Executive Summary. Oklahoma School for the Deaf. Mrs. KaAnn Varner, Superintendent 1100 East Oklahoma Street Sulphur, OK 73086

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1 Mrs. KaAnn Varner, Superintendent 1100 East Oklahoma Street Sulphur, OK Document Generated On February 3, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 5 Additional Information 7

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? is the premier educational program for deaf and hard of hearing students in the state of Oklahoma. OSD is located in Sulphur, Oklahoma. OSD was established to provide specialized and intensive services that focus on the unique learning needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. OSD serves students in grades Pre-K through 12. Students from 57 counties are served by OSD. Residential students live on campus in dormitories with house parents on site 24 hours a day. Non-residential students from the surrounding areas are transported to and from school daily. OSD operates on a four day school week with students attending classes Monday - Thursday. In addition to the students enrolled at OSD, OSD provides outreach, consulting, audiology and testing assistance to other schools who have deaf and hard of hearing students. Students who attend OSD must meet all graduation requirements set forth by the state of Oklahoma. All classes are taught in consideration of each student's unique communication and education needs. This includes not only the use of American Sign language, but also the use of other adaptive technology beneficial to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Courses such as Chemistry, Algebra I, Geometry, English, Government and others that are required for graduation are offered. OSD has a strong vocational program that is supported by Career Tech. Business Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences and Welding classes are offered onsite. OSD also offers a school to work program called Occupational Training Opportunities for the Deaf. In this program students work at various places in the community accompanied by a job coach. This enables students to gain valuable experience with job applications, interviews, work experience and obtaining work ethics. Participation in OTOD enables students to develop a working resume' for use to obtain post-graduation employment. Students at OSD receive the full educational and social experiences that are available to most of Oklahoma's students. They perform in school programs and dramas. They have prom and Homecoming for all sports. They compete with other schools on academic teams, sports teams and leadership programs. OSD has two expanded educational reach with two satellite preschool strategically placed throughout the state. One at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond and one at the University of Arts and Sciences in Chickasha. These satellite programs help to educate children at home during their early childhood years and provide the needed education in communication that is critical for young students. Factors that OSD must take into consideration when determining program needs and potential future success of students are * Age of hearing loss onset * Age of identification of hearing loss * Age received amplification (hearing aids, cochlear implants) * Age language development began * Skill level I n chosen communication mode ( sign language, lip reading, oral) * Previous access to deaf education professionals in schools * Additional disabilities. Page 2

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6 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. OSD's mission is to ensure that every student is equipped for life-long learning, responsible citizenship and productive employment in an ever-changing society. OSD offers the ultimate learning environment for deaf and hard of hearing students because there are no communication barriers at OSD. Students who attend OSD must still meet all graduation requirements set forth by the state of Oklahoma. At OSD students receive: * Instructional methods, materials and technology specialized for deaf and hard of hearing students of all ages. * Intensive instruction in academic, communication and independent living skills. * Teachers trained in Education of the Deaf * Small class size- tailored to the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students * Social and cultural activities with chances to interact with students at other schools * Sports Recreation and physical education options * Vocational training and work experience for older students * A safe supervised environment * OSD offers free room and board to students enrolled at OSD The administration, staff, parents and students take enormous pride in our school. OSD provides a quality learning environment where children can grow and flourish. Individual Education Plans are designed to meet the needs of each student. OSD strives for excellence for every student so that no student, at any time, is left behind. Studnets and staff feel a strong connection to the school. This is reflected in the life of alumni and former staff members who continue to hold OSD in high regard. We know that quality staff members are vital to providing quality service. Working at OSD is more than a job to most of our staff, it is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our current and future generations of students. We believe that every employee's contribution to the education and welfare of students is important. Serving others starts with each of us. We work as a team to make sure that our goal are accomplished. Page 4

7 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. As the only four day school week school for the deaf in the United States, OSD has taken the lead on implementing changes that allow for increased academic achievement. The longer school day allows for all students to obtain needed tutoring, remediation, homework assistance, and more one on one reading assistance. In addition, the four day school week has allowed for more time for student participation in the community around Sulphur and in their home communities. The cost savings for a four day school week have also been a very positive outcome. OSD is continuously looking for ways to excel and serve in it's capacity as the state resource center on deafness. The OSD outreach program is growing. During the school year, OSD provided 27, 959 Direct services, 2,842 Consultations and evaluations, 11, 368 services to families, 10, 436 services to schools, and 3, 313 services to various organizations. OSD provides outreach by providing consulting, audiology services and testing for students who are deaf and hard of hearing enrolled in other schools in the state. OSD has a 235 Equipment Distribution program for deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired individuals; the senior citizen hearing aid program and the children's hearing aid program. OSD strives to record information and set goals in five areas: * Customer satisfaction - OSD's customers are our students, parents, staff, the Deaf Community, other state agencies and organizations. Our goals are to make more people aware of our services and to provide our stakeholders with quality services that meet or exceed their expectations. OSD has increased the number of partnerships, workshops throughout the state, displays at local and state conferences and advertisements. OSD strives to provide quality service for all of it's customers. * Program /Student Achievement - OSD's goals are to meet federal/state standards and to meet or exceed public expectations. We meet that goal in a variety of ways. OSD strives to meet all requirement set forth by the State Department of Education. OSD maintains a high graduation rate and a healthy number of graduates attend college or find gainful employment. OSD will continue its emphasis on literacy and math, striving to demonstrate at least one year's growth on an annual basis. * Financial Perspective - OSD receives 95% of it's budget from state appropriations. The yearly appropriations have remained mostly the same for the last several years. OSD strives to be good stewards with money to ensure programs, and projects are goal oriented and student centered. * Employee Learning and Growth - OSD believes that employees are the key to our success. The role of administrators is to make sure that staff members have what they need to do their jobs. We, therefore, believe that education and training are investments in our school's future. Our goals in this area are to promote a positive productive employee climate, to maintain and improve effective and assessable communication, and to support continuous education and skill development. * Internal Business Process Perspective - OSD's goals are to continue to improve resources and to continue to evaluate our business process. OSD keeps a well-groomed campus that is safe and clean for the students and staff. Resources are current and accessible. Technology needs are continuously evaluated and accessed for ways to improve technology needs in a constantly evolving world of technology. Page 5

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9 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. OSD believes in utilizing every means possible to maximize the link between OSD and the community. OSD does not operate on it's own isolated from others. OSD draws on the experiences, research and wisdom of others. OSD enters into community partnerships that benefit students' and teachers learning opportunities. OSD has close relationships with colleges and universities in the state that educate potential teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as potential interpreters. OSD works to recruit, prepare and mentor novice and inexperienced teachers. Some colleges such as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Tulsa Community college and some out of state universities, often send students to OSD. OSD believes in maximizing opportunities to serve others. Some ways in which OSD has Strong Student Ambassadors and Student Government organizations that promote serving others. In addition the school is a member of the National Honor Society. OSD has served others in many ways including: *Organized Deaf Awareness Week * Hosted the DRS Expo * Sponsored a Constitution Day with the Daughters of the American Revolution * Hosted many dances and social events * Developed a Fire Safety Program * Hosted the DRS commission * Initiated a holiday food drive for OSD needy families * Initiated a Veteran's Day Celebration for the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Sulphur * Served as volunteers for the Town Hall Alcohol Prevention Program * Supported Anti-Bullying Day * Initiated blood drives * represented OSD at Disability Awareness Day at the state capital * Organized Oklahoma Day * Raised money for a drug dog In it's capacity of serving others, the school includes families and community members in setting the schools ultimate goals of high expectations of excellent performance. The school informs parents and community members about its goals and the students' own responsibility for obtaining their own personal goals. It engages all stakeholders in an ongoing and reflective conversation, consensus building and decision-making governance to promote school improvement. The entire student population of OSD are on Individualized Education Plans. The IEP states how frequently and the manner in which parents are to be informed of student progress. The IEP must provide a statement of how the students parents will be reqularly informed of their child's progress toward goals and the extent to which that progress is sufficient to enable the student to achieve goals. Parents are notified of their child's progress in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to periodic parent/teacher conferences, written progress reports, and other formal ways of communicating. Page 7

10 OSD publishes and maintains several media related items to keep parents, students, alumni, staff and other interested parties informed of OSD's success. Some publications from OSD and/or DRS include, but not limited to: *OSD's Website: * Student/Parent Handbook * School Calendar * Indian Power - OSD student newspaper * Deaf Oklahoman * Equipment Distribution Pamphlet and Application * Outreach Consulting Handbook * Occupational Training for the Deaf Pamphlets * Parent Rights * Public Service Announcements on Radio and TV * Booths at various conferences and meetings Page 8