Use this guide to strengthen classroom environments across your whole school, not just one room at a time. It draws on program review ratings, which describe how far along a program is, and offers next steps for each stage: emerging, developing, proficient, and exemplary. For each stage you get concrete leadership moves, such as setting clear expectations for visual access, using a shared walkthrough tool, or turning strong classrooms into model sites. Use it to guide coaching, plan professional learning, and keep classroom quality consistent over time.
Because of your selected audience type, you may also enjoy the following related resources.
A self-check teachers use to build a classroom with clear visual access, real ASL and English use, Deaf culture, a rich library, and a safe, inclusive climate for deaf and hard of hearing students.
A walkthrough tool administrators use to observe whether classrooms give deaf and hard of hearing students clear visual access, real ASL and English use, Deaf culture, and an inclusive climate.
A tip sheet teachers use to understand the five parts of a strong ASL/English bilingual classroom and treat the room itself as a learning tool for deaf and hard of hearing students.