Department of Education

GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

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

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

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

Summary of Changes .............................................................................................................N-4

Authorizing Legislation............................................................................................................N-5

Appropriations History.............................................................................................................N-6

Activity:

Gallaudet University .......................................................................................................N-7
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: 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

 

NOTE

A full-year 2013 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the budget was prepared; therefore, 

this account is operating under a continuing resolution (P.L. 112-175)

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 2012 2013 2014

Discretionary budget authority:

Discretionar y budget authority: Annual appropriation............................................... $117,764 $117,541 $117,541

Discretionar y budget authority:Construction............................................................ 7,990 7,975 0

Across-the-board reduction (P.L. 112-74) (ATB 2012)

Discretionar y budget authority: ( ATB 2012)Annual appropriation............................................... -223 0 0

Discretionar y budget authority: ( ATB 2012)Construction ........................................................... -15 0 0

Across-the-board increase (P.L. 112-175)

Discretionar y budget authority: Annual appropriation............................................... 0 +720 0

Discretionar y budget authority:Construction............................................................ 0 +49 0

Subtotal, adjusted discretionary appropriation

Subtotal, appr opriation:Annual appropriation ................................................ 117,541 118,261 117,541

Subtotal, appr opriation:Construction............................................................. 7,975 8,024 0

Total, adjusted discretionary appropriation ............... 125,516 126,285 117,541
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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2012................................................................................................. $125,516

2014................................................................................................. 117,541

Net change ............................................................... -7,975

Decreases: 2012 base

Change 

from base

Program:

Program: The Administration is not requesting additional funds for the 

construction of new residential buildings for the Model 

Secondary School for the Deaf. 7,975 -7,975

Subtotal, decreases -7,975

Net change - 7,975
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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2013

Authorized

2013

Estimate

footnote

2014

Authorized

2014

Request

footnote

University programs (EDA-l-A) Indefinite $117,541 Indefinite $117,541

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

Construction (EDA-l-103) Indefinite 7,975 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 125,516 117,541

Total appropriation including 0.612 percent ATB increase 126,285

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

2001 $87,650 $89,400 $87,650 $89,400

2002 89,400 95,600 97,000 96,938

2003 94,446 95,000 98,438 97,798

2004 94,446 100,600 100,800 100,205

2005 100,205 104,000 105,400 104,557

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 7 126,285 8

2014 117,541

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 amount shown includes the 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided by P.L. 112-175, in effect 

through March 27, 2013.
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Activit y

Gallaudet University

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

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2014 Authorization: Indefinite 

Budget Authority:

Period of Fund Availability

2012 2013 2014

Change 

from 2012

Operations $117,541 $117,541 $117,541 0

Construction 7,975 7,975 0 -$7,975

Total 125,516 125,516 1 117,541 -7,975

 1 Excludes 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175.

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 
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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 

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 2012-2013. 

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, 2012, the value of the Federal Endowment Grant program corpus, including 

Federal, private, and reinvested funds, was $73.4 million. This amount represents a $600,000, 

or 0.8 percent, increase over the previous fiscal year.

In 2012, the Federal Government provided $117.541 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 68 percent of 

total revenue for the University. Gallaudet used $88.541 million of the federal appropriation for 

university-level instructional, research, and outreach programs and $29.448 million for Clerc 

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

approximately 62 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 and that the University sets aside for the Endowment Grant program, but because 

the figure the University uses for non-Federal revenue includes interest from the Federal 

Endowment Grant program, approximately $347,000 in fiscal year 2012; and $7 million in 

revenue that the University received from Federal grants and contracts. Additionally, in fiscal 

year 2012, Gallaudet students received $9.4 million from Federal student aid programs and $9.4 

million from Federal vocational rehabilitation programs. 
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The following chart indicates the relative proportions that funding from various sources 

comprises of Gallaudet’s total budget.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

(dollars in thousands)

2009................................................................................... $124,000 1

2010.....................................................................................123,000 2

2011.....................................................................................122,754 3

2012.....................................................................................125,516 4

2013.....................................................................................125,516 5

___________________

1 Includes $6 million for construction. 2 Includes $5 million for construction. 3 Includes $4.99 million for construction. 4 Includes $7.98 million for construction. 5 Includes $7.98 million for construction but excludes 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in 

P.L. 112-175.

Federal 

Appropriation 

(68.0%)

Federal Grants & 

Contracts (4.0%)

Other (1.2%)

Tuition and Fees 

(7.6%)

Contributions 

(1.7%)

Auxiliary 

Enterprises 

(13.6%)

Investment & 

Other Interest 

Income (3.9%)

FY 2012 Operating Budget 

($172.94 million)
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FY 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $117.541 million for Gallaudet University operations for fiscal year 

2014 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 2012 level. The Administration is not requesting additional funds 

for construction. 

These funds will be used to serve the approximately 1,507 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 2014 and to 

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

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

Program Operations. The request includes $117.541 million for program operations, the same 

as the fiscal year 2012 level for operations. Between fiscal year 2004 and 2012, the 

appropriation for Gallaudet’s program operations increased by approximately $17.3 million or 

17.3 percent. During the same period, postsecondary enrollment declined by 8.4 percent, from 

1,870 to 1,713 while the combined enrollment at KDES and MSSD declined 20.8 percent, from 

331 to 262. 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 890 full-time employees

and expects to reduce that level to 877 through 2014. Given these factors, we believe that the 

request would provide sufficient funds to maintain all operations and programs. 

Construction. Gallaudet has successfully completed its soil stabilization project, which was 

undertaken to stabilize the surface beneath the Model Secondary School for the Deaf’s (MSSD) 

dormitories. Although the project successfully stabilized the soil, the buildings were badly

damaged, and the University determined, through an independent contractor, that demolishing 

the buildings and constructing new dormitories would be less expensive than repairing and 

renovating the existing structures. 

In the spring of 2010, Gallaudet University requested the Department’s permission to raze the 

dorms that had been damaged from resting on unstable soil. The MSSD students were, and 

still are, living in a separate wing of the college dormitories so the buildings were serving no 

purpose and, according to the University, were potentially hazardous. Consequently, the 

Department approved the University’s request to raze the dormitories. 

A full-year CR in FY 2013 would provide Gallaudet with approximately $8 million for 

construction. These funds, combined with the $21 million in construction funds from prior fiscal 

years that the University has not spent, provide the University with slightly more than the $28 

million it needs to support the construction of a new 200-bed dormitory to house all MSSD 

residential students. 
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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 2014. 

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 2012, Gallaudet received approximately $12.5 million from tuition, room and board, and other 

fees. During academic year 2011-2012, Gallaudet students received approximately $9.4 million in 

vocational rehabilitation payments and $9.4 million in federal student financial aid, including

$2.6 million in Pell Grants, $43,201 from Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and 

$82,464 in Federal Work-Study Grants. 

The average student aid package for eligible students requesting aid came to $19,604 per student in 

fiscal year 2012. By way of comparison, the total cost of attending Gallaudet in fiscal year 2012 was 

$11,886 ($11,610 for tuition and $276 in fees) for commuter students and $21,946 for residential 

students ($11,610 for tuition, $276 in fees, $5,460 for room and $4,600 for board). In addition to 

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

Security Disability Income payments. Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS) indicate that the average cost of tuition and fees, room, and board at private 4-year 

institutions was $34,725 in academic year 2009-10.

The University received approximately $7.0 million in grants and contracts in fiscal year 2012 but

anticipates slightly lower levels in fiscal years 2013 and 2014. The Gallaudet Board of Trustees 

decided in October 2010 to increase tuition by 7 percent in fiscal year 2012. In May 2011, the Board 

approved an additional 7 percent increase in tuition for fiscal year 2013. Gallaudet has 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. 

Enrollment trends. Undergraduate enrollment at Gallaudet has generally declined over the past 

19 years from a high of 1,825 in 1990. However, the most recent few years of enrollment data 

suggest a slight reversal of this trend for full-time, degree-seeking students. The enrollment of fulltime degree-seeking undergraduates has increased steadily over the last five years, increasing from 

927 in the fall of 2008 (fiscal year 2009) to 1,045 in the fall of 2012 (fiscal year 2013). Over the same 

period, graduate enrollment increased from 377 in the fall of 2008 to 446 in the fall of 2012. 

In fiscal year 2013 (fall of 2012), enrollment at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and Kendall 

Demonstration Elementary School dropped to a combined total of 244 students, which represents a 

7 percent decline from the fiscal year 2012 enrollment of 262 students and a 2 percent increase from 

the fiscal year 2011 enrollment of 239. 

Total enrollment at the institution increased between fiscal years 2012 and 2013, from 1,713 to 1,821. 

This increase represented the first time total enrollment has increased from the prior year since fiscal 

year 2010. 

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 
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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 Students. 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 is 

contingent on the University seeking input from the student and alumni community. In the fall of 

2012 (fiscal year 2013), a total of 47 hearing students were enrolled in the undergraduate 

program. 

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

Measures: 2012 2013 1 20141

Estimated total revenues (dollars 

in thousands):

University programs $142,401 $141,201 $143,849

Clerc Center programs 30,540 30,540 30,640

Total 172,941 171,741 174,489

Annual tuition and fees:

Base Tuition $11,610 $12,430 $13,424

Room 5,460 5,960 6,500

Board 4,600 4,830 5,080

Fees 276 276 276

Total 21,946 23,496 25,280

International student surcharge, 

non-developing country $11,610 $12,430 $13,424

International student surcharge, 

developing country $5,805 $6,214 $6,712

Graduate student surcharge $1,160 $1,250 $1,350
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Measures: 2012 2013 1 20141

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, non-developing 

country $1,160 $1,250 $1,350

Additional surcharge for graduate 

students, developing country $580 $626 $676

Federal appropriation as a percent 

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

Estimated average cost per 

student $68,800 3 $65,760 3 $66,1503

Program enrollment (includes 

HUGS and international students):

Degree-seeking

undergraduates 1,029 1,045 1,070

Non-degree & part-time 

students 274 4 330 4 282 4

Graduate students 410 446 437

Total 1,713 1,821 1,789

International students (in degree 

and non-degree programs) 144 164 164

International student percentage 9.0% 9.3% 9.2%

Hearing undergraduate students 43 47 54

Model Secondary School for the 

Deaf (MSSD) students 165 150 170

Kendall Demonstration 

Elementary School (KDES)

students 97 94 105

Sponsored Programs:

Proposals 30 30 30

Awards 18 5 18 5 18 5

Funding (dollars in thousands) $7,000 $6,000 $6,200

Research:

Sponsored research funding 

(dollars in thousands) $7,000 $6,000 $6,200

Appropriated research (dollars in 

thousands) $2,500 $2,500 $2,500

Gallaudet research publications 100 100 100
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Measures: 2012 2013 1 20141

Student/faculty ratios:

University 9.1:1 9.7:1 9.8:1

MSSD 6.7:1 6.7:1 6.7:1

KDES 5.0:1 4.7:1 5.0:1

Number of employees:

Permanent positions 890 877 877

Temporary 6 6 6

Grant or revenue supported 81 81 81

___________________________________

NOTE: 2013 excludes 0.612 percent across-the-board increase provided in P.L. 112-175. 1 Estimates.

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 

2012, 2013, and 2014. 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 2014 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

2009 70 75 76

2010 70 73 77

2011 70 70 73

2012 72 77 77 81

2013 73 77

2014 74 77

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2011 indicate that 

the average retention rate between 2009 and 2010 was 62.7 percent for 4-year public colleges 

with open enrollment and 63.5 percent for 4-year private not-for-profit colleges with open 

enrollment. The Department, in consultation with the University, increased the previous 2012 

target from 70 to 72 and established a long-term 2015 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 information for fiscal year 2008 was obtained from the IPEDS. The information for fiscal 

years 2009-2011 was provided by the University’s Office of Enrollment Services. The 

Department has confirmed that the 2009-2011 data are consistent with the data in the IPEDS 

database and will verify and update, if necessary, 2012 data once IPEDS data becomes 

available. 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. 

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

graduate within 6 years of enrollment.

Year Target Actual

2009 32 40

2010 32 35

2011 32 41

2012 32 33

2013 35

2014 39

Additional information: Data from NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for 2011 indicate that

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

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

average 6-year graduation rate of 36.4 percent.

The “actual” data for this measure for fiscal years 2003 through 2008 were obtained from, or 

verified using, the IPEDS database. For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the University provided 

data directly to the Department using the IPEDS methodology. For fiscal year 2009, the figure 

the University reported to the Department was 39 percent, but the IPEDS database indicates a 
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40 percent graduation rate. The slight disparity exists because, although the methodologies are 

nearly identical, IPEDS handles certain missing data slightly differently than the University. This 

figure has been updated accordingly. The Department has confirmed that the 2010 and 2011 

data is consistent with the data in the IPEDS database and will verify and update, if necessary, 

2012 data once IPEDS data become available. 

Measure: The graduation rate for Master’s students.

Year Target Actual

2009 74

2010 74

2011 72

2012 74 72

2013 74

2014 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

2009 90 72 20 92

2010 90 53 37 91

2011 90 75 19 94

2012 90 82 11 93

2013 90

2014 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 2012 indicate that 82 percent of the students within the 2007-08 freshmen cohort 

graduated in their 4th year and 11 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
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93 percent for fiscal year 2012. 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. 

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

2009 82 83 38 7 10 10

2010 82 72 38 18 10 10

2011 75 50 15 45 10 5

2012 75 15 10

2013 75 15 10

2014 75 15 10

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 2011 data are based on the results of a survey with a response rate of 77

percent—the highest response rate ever achieved by the institution.
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

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Measure: The percentage of MSSD graduates who are employed, in postsecondary education or 

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

year after graduation. 

Year Students 

Employed 

Target

Students 

Employed 

Actual

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training Target

Students in 

Postsecondary 

Education or 

Training Actual

Not 

Engaged in 

Either 

Activity 

Target

Not 

Engaged in 

Either 

Activity 

Actual

2009 0 100 0

2010 21 86 7

2011 12 7 88 87 0 7

2012 12 88 0

2013 12 88 0

2014 12 88 0

Additional information: Previously, Gallaudet provided data to the Department on the 

percentage of MSSD graduates who are employed or attending postsecondary education 

programs 4 months after graduation as a single percentage. Consistent with the current postschool measures for University graduates with baccalaureate degrees, we disaggregated the 

two categories in fiscal year 2007 and added a third category. Gallaudet now provides data on 

MSSD graduates: (1) who are employed, (2) who are in postsecondary education or training, 

and (3) who are not engaged in either activity. These data provide a much more complete 

picture of post-school outcomes for MSSD graduates. In addition, in fiscal year 2008, the 

Department changed the measure from status at 4 months after graduation to 1 year after 

graduation, starting with students who graduated in June 2008. This change has resulted in the 

collection of more valid data and is consistent with the time period used for measuring the postschool outcomes of Gallaudet's university-level graduates and NTID graduates. Data reported 

for fiscal year 2010 indicate that, within one year of graduation, 86 percent of MSSD graduates 

were enrolled in postsecondary education, 21 percent of MSSD graduates were employed, and 

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 2011 was sent to the 30 members of the 2011 graduating 

class and yielded a response rate of 50 percent (15 respondents). 

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

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

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

N-19

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

2009 55 43

2010 55 34

2011 55 31

2012 55 181

2013 55

2014 55

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 

programs serving students who are deaf, and the financial and personnel resources available 

within these programs for training and implementation activities. The dramatic increase in 2012 

is due to the Clerc Center’s increased use of online Webinar technology to disseminate its 

strategies. The Department is working with Gallaudet on developing more valid and reliable 

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. 

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

2009 264,523

2010 $237,969 257,875

2011 243,204 252,501

2012 248,554 241,894

2013 253,277

2014 258,343

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 
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

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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 2014. As updated information becomes 

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

targets will be adjusted accordingly. 

Measure: Total educational cost per Gallaudet graduate.

Year Target Actual

2009 313,142

2010 $284,066 301,652

2011 290,315 291,548

2012 296,702 276,785

2013 302,339

2014 308,386

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 2014. As updated information becomes available regarding the projected inflation rate 

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

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

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Other Performance Information

The Education of the Deaf Act (EDA) was amended in fiscal year 2008 to require Gallaudet to 

select challenging academic content standards, academic achievement standards, and 

academic assessments of a State for its elementary and secondary education programs; 

implement these standards and assessments no later than the beginning of the 2009-2010 

academic year; and annually determine whether such programs are making adequate yearly 

progress, consistent with the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965. 

In school year 2008-2009, the Clerc Center began the process of developing procedures to 

adopt State standards and assessments from the State of Ohio. The University went through 

an extensive process to determine the most appropriate set of standards and assessments for 

the Center to adopt and determined that the Ohio standards and assessments would be a good 

fit for the Clerc Center. The Center started implementing and developing new procedures for 

KDES and MSSD in school year 2009-2010. 

The Department conducted a monitoring visit of the Clerc Center in February 2010 to assess 

how the Center was complying with the new EDA requirements and transmitted a report on the 

results of this monitoring visit to the Clerc Center in August of 2011. In the report, the 

Department notified the Center that it must implement Ohio’s academic assessments and 

achievement standards in their entirety. Thus, the Center is required to administer the 

assessments to the same grades of students to which Ohio administers the tests. Additionally, 

the Clerc Center is required to use the same cut scores for differentiating between student 

proficiency levels and performance level descriptors as those used by Ohio. The Department 

also clarified that the Clerc Center has flexibility in assessing its Adequate Yearly Progress 

(AYP) in accordance with Ohio’s annualized measurable objectives (AMOs). In particular, since 

Ohio’s students began taking these assessments in the 2002-2003 academic year, and since 

Ohio established its AMOs based on annual progress over an eleven year period, the Clerc 

Center may assess its performance in academic year 2010-2011 against Ohio’s AMO in 

academic year 2002-2003. The Clerc Center could similarly continue to apply Ohio’s AMOs for 

2003-04, 2004-05, etc. in making AYP determinations for subsequent years. The Clerc Center 

may use the same flexibility used by schools and school districts in Ohio in making its AYP 

determinations for KDES and MSSD, including: uniform averaging, which permits schools to 

aggregate data from multiple years to increase sample sizes for more reliable estimation of a 

target group's performance; safe harbor, in which a school can be considered to have met AYP 

if the number of non-proficient students in each group not reaching the proficient level 

decreases by at least 10 percent from the previous year and the school makes progress on the 

“other academic indicator” included in the State‘s AYP definition; and growth, which allows 

schools to measure progress by tracking the achievement scores of the same students from 

one year to the next. The Center also may propose criteria to apply a “small school” review, 

subject to the Department’s approval.

The Department also 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 
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

Gallaudet University___________________________________________________________ 

N-22

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.

In fiscal year 2013, 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 Center is implementing key provisions of IDEA requirements that 

ensure compliance and positive outcomes for its students. The primary focus areas of the onsite 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. Depending on the results of the on-site monitoring visits, the Department may return to 

conduct more substantive reviews of specific issues, if any, identified during the previous visits. 

The Department will transmit a final letter summarizing the results of the review.