Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind Vision and Mission

“Education, Communication and Independence for Life” - the belief statement of the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind.

The vision of the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind is to promote and maintain excellent and comprehensive educational opportunities for every deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, low vision and deaf-blind child in Montana which shall lead to the highest potential for adult life of independence and self-sufficiency; a meaningful personal, family and community life; and a useful, productive occupational life.

As part of Montana's educational system, the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind is committed to promote and provide free and appropriate educational opportunities statewide, for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision and deaf-blind ages birth to twenty-one. This comprehensive education ensures these children achieve their greatest potential for independence and success.

Program Goals and Objectives

Measurable Goals and Objectives (PDF format)

LFD Template - Agency Rollup (PDF format)

Education

LFD Template - Education (PDF format)

Goals

The goal of the Education Program is to provide an academic program for deaf, hard-of hearing or visually impaired children that is commensurate with the education provided to their hearing or sighted peers enabling them to become independent and self-sustaining citizens either through consultation and technical assistance by way of outreach services to local education agencies or by specialized methods and systems of instruction through a campus-based educational placement.

Objectives

• Outreach Services - to serve as a resource center providing information, technical assistance, evaluation, counseling, and referral services as well as leadership to: (1) parents of deaf and blind children from birth through age 21; (2) public schools of Montana who have deaf and blind children enrolled; and (3) organizations and individuals concerned with services to deaf and blind children.
• Early Intervention - to provide early educational intervention to hearing or visually impaired preschool children in the home to minimize educational delay.
• Parent Support - to provide parent services inclusive of information, referral, and counseling to help the family adjust to their child's hearing or visual impairment, and to assist parents as they participate in the development of educational plans for their child.
• Preschool Services – to provide classroom based intervention services which support the unique communication needs of preschool children who live in the Great Falls area.
• Specialized Services - to provide assessments and educational services specific to the hearing or visually impaired child's disability, language acquisition including communication function and modality, speech development, orientation and mobility, and maximum use of residual hearing and vision.
• Core Educational Program - to provide students placed in the campus-based program with a comprehensive curriculum and instruction from preschool to 12th grade that includes vocational education, extracurricular activities, social education, and support services comparable to educational opportunities afforded to non-disabled children.
• Employability and Transition - to provide students, through the age of 21, with life skills training, vocational education, and guidance and counseling which will enable them to make appropriate choices regarding vocational and post-secondary goals; to help students develop fundamental employment skills and independent living skills necessary to function as self-supporting members of their communities.
• Identification and Tracking – to maintain a system for tracking children identified as deaf, hard-of-hearing, or visually impaired, from the time of identification through their exit from intervention or special education services.

Student Services

LFD Template - Student Services (PDF format)

Goals

The goal of the Student Services Program is to provide students with comprehensive residential facilities, including child care services, food services, health services, recreational opportunities and social education, which includes social adjustment training and self-concept development.

Objectives

• Residential Facilities - to provide students residing at MSDB with safe, comfortable living facilities that include semi-private bath and bedrooms, kitchens in each cottage wing, computer technology and assistive communication devices, and a common area for socialization and recreation.
• Academic Support – to provide students with a residential environment that promotes and facilitates learning outside the classroom through on-going communication between the residential and education staff bridging the gap between the school and cottages and providing support for school assignments and opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in the “home” setting.
• Certified Staff – to provide students with the highest quality care by certified residential staff who receive extensive training through the University of Oklahoma Residential Care and Youth Care Professional (RCYCP) program and who are fluent in sign language and knowledgeable about assistive technology; to provide counseling and vision rehabilitation staff during after school hours to ensure adequate emotional support and extended opportunities for learning and applying skills and knowledge.
• Health Services – to provide students with access to necessary health care 24 hours a day; to provide health education to students, as needed, on a variety of health related issues.
• Food Services – to provide meals prepared by qualified child nutrition professionals, which meet the nutritional needs of students and are also nutritious, appealing and accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body; to provide meals which are prepared and served in a clean, safe, and pleasant settings with adequate time for students to eat.
• Recreation Program – to provide students with the opportunities to participate in organized extracurricular and recreational activities after school and on weekends; to provide recreational facilities including a gymnasium and playground complex sufficient to promote physical activity and social development.
• Independent Living Skills Program – to provide older students with an Independent Living Skills Program where students can reach their potential for living independently, managing their personal lives, and developing and practicing mature decision making skills prior to graduation.
• Transportation – to provide safe, supervised and cost effective transportation to the student's home during regularly scheduled travel home weekends.

Administration

LFD Template - Administration (PDF format)

The goal of the Administration Program is to provide effective leadership of the School, manage financial affairs of the School in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and maximize the most efficient use of public funds in educating sensory impaired children.

Objectives

• Leadership - to provide effective leadership for the total school program including administration, education, student services and general services.
• Supervision - to provide general supervision for the total school program and direct supervision for the heads of departments.
• Evaluation - to develop, implement and maintain an employee evaluation system for the total school program including the heads of departments which will assist employees to grow and develop professionally.
• Business Affairs - to conduct the business affairs of the school (including accounting, purchasing and personnel management) in accordance with Montana statutes, the Montana Operations Manual, Board of Public Education policies and procedures and generally accepted accounting and business practices.
• Budgeting - to prepare biennial budgetary estimates and projections as required and as requested; to prepare annual budgetary documents and information as needed; to maintain and disseminate budget status reports; and to render final accounting summaries at the end of each fiscal year.
• Grant Applications - to prepare applications for federal funding of special projects; to maintain accounting records and budgetary documentation relating to federally funded projects; to render final accounting summaries at the end of each fiscal year.
• Legislative Interaction - to establish and maintain a cordial working relationship with the Great Falls area delegation and other members of the state legislature.
• Interagency Interaction - to establish and maintain a close working relationship with other state and federal agencies.
• Local School District - to establish and maintain a working relationship with local school districts from which M.S.D.B. students originate and with local school districts in which M.S.D.B. outreach students reside.
• Constituent Communication - to establish and maintain open lines of communication with the various constituencies of the school including, but not limited to, the Montana Association of the Deaf, the Montana Association of the Blind, the Alumni Association and the parents of students past, present and future.
• Public Relations - to establish and maintain an effective public relations effort to ensure that the general public is aware of the school and its programs and that publicity about the school in the print and broadcast media is accurate.

Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind Personnel Handbook

Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind Policy Manual

General Services

LFD Template - General Services (PDF format)

Goals

The goal of the General Services Program is to provide cost effective maintenance of campus grounds, buildings and equipment; to maintain a safe, clean and visually pleasing environment for students to live and learn in; and to assure compliance with applicable building and health codes.

Objectives

• Building Maintenance - to support the total school program through the establishment of an ongoing program of maintenance and repair of all school buildings to ensure that classrooms, cottages and other areas are attractive, safe and comfortable for use and enjoyment by students and staff.
• Custodial Service - to support the total school program through the provision of daily custodial service to school buildings to ensure that they are clean, sanitary and comfortable for use by students and staff.
• Vehicle Maintenance - to support the total school program through the establishment of an ongoing program of school vehicle maintenance and repair to ensure that the vehicles are safe and dependable for use by staff.
• Grounds Maintenance - to establish an ongoing program of grounds maintenance including, but not limited to, the watering and mowing of grassy areas, and the removal of snow and ice accumulations.

Governance of the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind is entrusted to the appointed Board of Public Education, which sets requirements for public education in the state. The Board's seven members serve staggered terms of seven years, meeting every four to six weeks. (Ex-officio non-voting members are: the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Commissioner of Higher Education, and the Governor.)

The School is administered by a Superintendent. Assisting the Superintendent are the Principal, the Dean of Students, and the Business Manager.