FY 2008 Annual Report of Achievements - Gallaudet University

History
1857 Amos Kendall establishes a school on his estate for deaf and blind children in the
metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.
1864 Congress grants Kendall School a charter to operate a collegiate program, Gallaudet College.
1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Model Secondary School for the Deaf Act (P.L. 89-694).
1969 The secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the president of
Gallaudet College sign an agreement enabling the implementation of P.L. 89-694, authorizing
the establishment and operation of MSSD at the college to devise, develop, and test innovative
and exemplary courses of study for deaf and hard of hearing high school students.
1970 Congress passes the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School Act (P.L. 91-587), transforming
the historic Kendall School into a demonstration elementary school with programs for students
from birth through age 15, expanding its role to include research and dissemination.
1986 The Education of the Deaf Act (EDA; P.L. 99-371) reauthorizes KDES and MSSD under one
act, establishes a national commission to study the education of students who are deaf and hard
of hearing across the United States, and accords university status to Gallaudet College.
1992 The EDA Amendments of 1992 (P.L. 102-421) identify the primary purpose of the
demonstration schools: The Clerc Center’s clear and compelling national mission is to work
together with parents, educators, deaf and hard of hearing students, and adults throughout
the country to improve the quality of deaf education nationwide. To this end, the Clerc
Center provides technical assistance and outreach to meet the training and information
needs of its constituency in various educational environments.
1994 The National Mission Advisory Panel establishes literacy, family involvement, and
transition as the priority areas for the Clerc Center.
1998 Congress reauthorizes the EDA.
1999 Pre-College National Mission Programs is renamed the Laurent Clerc National Deaf
Education Center.
2008 The reauthorized EDA (P.L. 110-315) charges the Clerc Center to comply with the major
components of the No Child Left Behind Act.
88