Given these factors, we believe that the request would provide 

sufficient funds to maintain all operations and programs. 

Construction. Between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2013, Congress appropriated $35.5 

million in construction funds for Gallaudet. The University used $6.8 million to stabilize the soil 

beneath the MSSD dormitories and to demolish the dormitories that had been rendered 
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uninhabitable. The University plans to use the remaining $28.7 million to support the 

construction of a new 200-bed dormitory to house all MSSD residential students. The University 

plans to begin construction on this facility in the summer of 2014 with a target occupancy date of 

January 2016. No additional funds are needed for this project.

Endowment Grant Program. Gallaudet currently has the discretion to determine if and how much of 

the appropriation it will match. The University has not indicated that it intends to use any of its 

appropriation to match Endowment Grant funds in fiscal year 2015. 

Other Revenue. Besides the Federal appropriation, the primary source of funding for the University is 

the funds it receives from tuition and other fees. These funds are primarily derived from payments 

provided by Federal vocational rehabilitation and Federal student financial aid programs. In fiscal 

year 2013, Gallaudet received approximately $15.6 million from tuition and fees. During academic 

year 2012-2013, Gallaudet students received approximately $9.6 million in vocational rehabilitation 

payments and $9.8 million in federal student financial aid, including $2.5 million in Pell Grants, 

$74,506 from Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and $113,457 in Federal 

Work-Study Grants. 

The average student aid package for eligible students requesting aid came to $20,175 per student in 

fiscal year 2013. By way of comparison, the total cost of attending Gallaudet in fiscal year 2013 was 

$12,806 ($12,430 for tuition and $376 in fees) for commuter students and $23,596 for residential 

students ($12,430 for tuition, $376 in fees, $5,960 for room and $4,830 for board). In addition to 

financial aid, a majority of Gallaudet students receive Supplemental Security Income and Social 

Security Disability Income payments. 

The University received approximately $6.0 million in grants and contracts in fiscal year 2013 and 

anticipates the same amount for fiscal year 2015. The Gallaudet Board of Trustees decided in May 

2011 to approve an additional 7 percent increase in tuition for fiscal year 2013. Gallaudet also 

decided to increase room fees by 9 percent, from $5,460 to $5,960 for fiscal year 2013. In fiscal year 

2014, room fees will again increase to $6,500, followed by an additional increase to $7,090 in fiscal 

year 2015. 

Enrollment trends. Full-time undergraduate enrollment at Gallaudet declined slightly from the fall of 

2012 (1,045) to the fall of 2013 (1,006), a 3.7 percent decrease. This level represents an 8.5 percent 

increase over the fall of 2008 (fiscal year 2009) but a 12.2 percent decrease from the fall of 2000 

(fiscal year 2001). Graduate enrollment increased to 469 in fiscal year 2014, which represents a 24.4 

percent increase from fiscal year 2009 but a 25.0 percent decrease from fiscal year 2001. 

In fiscal year 2014 (fall of 2013), enrollment at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and Kendall 

Demonstration Elementary School dropped to a combined total of 241 students, which represents a 

1 percent decline from the fiscal year 2013 enrollment of 244 students and an 8 percent decrease 

from the fiscal year 2012 enrollment of 262. Since 2001, combined enrollment at the Clerc Center 

has decreased 32 percent. 

Finally, total postsecondary enrollment at the institution, including full and part time undergraduate 

and graduate students, decreased between fiscal years 2013 and 2014, from 1,821 to 1,753. 
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Gallaudet credits the recent increase in degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate enrollment 

figures to improved efforts in a number of areas. The University increased the involvement of 

faculty, staff, students, and alumni in recruitment. In addition, the University targeted new pools 

of potential students, such as students educated in mainstream environments, hearing students, 

international students, transfers, and non-traditional students. The number of college-bound 

students who are deaf or hard of hearing has increased only slightly during the past 10 years, 

while the proportion of these students who are enrolled in separate or residential programs for 

the deaf, which are Gallaudet’s traditional recruitment base, has been steadily declining. The 

University also hired professional recruiters to target students attending inclusive public school 

programs who would otherwise go to regular mainstream colleges and universities. 

Hearing Undergraduate Students (HUGS). Gallaudet implemented a pilot program in 2000 to 

enroll a limited number of hearing students into its undergraduate program. The Department 

conducted a review of the program in fiscal year 2006 and formally approved a policy of 

allowing the use of Federal funds to support students who are hearing, but stipulated that 

incoming hearing students may not exceed 5 percent of each year’s total number of newly 

enrolled undergraduate students at Gallaudet. The Department also established annual 

reporting requirements for the program related to the number of hearing students admitted and 

enrolled, and the persistence and graduation rates, majors, and post-school outcomes for these 

students. In January 2013, the Department approved a request from the University to increase 

the cap to 8 percent and to exempt the University’s online programs from the cap for a 5-year 

period. The approval was contingent on the University seeking input from the student and 

alumni community; the University satisfied this contingency. In the fall of 2013 (fiscal year 

2014), a total of 91 hearing students were enrolled in the undergraduate program. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

Measures: 2013 2014 1 20151

Estimated total revenues (dollars 

in thousands):

University programs $137,705 $145,332 $148,981

Clerc Center programs 27,888 29,425 29,425

Total 165,593 174,757 178,406

Annual tuition and fees:

Base Tuition $12,430 $13,424 $14,498

Room 5,960 6,500 7,090

Board 4,830 5,080 5,280

Fees 376 376 376

Total 23,596 25,380 27,244

International student surcharge, 

non-developing country $12,430 $13,424 $14,498

International student surcharge, 

developing country $6,215 $6,712 $7,249
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Measures: 2013 2014 1 20151

Graduate student surcharge $1,250 $1,350 $1,458

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, non-developing 

country $2,500 $2,700 $2,916

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, developing country $1,875 $2,026 $2,187

Federal appropriation as a percent 

of total revenues 67% 2 68% 2 67%2

Estimated average cost per 

student $64,276 3 $62,772 3 $67,9823

Program enrollment (includes 

HUGS and international students):

Degree-seeking 

undergraduates 1,045 1,006 1,033

Non-degree & part-time 

students 330 4 278 4 333 4

Graduate students 446 469 486

Total 1,821 1,753 1,852

International students (in degree 

and non-degree programs) 165 168 169

International student percentage 9.1% 9.2% 9.1%

Hearing undergraduate students 47 91 91

Model Secondary School for the 

Deaf (MSSD) students 150 149 170

Kendall Demonstration 

Elementary School (KDES) 

students 94 92 105

Sponsored Programs:

Proposals 30 30 30

Awards 18 5 18 5 18 5

Funding (dollars in thousands) $6,000 $5,600 $6,000

Research:

Sponsored research funding 

(dollars in thousands) $6,000 $5,600 $6,000

Appropriated research (dollars in $2,500 $2,500 $2,500
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Measures: 2013 2014 1 20151

thousands)

Gallaudet research publications 60 100 100

Student/faculty ratios:

University 9.2:1 9.7:1 9.8:1

MSSD 5.6:1 6.3:1 6.7:1

KDES 4.3:1 4.6:1 5.0:1

Number of employees:

Permanent positions 915 916 916

Temporary 7 6 6

Grant or revenue supported 48 48 48

___________________________________

1 Estimates based on data provided by the University.

2 The revenue base includes unrestricted income from all sources, including research grants and indirect payments 

such as Federal student financial aid and vocational rehabilitation payments. Amounts from the appropriation that Gallaudet 

sets aside for the Federal Endowment Grant program are excluded from the revenue calculation. Appropriations for 

construction are also excluded. 3 These amounts are based on total estimated expenditures, excluding the categories of sponsored and other research,

public services, and auxiliary enterprises. The net amounts are divided by the total estimated enrollment for fiscal years 

2013, 2014, and 2015. The University does not differentiate between full and part-time students in calculating these figures, 

so part-time students are treated as full-time for the purpose of this calculation. 4 This category includes all students not counted in IPEDS, including full-and part-time students enrolled in continuing 

education, the English Language Institute, and on-line courses, and non-degree seeking students. 5 Awards are not necessarily made in the same year as the proposals. 

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based on 

the cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2015 and future years, and the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program.

Goal: To challenge students who are deaf, graduate students who are deaf, and graduate 

students who are hearing, to achieve their academic goals and obtain productive 

employment, provide leadership in setting the national standard for best practices in 

education of the deaf and hard of hearing, and establish a sustainable resource base. 

Objective: The University Programs and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and the 

Kendall Demonstration Elementary School will optimize the number of students completing

programs of study.

Measure: The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who 

were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the 
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current year; and the percentage of all graduate students eligible to return for the following 

academic year who are enrolled in that year.

Year Undergraduate 

Target

Undergraduate 

Actual Graduate Target Graduate Actual

2010 70% 73% 77%

2011 70 70 73

2012 72 77 77% 81

2013 73 69 77 83

2014 74 77

2015 75 77

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2012 indicate that 

the average retention rate between 2009 and 2010 was 61.6 percent for 4-year public colleges 

with open enrollment and 62.7 percent for 4-year private not-for-profit colleges with open 

enrollment. The Department, in consultation with the University, established a target of 75 for 

fiscal year 2015. This new target aligns the Department’s GPRA measures with the goals 

outlined in Gallaudet’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015.

The Department has modified its calculation of the graduate student persistence rate; the new 

methodology uses a cohort formula and limits the calculation to Master’s level students. The 

Department made this change because the expected period of enrollment for Master’s level 

students is consistent across programs whereas the expected period of enrollment for students 

in other graduate programs can vary significantly. 

Measure: The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking baccalaureate students who 

graduate within 6 years of enrollment.

Year Target Actual

2010 32% 35%

2011 32 41

2012 32 33

2013 35 47

2014 39

2015 40

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2012 indicate that 

public 4-year colleges with open enrollment achieve an average 6-year graduation rate of 

31.7 percent while private 4-year not-for-profit colleges with open enrollment achieve an 

average 6-year graduation rate of 35.8 percent. 
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Measure: The graduation rate for Master’s students.

Year Target Actual

2010 74%

2011 72

2012 74% 72

2013 74 75

2014 74

2015 74

Additional information: IPEDS does not collect graduation rate data for graduate students so 

we cannot make comparisons to other institutions. Working together with Gallaudet University, 

the Department recently changed the methodology for this measure. Previously, the University 

calculated the graduation rate for graduate students by dividing the number of graduates in a 

given year, including Master’s and doctoral degree program students, by the number of entering 

students 6 years prior. The calculation was not based on a cohort analysis so it included all 

students who graduated in a given year, regardless of when they entered, and also included 

part-time and transfer students. As of September 2011, the University now calculates this 

measure using a cohort approach that counts students as graduates if they successfully 

complete a Master’s program within 3 years of enrolling. Doctoral candidates and part-time 

students are excluded from the calculation. The University has recalculated the graduation 

rates for prior years and will report based on this new methodology in future fiscal years. The 

targets have been adjusted to reflect the change in methodology. 

Measure: The graduation rate for MSSD students.

Year Annual Graduation 

Rate Target

4th Year Seniors 

Actual

5th Year Seniors 

Actual

Annual Graduation 

Rate Actual

2010 90% 53% 37% 91%

2011 90 75 19 94

2012 90 82 11 93

2013 90 83 5 88

2014 90

2015 90

Additional information: In 2001, the University began offering a second senior year for 

students who needed more time to complete graduation requirements, individualized education 

program (IEP) goals, and/or required coursework. For example, the numbers shown for fiscal 

year 2013 indicate that 83 percent of the students within the 2007-08 freshmen cohort 

graduated in their 4th year and 5 percent of the students from the same cohort returned for a fifth 

year of high school, graduating in 2012. Taken together, the graduation rate for students is 

88 percent for fiscal year 2013. These figures exclude students who transfer or are dismissed 

from MSSD. In order to graduate from MSSD, students must complete required coursework 

and successfully meet their IEP goals. The Center, with the Department’s approval, has 

recently decided to replace the 2-year cumulative senior graduation rate with a 4-year adjusted 

cohort graduation rate, based on first-time 9th grade cohorts, consistent with the Department’s 

changes to the requirements outlined in the regulations governing programs administered under 
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Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) on October 29, 

2008 (34 CFR 200.19). The Department will begin reporting data using this methodology next 

year. 

Objective: Curriculum and extracurricular activities prepare students to meet the skill 

requirements of the workplace or to continue their studies.

Measure: The percentage of graduates with baccalaureate degrees who are employed, in 

advanced education or training, or are neither employed or enrolled in advanced education or 

training during their first year after graduation.

Year Students 

Employed 

Target

Students 

Employed 

Actual

Students in 

Advanced 

Education or 

Training 

Target

Students in 

Advanced 

Education or 

Training 

Actual

Not Engaged 

in Either 

Activity 

Target

Not Engaged 

in Either 

Activity 

Actual

2010 82% 72% 38% 18% 10% 10%

2011 75 50 15 45 10 5

2012 50 63 45 35 5 2

2013 50 45 5

2014 50 45 5

2015 50 45 5

Additional information: The “Students Employed” category includes both full- and part-time 

employment. Advanced education or training includes students enrolled full- or part-time in a 

master's or Ph.D. program, a vocational or technical program, or another type of program, e.g., 

law school or medical school and includes both full and part-time students. In fiscal year 2011, 

the University and Department agreed to count each alumnus only once in his or her primary 

category, with employment given the highest ranking. Thus, those graduates who were 

employed and in advanced education or training one year after graduation are categorized only 

once—in the “Students employed” category. The graduates who are in advanced education or 

training one year after graduation and who are not employed, are counted in the “advanced 

education or training” category. The targets have been adjusted to reflect the new 

methodology. 

Data for these measures are reported to the Department one year following graduation. The source 

of the data is an annual survey sent to students who have graduated from the University within the 

previous year. The 2012 data are based on the results of a survey with a response rate of 82

percent—the highest response rate ever achieved by the institution. 
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Measure: The percentage of MSSD graduates who are employed or in postsecondary education 

or training, or are neither employed or enrolled in postsecondary education or training during their 

first year after graduation. 

Year

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training or 

Employed Target

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training or 

Employed Actual

Not Engaged in 

Either Activity 

Target

Not Engaged in 

Either Activity 

Actual

2010 93% 7%

2011 100% 93 0 7

2012 100 93 0 7

2013 100 0

2014 100 0

2015 100 0

Additional information: Gallaudet previously provided data to the Department on the 

percentage of MSSD graduates who are (1) who are employed, (2) who are in postsecondary 

education or training, and (3) who are not engaged in either activity. With the Department’s 

approval, Gallaudet has decided to report on the percentage of students who are either (1) 

employed or enrolled in postsecondary education or (2) not engaged in either activity. For 

2012, the data indicate that, within one year of graduation, 93 percent of MSSD graduates were 

either employed, enrolled in postsecondary education, or both, while 7 percent of MSSD 

graduates were not engaged in either activity. 

The data on employment and postsecondary education or training is derived from an annual 

survey of students who graduated from MSSD during the previous year. Unfortunately, the 

small number of MSSD graduates annually and the small response rate limit the usefulness of 

this data. The survey for fiscal year 2012 was sent to the 37 members of the 2012 graduating 

class and yielded a response rate of 78 percent (29 respondents). 

Objective: Gallaudet works in partnership with others to develop and disseminate educational 

programs and materials for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Measure: The number of programs and/or institutions adopting Model/Kendall innovative 

strategies/curricula or modifying their strategies as a result of Model and Kendall’s leadership.

Year Target Actual

2010 55 34

2011 55 31

2012 55 181

2013 55 113

2014 55

2015 120

Additional information: Gallaudet has noted that the number of programs adopting 

innovations from year to year will vary based on the number and type of strategies and curricula 

being disseminated by the Clerc Center at a given point in time, the changing needs of 
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programs serving students who are deaf, and the financial and personnel resources available 

within these programs for training and implementation activities. The Department is working 

with Gallaudet on developing more valid, reliable and meaningful measures related to the 

national mission activities of the Clerc Center as alternatives to this measure. We are looking at 

alternatives that would assess the impact of evidence-based research projects, other scholarly 

activities, and demonstration and program development activities on improving educational 

outcomes for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The timeframe for developing a new 

measure is uncertain; consequently, the Department has increased the 2015 target for the 

existing measure to make it more ambitious. 

Efficiency Measures 

Objective: To improve the efficiency of operations at Gallaudet, as defined by the cost per 

successful student outcome, where the successful outcome is defined as graduation. 

Measure: Federal cost per Gallaudet graduate.

Year Target Actual

2010 $237,969 $257,875

2011 243,204 252,501

2012 248,554 241,894

2013 253,277 232,117

2014 258,343

2015 263,510

Additional information: This measure provides information on the average Federal cost per 

successful outcome. This measure looks at how the ultimate outcome of the Federal 

investment relates to the appropriation for Gallaudet. The Federal cost is calculated by 

averaging the appropriation amounts, excluding funds allocated to the Clerc Center, for the year 

the students graduated and for the prior 5 years, and dividing this average by the number of 

graduates in the graduation year. This approximates the IPEDS indicator length of 6 years to 

graduation. Graduates include students receiving bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates, 

master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. Federal student financial aid, vocational rehabilitation 

payments, other Federal support for students, Federal grants and contracts, appropriations for 

construction, and the Federal Endowment Grant program are not included in this calculation. 

The fiscal year 2012 data on the Federal cost per graduate, as reported by Gallaudet University, 

is based on an average of the cost per graduate from fiscal year 2007 to 2012. 

Gallaudet proposed to establish targets that account for future inflation by using the Consumer 

Price Index (CPI), with the goal of limiting increases on the Federal cost per graduate to less 

than those of the CPI. Gallaudet and the Department determined that the Consumer Price 

Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU) represents the most reasonable basis for calculating 

inflation. The Department set an initial target for fiscal year 2010, which was increased by the 

estimated rate of inflation for fiscal years 2011 through 2015. As updated information becomes 

available regarding the projected inflation rate for the next fiscal year and outlying years, the 

targets will be adjusted accordingly.
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Measure: Total educational cost per Gallaudet graduate.

Year Target Actual

2010 $284,066 $301,652

2011 290,315 291,548

2012 296,702 276,785

2013 302,339 263,927

2014 308,386

2015 314,554

Additional information: Total educational cost per Gallaudet graduate is calculated by 

dividing the average of the current year’s and the previous 5 years’ total student expenditures 

by the number of undergraduate and graduate students awarded degrees during a given fiscal 

year. The cost is composed of the total program budget excluding IPEDS expenditure 

categories associated with research, public services, auxiliary enterprises, and construction, 

plus the Endowment Grant program. This approximates the IPEDS indicator length of 6 years 

to graduation. This figure is then divided by the number of graduates in that school year. The 

measure looks at the total cost of educating a student at Gallaudet as an indication of how 

efficiently the University operates. The measure uses existing cost data reported to the 

Department as part of the University’s budget submission. The fiscal year 2012 data on the 

Federal cost per graduate, as reported by Gallaudet University, is based on an average of the 

cost per graduate from fiscal year 2007 to 2012. 

Gallaudet proposed to establish targets that account for future inflation by using the Consumer 

Price Index (CPI), with the goal of limiting increases on the total cost per graduate

to less than those of the CPI. Gallaudet and the Department determined that the Consumer 

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIU) represents the most reasonable basis for 

calculating inflation. The Department set an initial target for the total educational cost measure 

for fiscal year 2010, which was increased by the estimated rate of inflation for fiscal years 2011 

through 2015. As updated information becomes available regarding the projected inflation rate 

for the next fiscal year and outlying years, the targets will be adjusted accordingly. 

Other Performance Information

The Department conducted a monitoring visit of the Gallaudet University programs in June 

2012. In October 2012, the Department transmitted a letter to the University, communicating 

the Department’s determination that the University: (1) is making progress in meeting the goals 

in its Strategic Plan 2010-2015; and (2) is appropriately implementing recommendations from 

the University’s Program Prioritization Taskforce and Administrative Programs and Services 

Review Committee. The Department did not identify any areas of noncompliance with 

applicable requirements of the EDA.

Beginning in fiscal year 2013 and continuing into fiscal year 2014, the U.S. Department of 

Education is conducting a review of Gallaudet University’s implementation of applicable 

provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in its elementary and 

secondary programs, as defined by the EDA. The Department met with representatives from 

KDES and MSSD on January 14-15, 2013 and February 28, 2013 to examine how the Clerc 
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Center is implementing key provisions of IDEA requirements that ensure compliance and 

positive outcomes for its students. The primary focus areas of the on-site review included: (1) 

addressing the language and communication needs of its students on an individualized basis; 

(2) development and implementation of annual goals that are based on the student’s 

individualized present level of performance and unique needs; (3) development and 

implementation of appropriate measureable postsecondary transition goals; and (4) addressing 

the behavioral and emotional needs and issues of students on an individualized basis. As a 

result of those monitoring visits, the Department decided to expand the monitoring beyond 

procedural compliance to incorporate a results-driven accountability approach. Consequently, 

the Department will continue to provide technical assistance to assist the Center in improving its 

compliance and student outcomes throughout fiscal year 2014, culminating in an additional 

monitoring visit in the spring of 2014. The Department will transmit to the Center a final letter 

summarizing the results of the review.