Which deaf school is the best, and why?
Posted on: March 4, 2009No comments yet
Written by Earl Mikell
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(MODEL SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF)
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf is the best there is, or at least it was back in my time. Anyway, here’s why it’s the best deaf school: Bright kids, strong athletic teams, and surreal moments combine to make MSSD a unique place to attend. Its location is also a factor, too – MSSD is located in Washington, D.C., which gives students a chance to explore the region’s wonders and attractions, like the National Cherry Blossom Festival. And there is much history here to take in, with the Smithsonian museums, the national monuments, and the federal buildings. The MSSD campus is located on the Gallaudet University campus, furthering the rich experience MSSDers will have as they attend school there. I could go into more details, but I’d best get on with the show here.
Which deaf school is the best in your opinion? Why? Carry on a debate in the comments, and please keep it clean!
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March 4th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I don’t think that it is highly appropriate to ask which deaf school is the best school. Asking which deaf school is the best one is a sign of bigotry, an attitude that we don’t really need among the members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
I attended three deaf schools and am currently involved in one deaf school. They are St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, Rochester School for the Deaf, Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf and Scranton State School for the Deaf, in the chronological order.
In the past, I liked to tell which school that I attended was the best one. This bordered on boasting. As I became older and saw different experiences that the deaf and hard-of-hearing kids had, I became more sensitive to their experiences that they went through and the circumstances that they were in. Each of them has a unique journey that shapes his/her life.
I have concluded that each school has its own strengths and weaknesses, much like each individual that has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing each school’s strengths is an honorable action to do and encouraging each school to improve the areas that it is weak in is a positive energy that is sorely needed by the students.
Let’s shun the competition between deaf schools. Let’s increase cooperation between deaf schools to strengthen each other and to increase respect for each other.
Sorry for sounding preachy. I do not know how to express my feelings in more formal, less preachy way on this very sensitive topic.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
March 4th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I was going say before I read Joseph Pietro Riolo’s comment. I have same expression as Joseph’s opinion. There are no best deaf school in the nation. ALL deaf schools are great but not best. Not good idea to mention best deaf school because deaf children who are still in deaf schools don’t want to know which deaf school is best so they should stick with the education/socials right now rather than poll which best deaf school is.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Hi,
I feel I can answer this question. I conducted a RV tour (called Mobile Deaf Studies) to 50 state school for the deaf in 1997. I did historical and deaf studies research, performed ASL Literature, and gave various workshops in most of the schools. I started a website on the information about American schools for the deaf but could not continue posting due to my work on other websites. Click on my name above my comment box and it will take you to the website.
People asked me, “Which one is the best school?” I answered that I simply can not because there is no ONE best school period. Instead I give three categories in which I place all schools into. Progressive (best), FINE (in the middle), and Challenged (poor). About three or so schools go to the first and the last one (progressive and challenged). The rest is in the middle.
The best way to measure how a school is good or best is to have a list of criteria or measuring sticks.
- Critical mass of intelligent deaf students (usually deaf of deaf).
- Signing abilities of every faculty and staff
- Attitudes toward sign language and bilingual education among the administrators
- Proximity to deaf community (some schools are so far away)
- Beauty, age, and maintenance of the buildings
- athletic programs and how well they play (win/lose)
- actual scholastic scores (average) of all students
and few more. Few schools meet every criteria above with high marks.
For example, CSD Fremont, Maryland, MSSD, Indiana have high marks in all of them.
I agree with Riolo that it is not fair to every school if we start to rank them. All of them have goods and bads. I think we should have some kind of annual report on every schools and programs (not ranking but how they do in selected criteria). That way the schools can strive to improve in order for their standing (report results) in a some kind of public record/magazine/website.
Maybe CAID/CESAD or someone should start a public report on all state schools and mainstreaming programs. That way, parents can look in it and decide where best to move for their newly discovered deaf child(ren). And the school administrators can look in that same report, (feel embarrassed or something) and influence them to make some progressive changes and improvements in their schools.
All the best for our deaf children, agreed?
March 5th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Actually, I don’t think there is anything wrong with ranking the schools for the Deaf as the parents and educators do have a right to know. It is a matter of what criteria we are talking about when it comes to determining quality schools and Cnkatz said it well. However, I understand Joseph’s point as nothing is black and white. All schools have their own unique characteristics and best features (i.e. best sportsmanship, best behavior, best academics, etc.) as it varies from one school to another.
I get to see the ratings among public schools that are shared to the public annually about the percentage of state standard test scores and SATs. In my state (NY), schools for the Deaf are not included so how can the community know? Even worse they lumped Deaf students with other disabled students to compare the standardized scores which is irrelevant in determining the quality of Deaf schools. However, We do have SATS for Deaf students but as of this day, I have yet seen how it compares to other Deaf schools.
In closing, I believe every school has its best in something. It all depends on the value and beliefs and the weight of the criteria.
March 5th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I agree with Barb. I wavered in the thought if ranking of all programs is worth it. Now what you, Barb, typed made me realize that a ranking by an independent firm of all schools for the deaf might will put a miscroscopic len on the state of deaf education in America. That will help us (deaf community, parents, government depts of special education, and others) check which programs uses bilingual approach (use ASL). Which programs have higher percentange of fluent signers among the faculty. The school average scores of students’ tests. And more. It will serve as efficient bank of data (information, ammunition, power) we can use to argue for the case of ASL for deaf AND hearing children. Put speech services to its worthwhile place available for all deaf children. That way, we move on toward a better state of deaf education.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:08 am
CSD-FREMONT IS NUMBER 1. Will always be.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:41 am
I strongly disagree with MSSD is best school. The Maryland School for the Deaf is the best education and sports program since we have many champion awards and average 80% students passed the state tests.
while MSSD have many police involve with their school in the bad way. Also, many MSSD students moving to MSD.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:59 am
you should based on people’s vote for which best school is best, instead based one person.
March 7th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
New Statistics for Deaf Schools
With my experience as a former high school student with the nation polls based on high scores from our tests, Las Vegas High School was ranked as one of top 10 high schools that had the best education in the nation during 1985. This gives us an example that we are able to rate which school has the best education for the deaf students. It still doesn’t mean that we can rate which school is the best. We could focus on which school has the best education available for the deaf students in the nation. Also, we could create new statistics for the 10 top deaf schools with best education based on their criterion.
I agree with cnkatz that we are not able to rate which deaf school has the best education without the facts. To rank a school with the best education requires statistics in order to “collect and classify a group of facts according to their relative number and determining certain values that represent characteristics of the group.” However, if we want to know which school has the good quality of educational services for the Deaf students, and which school needs to improve those services, then I would strongly encourage that the Deaf scholastics tests (i.e., SATs, etc.) be revised in order to meet the new criterion for the best education ratings. Lately, all of the Deaf scholastics tests include Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. For the sake of bilingualism, should we add “ASL Skills” as the new criteria for SATs by using the same test on interpreters to determine their Deaf students’ signing skills? How about adding “Deaf Culture and History” as the new criteria to test the Deaf students’ knowledge as bilinguals? I believe they would help us determine which top 10 deaf school has the best quality of educational services in the nation based on high test scores.
March 7th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Deaf Schools’ Sports Programs
I also agree with cnkatz and Barb DiGi about the deaf schools’ athletic programs and the deaf students’ sportsmanship for determination on the best quality of educational services in sports. In order to collect and classify the facts according to the highest wins and scores in each deaf school, we could be able to determine which deaf school has the best sports program. It all depends on their hours of practice (coach’s and their own times), nutrition, teamwork, communication, and attitude toward their performance. We could conduct research on the teams’ most wins in history and how they’ve won games and compare them with ours, so we could improve the best deaf sports programs. We could also analyze the team players’ weight(ex; for football), height(ex; for basketball), cooperation, and sportsmanship as to what issues were involved in their communication. Effective communication is the key to the best teamwork.
March 12th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I was going to say something, but I can’t I’m hearing and have not visited enough schools to make an educated guess. I like the comments on not choosing or compeating, but for parents with deaf children who want to take their child to the best school in the country, what would you say? How can they choose if no one writes magazine articles or compares the different advantages of each public or private deaf school? I agree there needs to be communication and unity between the schools, but if there isn’t any competition… will they improve?
I’m interested in feed back as I write my paper for “Interpreting in the Educational Setting” at Houston Community College. My paper is on the different choices available to parents of deaf children as far a their educational settings go.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) rocks all the way! http://www.wpsd.org
March 14th, 2009 at 7:49 am
I totally disagreed with this discussion. Which deaf school is the best ? NONE! The same for which hearing school is the best… NONE as well. Every schools have pro and con and it is depend on what teaching out there.. Some states taught better than other and some other taught better than some states. Every schools have many different things due to PRO and CON.. No, this school is not best school at all. NO! None of the schools in the USA are the best. They are all good schools and many schools depends on qualifies such as teachers and parents view and skills. Thanks.
March 14th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I cannot say which deaf school is the best there is in the US and it all depends on the deaf individual….
Education, oral or asl is offered to the deaf individual and how he or she grows on her or his IQ……
Private or public schools for the deaf could be same in some areas but I feel that parents will have to listen to their deaf child’s needs and not to listen to the school staff because they would know everything but not to listen to how a deaf child feels in the school environment….
I have seen lots of anguish and abuse in most schools in order to force the kids to do better….I feel that things should change and make all schools a happy place for a deaf kid to grow up and enter the real world with wide open eyes…
We do need to give more love into our deaf kids and stop anger and frustrations and live in a better world!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
What is the best deaf school? A school that has accountability. That is a great place to start. Apparently many deaf people are not aware that in order to stay financially afloat schools for the deaf enroll many deaf students that have a secondary diagnosis. In the deaf education world these students/people are called deaf special needs low functioning deaf ect. The tution paid by school districts to essentially dump these kids ( they receive no education at these schools for the deaf) supports the education of the academic track deaf students. This is not right it is discrimination in every way. But somehow is not challenged by the larger deaf community. Gallaudet and NTID both Federaly supported institutions support these acts of discrimination.
The question of who is deaf? who is not deaf? should simply be if you cannot hear then you are deaf. Period. If you go to a school for the deaf because you are deaf then you should be educated and considered deaf. Accountability of schools for the deaf should be addressing the simple factual question “where are these deaf with special needs kids going?” If schools for the deaf were accountable for EVERY deaf student things would be very different.
Truth is many hundreds of schools for the deaf would be closed down.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:16 am
My question is does U.S. News or Newsweek have a list of top high schools for the deaf (and blind)? If not why not ask them? Would it be nice if they put on a magazine or whatever it is?
March 20th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
CSDF (Fremont)
CSDR (Riverside)
TSD (Texas)
MSAD (Faribault)
FSDB (St. Augustine)
MSD (Frederick)
Those are the top 6 as I believe.
March 21st, 2009 at 9:52 am
The best deaf schools are not difference because all the deaf schools are many different education, different social life, different hearing or deaf teachers, and etc. It is nothing wrong. I can’t vote one of many best deaf school due to unfair to other school(s).
March 21st, 2009 at 9:24 pm
TomShark,
Not even Indiana School for the Deaf???????
;-P
March 25th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
The top 10 high schools in the country are ranked according to criteria that may or may not meet an individual child’s needs. As many of have said, the same would apply to any ranking for deaf high schools. But it would still be good to know how schools do in academics, sports, visual and performing arts, strong socialization (by the way MSSD falls short here but is making efforts to repair), exposure to wider culture through ASL, etc.
In my search for a good school, my child has attended three deaf programs. I am still looking.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Maybe the question should be- what school is the worst? My answer- a school that only has one Deaf student.
Schools that seem to perform best in terms of self-confidence, leadership achievement, deaf culture awareness, sports, and # of students are: Indiana, Maryland, MSSD, Fremont, and Texas.
Schools that have been getting on the rader lately are: Riverside and MSAD
Schools that are attractive to new teachers: NMSD (rise of hiring deaf staff), Lexington (best diverse experience), ASD (Alabama- great pay ratio), TLC (in Boston)
I could go on, but the point is that every school has a reason to be attracted to it, and things can change. It’s up to us to be there for the schools and step up to ensure they improve for our deaf students, so that they become more attractive for parents, and instead of recommending only one, we can recommend 50. Anyone with me?
April 5th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Rating a Deaf school is probably like rating which car is the best for the owner – factors considering, income, location, demographics…etc One car is better for one and another car/suv/truck is better for another.
Here’s my thought, it probably won’t make much sense to rate which Deaf school/school for the Deaf, as long as community involvement is concerned – i.e. location in greater metro area versus in suburbs or even in country. I BELIEVE that if there’s a greater involvement/interest between the school/program and the community (Deaf or whichever category) – The experience tend to be better for the Deaf child in a ‘dynamic’ community involvement rather than a ‘good’ Deaf school with lesser community involvement.
With that in mind, it seems more of that kind of happening now than before.. the ’shifting’ demographics.. what I meant by that is, families with Deaf child tend to relocate along with major life event into Deaf school with reputation such as Riverside, Austin, Indianapolis, MD, FLA rather than school for the Deaf located in lesser population – along with job markets, affordability – and such. My point here.. in most central-western (minus Pacific coastline), there are no known news or such that i.e. Montana School for the Deaf, Idaho, Colorado, for example, that the enrollment has increased – due to where the school is located along with population, job markets, economics and such.
My conclusion is that school/programs in greater population tend to have stronger interest or rating rather than one located in lesser population – in accordance to community involvement.
Best to consider other variables along with visit to the program/school for the Deaf to make viable decision for the Deaf child and it’s family.
Best of luck.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Ranking something has to be repeated in few years because ranking is never the same. Student, Teachers, and staffs are never the same in school for 25 or less years. Most of the time sport teams championship are always different every year.
May 6th, 2009 at 11:06 am
a msd were rock all way because football good program and hard weightlift. we get many good coach and hit hard! I is former mssd students and now i in galludet students and i look to mssd and i is happy to move msd becuase mssd has bad people like rapper like black persons. that why i move to msd where all white person (not white color)(i mean “tan” color skin) and i passing all a msd’s hsa test and i is very success in galludt. and my mom did gave me a test at home in pa because she want to knew if i is good student in msd and how much i did learned in msd and she say wow i is very smart kid and she are very happy mom in world because of me! while my brother is full of loser because he chose to follow but i notice that he are improve in msd and he are ready to grad! Also, I AM DEAF
May 11th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Please continue this discussion – there is nothing wrong with ranking these schools – knowledgeable folks can sort out the fact from the “fiction” in the replies. Parents, such as me, trying to move across the country to find an excellent school for the deaf, have very little to go on. The biggest factors I’m looking for in a school for my young, profoundly deaf child are…Large population of Deaf students (mainly Deaf program, not Autism, Multi, or etc); Academic excellence – particular focus in reading; Strong sign language emphasis – highly skilled staff in sign; and, a town/city that is in nice community, family-friendly, low crime rate. I would love to hear opinions, or “ranks” of which deaf schools might best fit these criteria. Your assistance is SINCERELY appreciated…