2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint
Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint
Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint offers a strategic, statewide approach to ensuring that children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) are supported from the moment of identification through literacy by third grade. At the heart of this effort is systems change, intentionally expanding access for vulnerable families and building structures that deliver measurable improvements in language and literacy outcomes.
This poster demonstrates how Georgia leverages creative funding, innovative program design, and cross-agency collaboration to build sustainable solutions to persistent challenges within the EHDI system. Through the Blueprint, state and local agencies work together to align resources, use data to guide decisions, and create systemic supports that help families navigate the journey from birth to literacy. These initiatives connect families across key milestones including screening, diagnostic evaluation, early intervention, and school-based services to maximize educational outcomes.
Georgia has chosen literacy as its unifying goal, shaping broader partnerships that strengthen the entire system. By focusing on literacy outcomes rather than modality, the state has aligned diverse resources toward the shared vision of every child entering school ready to read, learn, and thrive.
This poster ties together systems-change initiatives, strategic partnerships, and creative funding to align language resources across ASL, LSL, and bilingual approaches and demonstrates how innovation and collaboration, anchored in literacy, can transform opportunities for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will understand how Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint and systems-change strategy expand access for vulnerable families and strengthen statewide supports for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will learn how cross-agency partnerships, creative funding strategies, and data-driven planning strengthen statewide supports for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Participants will explore how focusing on literacy as the unifying goal—across ASL, LSL, and bilingual approaches—aligns resources and improves opportunities for every child.
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Presenters/Authors
Jessica Bergeron
(Primary Presenter,Co-Author), Georgia DOE Outreach Services , Jessica.Bergeron@doe.k12.ga.us;
Jessica Bergeron, Ph.D., is Director of Georgia’s Outreach Services, where she leads statewide systems-change efforts to improve outcomes for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and children who are Blind and Visually Impaired. She led the Georgia Pathway’s effort to create the Georgia’s Birth-to-Literacy Blueprint, which leverages partnerships, innovative funding, and data-driven planning to strengthen supports for families. In recognition of her leadership, she received the 2025 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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No relevant financial relationship exists.
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No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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No relevant financial relationship exists.
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No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Traci Penland
(Co-Author), Georgia Department of Education, traci.penland@doe.k12.ga.us;
Traci Penland is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is dedicated to advancing literacy for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing through her work with the Georgia Department of Education. Her journey into education followed a successful twenty-year career in corporate finance, supported by a degree in Finance. Traci’s commitment to supporting families with hearing loss led her to serve as an educational advocate with Georgia Hands & Voices, where she helped parents navigate their children’s educational needs.
She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University. As a mother of three, including two children born with hearing loss, Traci is passionate about improving educational resources and outcomes for families across Georgia.
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Coley Penson
(Co-Author), Georgia DOE Outreach Services, Nicole.Penson@doe.k12.ga.us;
Coley Penson holds a Master’s in Deaf Education and a background in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She currently works with Georgia Outreach Services as a Digital Parent Navigator, supporting families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Her background includes work across Deaf and Hard of Hearing education and nonprofit organizations, where she focused on early language and communication development for young children and their families.
Coley is passionate about helping families establish a unified first language (L1) and bridging those early foundations into early literacy skills that lead to confident, lifelong readers. She believes that when families feel supported and connected, children have the opportunity to communicate, learn, and thrive.
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Rebecca Tucker
(Co-Author), Georgia DOE Outreach Services, rebecca.tucker@doe.k12.ga.us;
Rebecca Tucker is a certified Teacher of the Deaf with a Master’s in Deaf Education, a Reading Endorsement, and a certification in Early Intervention Studies. She currently works with Georgia Outreach Services as an Early Intervention Specialist and Literacy Coach. Her focus is on bridging early language development and school-age literacy for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She is passionate about equipping families and educators to foster children’s language foundations, literacy growth, and love of learning. Rebecca believes that when teachers feel equipped and families feel supported, children gain the foundation they need to learn, grow, and flourish.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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