Research & Insights / Horace Mann School for the Deaf: A 2026 School on the Move Semifinalist

Horace Mann School for the Deaf: A 2026 School on the Move Semifinalist

The ten semifinalists for the 2026 School on the Move Prize are excellent examples of the conditions of sustainable school improvement EdVestors’ research has identified. Please join us at the Prize Ceremony on November 10th!

The Horace Mann School for the Deaf (HMS) in Charlestown was founded 156 years ago as the first public day school for the Deaf in the United States. Now serving 78 students from Pre-K through the age of 22, HMS gained transformative momentum in 2019 when it was designated an American Sign Language (ASL)-English Dual Language School. In shifting from a longstanding medical care model that often framed deafness as a deficit to a dual-language model with students’ rich linguistic and cultural identities at the center, HMS has improved students’ access to improvement in language acquisition, literacy, and other rigorous learning. Universal Design for Learning practices ensure equitable access to instruction and improved staff recruiting and retention, bringing together skilled educators with vital cultural and linguistic competencies in Deaf education.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing students have been systemically excluded from full academic access, language development, and social-emotional growth due to the predominant idea that schools should prioritize spoken language over signing. HMS’s dedication to dual-language instruction reflects the belief that students can most equitably and effectively access rigorous learning when they leverage their most accessible and fluid language (in this case, ASL) while also developing robust English literacy. Like students in other BPS dual-language programs, HMS students receive an education that honors their diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and fosters a sense of belonging; they can also earn a Seal of Biliteracy recognizing high-level English-ASL proficiency.

HMS educators collaborate to provide multiple, accessible pathways to learning, using Universal Design for Learning and other inclusive practices to meet students’ unique needs and leverage their strengths. Because many students enter HMS with limited or delayed exposure to any language, HMS has designed immersion classes and supports to quickly build these foundational skills. Literacy instruction includes complex, culturally affirming ASL texts and is modified when needed to ensure accessibility for students with multiple disabilities. Knowing that standard assessments are often inaccessible to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, HMS has created its own systems to monitor students’ progress in language and literacy and to guide interventions that help them move forward.

This work is made possible by a community of dedicated educators, built over the past decade through improved national-scale recruitment and hiring practices. While for much of its history, HMS employed few Deaf educators and educators of color, in school year 2025-2026, more than half of HMS staff identified as Deaf and/or BIPOC, an 18% increase over the past 9 years, and the majority were fluent or competent in ASL. In 2021, HMS named Deaf leaders to both the Head of School and Assistant Head of School positions, an important benchmark in the ongoing work to activate lived Deaf experiences and cultural and linguistic competencies in service of students’ growth as learners and self-determined Deaf individuals.