Educational Program

Mission

The mission of The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is to provide deaf students with appropriate educational, social and personal experiences which will enhance their academic development, promote positive self concept, and prepare them for life-long participation in society. Included in these experiences are programs of academic excellence which provide the basis for a strong sense of positive self identity, the art of individual expression and the ability to think critically and creatively. We believe that students, given an early, consistent and fully accessible communicative environment and challenged by high expectations, can acquire information and academic and social skills necessary to participate in Deaf and hearing communities. When students graduate from PSD, it is the objective of the school that they will be functioning academically, socially, physically and emotionally at a level appropriate for their age and abilities.

Philosophy

The educational environment at PSD is designed to challenge students through a variety of carefully constructed learning activities. Committed to the belief that our students are active, self-directed learners capable of normal conceptual and linguistic growth, PSD supports an experiential, exploratory approach to education. The curriculum is arranged so that concepts in social studies, mathematics, science and language arts are all incorporated within unit themes, and organized to provide first-hand learning experiences. Content which engenders respect for the expression of cultural diversity is encouraged and utilized throughout the curriculum. Through active participation in these units of study, students integrate skills and information, as well as discover fundamental relationships between concepts in different disciplines. Teamwork, time management, creative thinking and advanced planning are expected from all students, while self initiative, responsibility and follow-through become natural outcomes of the learning experience. An exceptional array of support services and extra-curricular activities are also available to enable student achievement of educational, social and personal goals. PSD's interactive system of learning provides diversified opportunities for spontaneous conversational interaction, with children engaging in ongoing interaction with teachers and peers. This process supports students through the stages of natural language development and the acquisition of linguistic and communicative competence.

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