The vision of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired is to provide a quality, comprehensive education and serve as a statewide resource to students in Illinois with visual impairments, assisting them in becoming personally productive and self-sufficient citizens.
The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI), established in 1849, is a residential/day school for students who are blind or visually impaired. Located in Jacksonville, ISVI provides accredited educational and related services for children from birth to 22 years of age through preschool, elementary and high school.
Educational services are provided at no cost to parents. Personal belongings, health care, and spending money are the responsibility of the parents. The home schools are responsible for transportation cost for home-going breaks and personal assistants. Students can be referred for enrollment by their parents or their local education agency. Students served in FY 24 increased 10.5% over FY 23.
| Program |
FY 24 Students Served |
| Birth to 3 |
81 |
| School age |
58 |
| TOTAL |
139 |
FY 24 Highlights
- Hired 23 staff members.
- Increased enrollment by 10.5%.
- Offered the STRIVE Expanded Core Curricula, increasing ECC engagement time by 57% in-class time on skills such as service learning, money skills, self-advocacy, social skills, telephone skills, food prep, and independent health skills.
- Students enjoy a variety of extracurricular and dormitory activities, including track, cheerleading, swimming, wrestling, goalball, bowling, forensics, yearbook, student council, and choir.
- 91% of the students who were new to sports had never competed in organized sporting activities.
- Five students took classes at Lincoln Land Community College, earning credits toward an industry recognized credential.
- Celebrated the highest number of families in attendance at Opening Doors. We had 26 families in attendance and the campus was babies, babies, babies!
- ISVI has an outreach program that offers conferences for parents and educators across the state, training in assessments, and a Braille Challenge annually.
ISVI progress toward IDSH-DRS goals:
Goal #1: Students will improve/increase self-advocacy skills.
ACHIEVED: The transition specialist and our school to work coordinator worked with every child 14.5 and above to set personal goals using the PACE rubric. We also completed SEL screeners and are working with Regional Office of Education #1 to set SEL goals and WIG's in the Leader in Me program.
Goal #2: Schools will increase student enrollment.
ACHIEVED: ISVI began the journey of the 175 years celebration in FY23. Activities resulted in an increase in activities open to the public, items that are streamed, and work done in conjunction with alumni, outside stakeholders and our Parent-Teacher Organization. These types of events will increase awareness and support parents to make informed decision on all the services that ISVI offers as services to the State of Illinois.
Activities attributing to increased enrollment:
- ISVI promote themselves in a positive light on social media (Facebook) and school and Sports Booster websites to encourage student enrollment.
- Live Streaming almost every sporting and fine arts events.
- Adding audio descriptions to many school extracurricular events making them more accessible in real time.
- Recognition from Alumni and followers from across the United States on the audio description supporting their enjoyment of watching sports such as goalball.
Vision for FY 25
Goal #1: In FY 24, 100% of ISVI students in 5th grade and above will set personal self-advocacy goals using the new PACE rubrics.
- Educators and/or Transition specialist will work with students individually to set personal goals exploring self-advocacy skills.
- Student's data on self-advocacy skills will be collected at the beginning of the school year and additionally at various times during the school year to compare the rate of growth.
Goal #2: In FY 24 ISVI will increase enrollment for on campus services and 0-3 programs by 10% given increased social media presence, in person services, and in person outreach events.
- Schools will promote themselves in a positive light on social media and school websites to encourage student enrollment.
- Keep social media and websites up to date with school events and activities.
- Schools will work with school districts to encourage IEP placement in an IDHS-DRS school.
- IEP team meetings
