ISD Early Childhood and Elementary education offers curricula under the Indiana Department of Education Proficiency Standards with emphasis on linguistic and cognitive skills with real world applications. Early Childhood Education is comprised of a Toddler program age 18 months to 36 months and Early Childhood program 3 to 5 years old. Elementary program is comprised of Kindergarten through fifth grades. American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of instruction utilizing bilingual approach and methods. The curricula encompass American Sign Language, bilingual language arts (reading and writing), STEM: science, technology (digital media), engineering, and mathematics, social studies, art, physical education, and social skills. 

TODDLER PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Toddler Program (Age 18 months – 36 months) The toddler program is two days a week from 8:30 – 11:30. We offer a comprehensive educational program where we foster the development of two languages: ASL and English. We provide a developmentally appropriate learning environment and hands-on activities to instill life-long love for learning that supports a child’s holistic growth, using the principles of Reggio-Emilia and Project Approach in a classroom and outdoor educational setting.  

Our Program includes the following values: 

• We honor each the child’s individuality. Our children are diverse.

• We support families' goals. Our qualified teachers and paraprofessionals work to maximize each child’s potential by supporting their developmental needs. 

• We promote 2 languages ASL and English. Our children with auditory access are offered spoken language activities. 

We believe that: 

• The child is an active participant in learning - the child leads. 

• The environment is a significant part of learning - we are hands-on. 

• The child, parent and staff are collaborators - we are a team. 

• Learning is visible and valued – goals are documented and recorded. 

Parents drop off their child at the classroom using the Front Office Entrance at 8:30. And meet at the front office to pick up their child at 11:30.

Learning Centers in the classroom: 

Teachers design plans and organize the classrooms to promote each child’s social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development based on individual strengths and interests. Children actively play and learn in the following centers: Blocks, Drama, Table Toys, Art, Sensory, Literacy and Language. Children experience a variety of gross motor activities, both indoor and outdoor, on a daily basis. 

Assessment

• Student progress is tracked through Indiana Early Learning Foundations

• Indiana Standards Tools for Alternate Reporting of Kindergarten Readiness

• Portfolio of Student’s progress Individualized Education Program 

• Visual Communication and Sign Language Checklist  

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM (AGE 3-5):

The Indiana School for the Deaf Early Childhood Program runs from 8 – 3 daily and is a continuum of bilingual curricula for children ages three (3) – five (5) years. The curriculum is child-centered and project-based to provide each child a nurturing and developmentally appropriate educational environment. All aspects of the curricula focus on using research-based principles of learning and childhood developmental milestones as the foundation for lessons and activities. Learning Centers in the Classroom Teachers design plans and organize the classrooms to promote each child’s social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development based on individual strengths and interests. Children actively play and learn in the following centers: Blocks, Drama, Table Toys, Art, Sensory, Literacy and Language. Children experience a variety of gross motor activities, both indoor and outdoor, on a daily basis. 

Assessment 

The Indiana Department of Education requires that all students in the Early Childhood classrooms (age 3 to prior to entrance to Kindergarten) are assessed using the Indiana Student Performance Readiness and Observation of Understanding Tool (ISPROUT). ISPROUT is aligned to the Indiana Early Learning Foundations which includes the following: Social and Emotional Skills, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Physical Development, Science and Social Studies. Teachers collect evidence through observations of everyday interactions that occur during daily routine and activities. Students are rated based on these observations. The results for ISPROUT will also be shared with families through the parent-teacher conferences each semester and updated at the child’s Annual Case Review (ACR) to guide with development of goals in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). ISPROUT will also be shared with your child’s district at the ACR. 

Local assessments:

Teachers, support, and related service staff will monitor your child’s progress through Language, Social/Emotional and Learning Foundations that are skill based. The skills will be documented by a staff through observations and direct interaction with the students. 

Assessment is a key part of today’s educational system. Assessment serves as an individual evaluation system. The purpose of assessment is to gather relevant information about student performance or progress, or to determine student interests to make judgments about their learning process. After receiving this information, teachers can reflect on each student’s level of achievement, as well as on specific inclinations of the group, to customize their teaching plans. The Indiana Department of Education requires all school districts to provide state-wide assessments on an annual basis. 

Indiana Department of Education – State Assessments 

ILEARN: measures student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards. ILEARN is the summative accountability assessment for Indiana students and assesses: 

• English/Language Arts (Grades 3-8)

• Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

• Science (Grades 4 and 6)

• Social Studies (Grade 5)

• Biology (High School)

• U.S. Government – Optional (High School) 

IREAD-3: The purpose of the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) assessment is to measure foundational reading standards through grade three. Based on the Indiana Academic Standards, IREAD-3 is a summative assessment that was developed in accordance with House Enrolled Act 1367 (also known as Public Law 109 in 2010).

I AM (Indiana’s Alternate Measure): measures student achievement and growth according to Indiana’s Alternate Academic Standards or Content Connectors. I AM is the summative accountability assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8. It assesses:

• English/Language Arts (Grades 3-8 and 10)

• Mathematics (Grades 3-8 and 10)

• Science (Grades 4 and 6 and 10)

• Social Studies (Grade 5)

Participation in I AM: A Case Conference Committee may determine that Indiana’s Alternate Measure (I AM) is the most appropriate assessment utilizing the criteria for determining eligibility to participate. 

WIDA (The World- Class Instructional Design and Assessment): The Purpose of WIDA Assessments in Grades K-12 In accordance with federal regulations, all states are required to: 

• identify the languages other than English present in their student population;

• assess the language proficiency of students in order to place them in the appropriate language development program; and 

• administer an annual assessment of English proficiency, which includes measuring a student’s oral language, reading, and writing skills in English. 

The purpose of the WIDA English Language Proficiency Assessments is to determine a student's level of English proficiency. Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs) is the English Language Proficiency Assessment administered in Indiana. The W-APT placement test (kindergarten) and the WIDA Screener (grades 1-12) function as a screener that is used for both initial and English Language (EL) program placement of students who are identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP). The annual assessment, ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate Access for ELLs, is administered in a January/February test window to determine a student's current level of English proficiency. The annual assessment is also used for accountability purposes. 

Local Assessments

NWEA - Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth is a state-aligned computerized adaptive assessment program that provide ISD educators with the information they need to improve teaching and learning and make student-focused, data driven decisions. Students in grades 2 – 12 are tested three times per year in math, reading, and language use. Educators use the growth and achievement data from MAP to develop instructional strategies and to plan school improvement. MAP:

• Is not an accountability test

• Generates test questions based on student responses

• Reports student results in RIT scores

• Give immediate results

• Measures growth over time

• Provides information used to target individual instruction

Student MAP testing results are reported in RIT scores (short for Rasch Unit). A RIT score is an estimation of a student’s instructional level and it also measures student progress or growth in school.

Homework is an out-of-school assignment that contributes to the educational process of the student. Homework is an integral part of the educational program. The classroom teacher assigns homework for the purpose of helping students develop good study habits, foster positive attitudes toward school, and to communicate to students that learning takes work at home and the residential hall as well at school. Homework shall be viewed as an extension of class work and is related to the objectives of the curriculum. Although homework requires self-discipline and individual commitment on the part of the student, the best results occur when homework is a collaborative effort between school, teachers, students, residential staff, and families and as an educational tool, not a disciplinary measure. Homework is individually assigned and communicated with families by the classroom teacher. Please contact your child’s classroom teacher if you have specific concerns or issues with homework. 

Reading is essential in student achievement and should be a fun and positive experience for you and your child. Research shows the more time your child spends reading, the more successful your child will be in all other areas. Twenty minutes per day at home is the minimum for best result in academic achievements for all age.  

When a student’s shows difficulties with making social, emotional, behavior or academic progress, the teacher may reach the family and residential advisor (for residential students) and discuss options and to develop a plan to address the reason behind the concerns. It is the day student and family’s responsibility to transport the student home if an after-school hour support option is discussed and preferred. The teacher(s), residential advisor and family may call a meeting to discuss other options if the student does not make progress with the current strategies previously discussed. Any concerns regarding your child’s progress need to be referred to your child’s classroom teacher directly. As last resort, a case conference may be called when all options are exhausted to discuss additional support and options that will ensure student’s academic progress is successful.

Please contact your child’s classroom teacher for your child’s specific daily classroom schedule. Class begins at 8:00 am and dismissal is at 3:15 pm Monday through Thursday. Dismissal on Friday is at 2:15 pm.

Progress Reports:

ISD believes in team approach and parent-teacher partnership to ensure that all students are successful in the current program. Teachers will share results of your child’s progress through the parent-teacher conferences are held at the end of each semester. Please contact your child’s teacher at any time if you have concerns or questions about your child’s progress. 

Report Card Grading Scale

Elementary students will receive report cards reflecting progress in mastery of individual skills. Skills in report cards follow the Indiana State Standards, which may be found in the DOE website. Grade marks will be posted as follows to show overall progress in subject areas: 

5 – Applied/Consistently 

4 – Demonstrated/Frequently 

3 – Developing/Sometimes 

2 – Emerging/Rarely 

1 – Introduced/Never  NT – Not Taught

Life Skills Grading are determined based on skills mastered through the Indiana’s Alternate Standards (content connectors) and their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for those on Certificate of Completion track taking the alternative assessment. Information about the content connectors and alternative assessment can be found on the Indiana Department of Education website. Teachers monitor student achievement through daily work, independent work, participation, and mastery of individual skills as appropriate to the student. Certification of Completion track includes students who are removed from the diploma pathway by a case conference committee to reflect that the student is completing requirements in the special education program as outlined in the student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

The IEP goal progress monitoring and report cards are posted quarterly in the portfolio tab of the Skyward account. Please refer to the school calendar for dates when grades and progress monitoring reports will be posted. Families are encouraged to contact teachers if there are any additional educational concerns with their child.

The Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) Elementary School Program runs from 8 to 3 daily and is committed to an attendance policy that promotes appreciation among students of the need to attend school regularly and punctually in order to successfully develop social, emotional, and academic skills. The state of Indiana, as expressed by the Compulsory Attendance Statute (IC 20-8.1-3), has established responsible attendance habits as a priority for Indiana students. Any child over the age of seven (7) is bound by the requirements of the Compulsory Attendance Statute. Families need to support the school by having their child(ren) arrive to school on time.

Reporting Absences:

Families are expected to notify the Department Secretary of their child’s absence on the same day as the absence before school starts at 8:00 a.m. Please state the reason for the absence. If the secretary is not notified, then the absence will be documented as unexcused. According to the state law IC 20-33-2-18, if a child does not attend school due to an illness, surgery, mental or physical incapacity, a certificate signed by a doctor may be required by the school. 

Excused Absences:

 The following types of absences are generally recognized as excused, subject to requirements set forth in IC 2033-2: 

• Documented illness or emergency

• Health care and social services appointments

• Death in the immediate family

• Religious instruction commitments

• Subpoena as a witness in a judicial proceeding

• Family obligation

If a student is absent because of illness or emergency, the family must contact the school the morning of the day the student is absent. In those cases where a student is absent for five (5) or more consecutive days as a result of illness or injury, a doctor’s statement shall be required as a condition of classifying the absence as excused. 

The office will notify the family at the 8th excused absence that a student must bring the written verification from the doctor after the student reaches the 10th excused absence in a year. If no written verification is brought to the office, the absence will be documented as unexcused. 

A pattern of excused absences may be an indication that the student’s attendance is not in alignment with the school policy and may be treated as unexcused if there is doubt to the legitimacy of the excuses and the principal makes a determination that the absences are unexcused after an investigation by the principal. In such case, the student’s family shall be given notice of the principal’s determination and afforded an opportunity to contest that determination. 

Unexcused Absences:

With the exception of absences resulting from suspension, all absences other than those listed above generally shall be classified as unexcused unless extenuating circumstances, as determined by the principal warrant that the absence be classified as excused. 

The following procedures will be implemented to help ensure student attendance:

1. When a student has had five (5) unexcused absences in a school year, the student is identified as a Chronic Truant and the student’s attendance records will be flagged as (CT). Students who miss up to five (5) unexcused days within a school year will have their family contacted by the secretary for follow up. 

2. The homeroom teacher will also contact the student’s family after the student has missed six (6) unexcused days in order to develop a plan for improvement. 

3. If the student reaches the 7th unexcused absence, the attendance officer will contact families to develop a new plan. The attendance officer will also continue to work with the student and the family to correct the attendance problem. The Local Education Agency (LEA) for your child’s home district will be notified from the 7th -10th unexcused absence. Families will be notified that at 10 unexcused absences, it is reported to Child Protection Service (CPS). 

4. The attendance officer will contact the student’s family after the student has missed nine (9) unexcused days. The school counselor will work with the child’s family to revise a plan to help the attendance, identifying barriers to the child’s attendance and additional strategies to remove the obstacles. 

5. When a student has had ten (10) unexcused absences in a school year, the student is identified as a Habitual Truant and the student’s attendance records will be flagged (HT) and the school will refer to truancy court for a violation of IC 20-33-2-27 (compulsory school attendance). Students who are determined to be in violation of IC 20-33-2 may be placed on probation by court and will be monitored more closely by the attendance officer. If a student violates the terms of probation, the student will be referred back to court for additional action. 

6. During any stage, the attendance officer or designee is encouraged to work with families to remove barriers that prevent regular school attendance.