Jessica Scott

Jessica Scott is an associate professor in deaf education in the Department of Learning Sciences. She earned her undergraduate degree in deaf education from Flagler College, and both her Ed.M. in language and literacy with reading specialist licensure and Ed.D. in human development and education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Scott began her career in deaf education as a high school English teacher at the Alaska School for the Deaf. While earning her master’s degree, she also worked as a reading specialist at The Learning Center for the Deaf in Massachusetts.

Her dissertation won Harvard University’s Jeanne S. Chall student research award. In it, she focused on the influence of American Sign Language and academic English proficiency on reading comprehension among deaf and hard of hearing middle and high school students.

As an assistant professor in deaf education, Scott is interested in further exploring the role that American Sign Language plays in the reading of deaf and hard of hearing students, as well as literacy instruction for deaf students. She is also interested in the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students in developing countries.

She is currently serving as chairperson for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Special Interest Group of the International Literacy Association.

Education

• Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/ Elementary Education, Flagler College
• Ed.M., Language and Literacy with Reading Specialist licensure, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Ed.D., Human Development and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Specializations

• Deaf education
• Language and literacy education
• Bilingualism in deaf education
• Academic English development among secondary school students