Our Mission & Values
Our Mission:
The Rhode Island School for the Deaf is dedicated to excellence in education for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, a vital and unique population. Our mission is to empower these children to become literate, independent, and productive citizens who set and achieve their life goals.
We achieve this by:
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Supporting students wherever they learn in Rhode Island.
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Partnering with families, school districts, and agencies.
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Providing leadership, advocacy, and expertise to offer personalized educational options based on whole-child assessments.
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Ensuring best practices in language and communication, including the use of American Sign Language and English.
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Delivering a high-quality, engaging curriculum that fosters academic, social, and vocational success, supported by advanced technology.
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Valuing the diverse cultures and perspectives of families and students.
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Promoting students’ self-determination and informed choices for post-secondary success.
Our Core Values:
We value and welcome a diverse range of students, faculty, staff, and families, including those students who are Deaf and have learning challenges. This is reflected in all programs, curriculum, resource allocation, and talent management.
We celebrate the positive identity of all Deaf and Hard of Hearing children through healthy family support, linguistic competence, and high quality education that provides options and different pathways to personal success. Our students have the right to an educational program that is rigorous and prioritizes the integration of academic, social, and emotional development.
We believe that children will benefit when their families and Rhode Island School for the Deaf build strong partnerships.
Early language acquisition is the foundation of a quality education. Along with language development, respect for Deaf individuals and access to Deaf and Hard of Hearing peers and role models, are important to foster optimal intellectual, social, and emotional growth.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing children should be provided full language and communication access in school and in the community. No matter what the child’s hearing level, thoughtful and individualized language planning provides the best opportunity to maximize language access for learning.
A substantial body of research demonstrates that fluency in American Sign Language and English offers Deaf and Hard of Hearing students opportunities for academic and social success, thus both should be important parts of a language-rich and fully accessible learning environment.
American Sign Language and English are two separate languages. Both languages are equally valued in our school, and students learn the unique grammatical, semantic and pragmatic structures and features of both languages through a bilingual approach.
Rhode Island School for the Deaf is a public school and statewide resource committed to building capacity of all educators to better serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing students wherever they learn.