RSD - A 4201 School
Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD) is one of eleven Section 4201 schools created by legislation to educate New York State’s deaf, blind and severely physically disabled students. Each school has its own Board of Directors and receives financial support for operations and programming directly from the New York State Department of Education. These eleven schools form the 4201 Schools Association of New York State. The mission of the Association is to enhance the future of New York’s children and advocate for the continuation of specialized services.
Students at RSD and the other 4201 schools receive a rigorous, high quality and inclusive education. Educators at 4201 schools are experts in their field. They encourage creativity, enthusiasm and hard-work. 4201 schools are not merely an educational option for children with low-incidence disabilities, they are often the most constructive and appropriate learning setting, enabling students to discover, communicate and interact in the least restrictive environment. Visit the 4201 Schools Association of New York State Web site.
RSD Mission Statement
Rochester School for the Deaf is entrusted, empowered, and funded to provide and enhance the educational and life growth experiences in an optimal environment for children and students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
RSD’s Educational Vision
The faculty, staff, Board, families, alumni, and volunteers of RSD are dedicated and committed to providing:
Resources to enable students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to develop and achieve their highest level of academic and technical skills;
Resources for faculty, staff and students to become fluent communicators in both English and American Sign Language by faculty and staff that are likewise fluent;
An environment that is caring, compassionate, and sensitive to the needs of the individual student, in which each will learn to become a participating and contributing member of society;
Opportunities to involve and utilize RSD's most vital resources - the faculty, staff, families and volunteers - to serve as a viable resource center for the community-at-large.
