For Release July 11
Board of Regents Releases "Access to Quality" Planning Documents for the State's Special Schools
PIERRE--This week the Board of Regents is distributing its Access to Quality planning document for South Dakota's two special schools, the South Dakota School for the Deaf in Sioux Falls and the South Dakota School for the Visually Handicapped in Aberdeen. Access to Quality outlines important directions for these schools to make a successful move into the next century.
Board of Regents Executive Director dr. Robert T. Tad Perry said of this planning document, "Careful consideration of the unique missions of these institutions is necessary to ensure that they continue to provide a superior level of instruction and service to their many constituencies. Both schools work with parents, professional associations, local schools, consumer organizations, the legislature, and the Board office to deliver quality educational services to South Dakota students with sensory loss and their families."
Eleven directions were identified to provide the appropriate educational programming and services to students, Board of Regents President Karl Wegner said, "This planning document serves as the guide for South Dakota's special schools to identify future needs of South Dakota in view of the state's resources." The directions are:
Ensure that all resident children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired have access to appropriate education programs and services.
Ensure the quality of educational programs and services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired.
Maximize the delivery of services statewide through outreach programs designed to meet the identified needs of students, parents, and local school districts.
Create a quality teaching and learning environment on each campus that promotes stuident growth through education and related experiences, both in the classroom and within the community.
Develop the special schools as centers of excellence, modeling successful practices and programs for students with hearing or vision loss.
Execute responsible and accountable management of allocated resources.
Foster collaborative relationships with the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs, local school districts, state universities, as well as other state agencies, service providers and consumer groups.
Foster collaborative partnerships with parents/guardians in the education of children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired.
Increase public understanding of vision and hearing loss and appreciation for quality educational
programs for children.
Seek competitive compensation for all classifications of employees at the special schools.
Provide and maintain appropriate facilities, equipment, and other resources for the special schools.
Access to Quality for the special schools also outlines appropriate indicators so that institutional leadership as well as state policymakers, and other interested persons can evaluate the directions taken by South Dakota's special schools. Executive Director Perry continued to say that, "This planning document outlines goals for our special schools to achieve the highest levels of educational and service quality, as well as efficiency in delivery."
Access to Quality for the special schools, approved by the Board in June 1995, is being distributed with a companion edition of Access to Quality for South Dakota's six universities.