- Thompson makes request after audit finds New York City Department of Education failing to screen students for vision and hearing problems -

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today called on the Governor and State legislators to mandate vision and hearing testing for children in kindergarten and first grade.

Thompson penned letters to Governor David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver following the release of an audit disclosing how the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) failed to check an astounding number of schoolchildren for hearing and vision problems.

“Our audit,” Thompson wrote, “found that the DOE flatly ignored its own regulations and failed to conduct more than 50 percent of its vision screenings and 80 percent of its hearing screenings. Unfortunately, this failure is not only breathtaking in scope but also in impact.”

Thompson noted that a number of other states already have taken steps to bolster efforts to provide vision and hearing assessments of young children.

“I therefore urge you to strongly support legislation that is now being considered in both the Assembly and the Senate that will mandate vision and hearing assessments for children entering kindergarten and first grade,” he wrote. “Your leadership in this area will help resolve what has for too long been a disservice to our children.”

The audit – which can be viewed along with the letter at www.comptroller.nyc.gov - found the agencies were dodging regulations and failing to conduct a third of required vision screenings and nearly half of required hearing screenings in the appropriate grades.

Thompson’s auditors reviewed school years 2002-2003 through 2005-2006, focusing on children who were in the fourth grade during the 2006-2007 school year. During that time, only 42% of the DOE’s required vision screenings and 20% of hearing screenings were conducted. The DOHMH completed 94% of both vision and hearing screenings over the same time period.

As a result of DOE’s failure to assign oversight and responsibility for monitoring of the program: vision and hearing screenings are not being provided to City public school students in accordance with applicable regulations; there is very limited follow up to parents of students who fail screenings to ensure that students who require the greatest amount of follow-up care receive it; DOE cannot ensure that students were screened in the appropriate grades, as defined in the Chancellor’s Regulations, because DOE cannot generate accurate reports on the number of screenings conducted; and, DOE did not ensure that screenings were conducted at schools that had a School-Based Health Center.

Noting the importance of detecting vision and hearing problems at an early age, the Comptroller said in today’s letter: “The failure to address this issue has significant long-term repercussions for our children’s education and practically guarantees that they will not achieve their highest potential. It is simply inexcusable to permit this longstanding neglect to continue. It is also an issue that likely extends far beyond New York City’s borders.”

Thompson noted: “In addition to the profoundly distressing – and avoidable – health and learning implications, there are also considerable economic consequences as well; many students whose sole challenge is an undetected hearing or visual impairment are being inappropriately placed in costly special education environments,” he said.

Thompson made 13 recommendations asking DOE and DOHMH to: immediately take steps to ensure that vision and hearing screenings are conducted for the sample students noted in this report who have not received screenings; and, jointly issue a manual on vision and hearing screening that more clearly defines the division of responsibility between DOHMH and DOE and that reflects the agreement between the agencies on the detailed tasks of their respected staffs.

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