These guidelines are intended to assist parents in evaluating educational programs for children who are hearing impaired, where a program's stated intention is promoting the child's optimal use of spoken language as a mode of everyday communication and learning. The guidelines are applicable to programs where spoken language is the sole mode or one of multiple modes of communication. The guidelines state that an excellent educational program should have the following: (1) a commitment to individualizing educational programming to fit the child's strengths and needs; (2) a commitment to aggressive audiological management to promote the child's residual hearing; (3) a commitment to helping children develop intelligible spoken language to the greatest extent possible; (4) parent support offered by the program's leaders and staff; (5) well-trained, well-nurtured, available staff; (6) a range of educational settings; (7) full compliance with due process procedures; (8) a range of supportive services; (9) curricula which are interfaced and in concert with those provided to students in regular schools and classes; (10) a physical and social environment conducive to listening and speech reading; and (11) teachers who are qualified, willing to wear an FM transmitter when appropriate, and regularly consulted and supported by specialist staff. (JDD)