CURRICULUM

Elementary offers curricula under the Indiana Department of Education Proficiency Standards with emphasis on linguistic and cognitive skills with real world applications. Elementary at ISD comprises the Kindergarten through fifth grades. American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of instruction. The curricula encompass American Sign Language, language arts (ESL and Literacy), mathematics, science, social studies, arts, physical education, computer lab, drama, communication, and social skills.

The major goal of the Elementary Program is to provide linguistic, social, and intellectual experiences to enable the students to develop literacy in two languages - ASL and English. Culturally, the students are offered experiences that will enhance the acquisition of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of both Deaf and Hearing communities. Caring adults who are licensed teachers provide these bilingual, bicultural experiences that support each child's self-esteem and pride in family, community, ethnic, and linguistic heritage. We view ourselves as members of a world community with a variety of values and traditions. We feel that educational opportunities to learn about and value other cultures and traditions are important to understanding and respecting of one's own individual culture and traditions.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

All students have 90 minutes of uninterrupted Bilingual Language Arts (BLA). BLA primarily emphasizes reading and grammar skills. The Language Arts program follows the Process Balanced Literacy Model. Our program uses two forms of assessments. Fry Sight Words Assessments and A-Z reading levels.

Students in the elementary school also spend an average of 50 minutes focusing on each of the following content areas separately: Math, English, Social Studies, and Writing. In addition to the core content areas, students have a 50 minutes block of Related Arts time. The Related Arts electives include: Deaf Studies, Physical Education (PE)/Health, and Art.​

Deaf Studies is the study of Deaf culture. American Sign Language (ASL) and the usage of ASL. Students in the Deaf studies course learn the history and origins of American Sign Language. They also learn about Deaf history and culture. Lastly, students are given the chance to present in ASL to develop and refine their presentation skills.

Physical Education (PE) and Health: the program follows the presidential physical fitness standards.

Art: Students study a wide array of mediums and work on projects to facilitate creative growth.

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TYPE OF ASSESSMENTS

Indiana Standards and Tools for Alternate Reporting (ISTAR)
ISTAR measures student progress in English/Language Arts (ELA), Science (Grades 4, 6, and 10), Math (Grades 3-8, and 10), and Social Studies (Grades 5 and &) based on alternate standards. Grade-level standardized tests may not be able to adequately assess students who perform at a rate significantly below their grade level. ISTAR aims to alleviate this issue.

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)
WIDA is an English language proficiency assessment put in place to meet Indiana’s standards for college and career-readiness. This assessment measures English language skills.

NWEA- Measure of Progress (MAP)
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are for students in grades K-12. These assessments have been designed to measure academic growth, establish curriculum, predict proficiency on tests, etc.

IREAD-3
This assessment measures basic reading skills up to the 3rd grade. This test is designed to ensure that all students can read at acceptable levels before advancing to the 4th grade.

GRADING SCALE

K-2 GRADE
O = EXCELLENT PROGRESS
S = SATISFACTORY PROGRESS
N = NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

3-5 GRADE
A = EXCELLENT
B = GOOD
C = AVERAGE
D = POOR
F = FAILING