Vision & Hearing
Screening for Students at Summer Success Academy
New York
City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced that the
Department of Education (DOE), in conjunction with the New
York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH),
would begin to screen third graders for vision and hearing
problems during the 2004 Summer Success Academy. The Summer
Success Academy, which launches this month, is the DOE’s
special summer program designed specifically for second and
third graders who have not met performance criteria to advance
to the next grade.
“We
are undertaking this important program in an effort to ensure
that all of our students have the opportunity to succeed. It is clear that poor vision or hearing
problems could impact negatively on a student’s ability
to perform and to learn,” Chancellor Joel I. Klein said. “By
providing these screenings to more than 20,000 children this
summer, we are taking a big step in guaranteeing that they
will be in the best and strongest position to succeed ultimately.”
Staff of
the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
(DOHMH) will conduct vision and hearing screenings. Following
the screenings, DOE staff will be responsible for the follow-up
and outreach efforts to parents and guardians. Parents will
be notified of any abnormal findings and given a form for
the child’s physician to return to the screening
program. School team members, nurses and parent coordinators
will also contact parents to be sure that children needing
further evaluation receive it.
The vision screening will include tests of near,
distance and binocular vision. Hearing screening will include
a sweep test and, if needed, a threshold test.
Separate from this summer screening, the Department
of Education recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) intended
to attract vendors for participation in another vision program.
This program is intended to screen secondary school students
in high-risk schools for vision abnormalities and to provide
them with glasses immediately. Both the special screening program
in the Summer Success Academy and this Vision RFP are designed
to assist students in their ability to learn by diagnosing
conditions that are easily treatable.#
