The Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) was founded in 1839 and is in Jacksonville, Illinois on a 50-acre campus in central Illinois. The school offers accredited educational services for children from ages three to twenty-two, who are deaf or hard of hearing and live more than 25 miles from Jacksonville, and day programming for students who live within 25 miles of Jacksonville.
The vision of the Illinois School for the Deaf is to provide an environment in which students will thrive and succeed to their optimal potential. The mission is to engage students in a supportive, safe, and nurturing environment to achieve personal excellence academically, socially, physically, and emotionally.
Services are free and available to parents, students, teachers, and educational personnel who work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing in Illinois including training on:
- Topics associated with hearing loss.
- Conferences for parents
- Assessments to identify educational and vocational needs.
- Annual conferences for educational personnel
- Cochlear Implant support.
| Program |
FY 24 Students Served |
| Birth to 3 |
63 |
| Residential |
81 |
| Day |
54 |
| TOTAL* |
198 |
*average attendance based on reported monthly totals
FY 24 Highlights
Staffing
ISD was able to fill 22 staff vacancies in the 2024-2025 SY.
Community Relations and Outreach
| EVENT |
Totals |
| Community Sign language classes in the Fall and Spring |
49 participants |
| Online presentations and conferences |
725 participants |
| Training events |
38 |
| Conference Attendance |
4 |
| Exhibitions |
6 |
| Advocacy and Consultation Sessions |
72 |
Elementary Programs (K-6th)
- 54 students enrolled, 16 new students for the 23-24 SY
- 12 achieved 95% or better attendance records
- 14 achieved 6th grade promotion
Elementary student progress is evaluated through the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP), with an overall goal of at least 50% of students reach their growth target.
- Reading: 43% met established growth target; 73% improved overall scores from spring to fall
- Language: 45% met established growth target; 64% showed improved scores from spring to fall
- Math: 63% of students met their growth target, exceeding the established goal and 90% of students improved from fall to spring
Students participated American Sign Language Literacy using Cued American English during reading and/or language instruction, participating in sign language and cultural awareness through 1-1 tutoring and the ASL celebration.
Students engaged in many other activities throughout the year to promote positive behavior such as Lunch with Principal and Lunch with a Cop.
Goals for the 24-25 SY include increasing student achievement, continue a Writer's workshop, and math binders for students to track their progress.
Junior Senior High School (7th-12th)
- 67 enrolled in 7th-12th grade at the start of the year.
- 29 enrolled in the Transitional Living Program (TLP) for students 18-22years old.
- Of the 6 seniors, one will accept the students accepted their high school diploma the other 5 will continue in the TLP.
Student progress is evaluated through the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP), with an overall goal of at least 50% of students reach their growth target.
- Reading: 51% of students in grades 7-12 met or exceeded their growth projections
- Math: 45% of students in grades 7-12 met or exceeded their growth projections
ISD collaborated with area high schools and Lincoln Land Community College to provide additional course opportunities for students engaged in positive behavior programs such as monthly drawings of prizes, Annual awards ceremony to celebrate academic success, and participated in professional development for teachers/staff including legislative updates, school safety, instructional strategies, CPI, AED, CPR/First aid, and Conscious Discipline topics.
Goals for 24-25 include 55% or more students in grades 7-12 meet or exceed NWEA MAP growth projection on reading, language, and math subtests, reduce chronically truant students by 5%, and increase positive parent contacts.
Career and Technical Education Center/Transition Services
73% junior high school, high school, and Transitional Living Program (TLP) students participated in various career and technical education programs.
79% students participated in CTE programming. CTE Improvement grant funds used to purchase work related equipment and machines, supplies and materials and to fund professional development for the CTE Principal and educators.
Student Work Experience
Student Work Experience (SWE) program provides students over age 16 with job site placements to develop appropriate employability skills. Students work with a program coordinator, job coaches, and onsite supervisors to set realistic career goals.
| Activity |
Number of Students |
| 1st Semester Enrollment |
40 |
| 2nd Semester Enrollment |
52 |
| CareerSafe 10 Hour OSHA Safety Credential |
10 |
| Food Handlers Credential |
7 |
| On Campus Jobs (school-day) |
4 |
| Off Campus Jobs (school-day) |
21 |
| On Campus Jobs (after school) |
2 |
| Off Campus Jobs (after School) |
24 |
Transition Services included "Meet your counselor" appointments to connect students with IDHS-DRS Rehab counselors for the deaf and 11 in-person Transition presentations and one virtual presentation reaching 105 students.
Transitional Living Program (TLP) and Functional Life Skills (FLS)
- 29 Students enrolled
- 15 accepted diplomas throughout 23-24 SY
- participated in a variety of employment, independent living and academic opportunities, volunteer experiences and recreational activities.
Goals for 2025 all students will receive opportunities for academic, career and technical literacy and life skills, ISD will maintain community relationships with local business and educational institutions and implement at least one team based CTE challenge.
