Admissions

Admission Requirements

Tennessee School for the Blind Admission Requirements 

1. Admission procedures will begin when an official representative from the local education agency (LEA) and the parent(s)/guardian indicate an interest in having a student transfer to the Tennessee School for the Blind.

2. The applicant must meet the Tennessee State Board of Education’s Definition and Eligibility Standards for visual impairments.

A) Definition of “Disabilities”  (State Board of Education Rule 0520-1-9-.01 (15) (p))

 “Visual Impairment Including Blindness” means the impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

B) Eligibility Standards

The child shall meet the definition of visual impairment and one or more of the following:

1. 1. Visual acuity in the better eye or both eyes with best possible correction of 20/70 or less at distance and/or near viewing;
   2. Visual field restriction with both eyes with the remaining visual field of 60 degrees or less;
   3. Medical and educational documentation of progressive loss of vision, which may in the future affect the student's ability to learn visually;
   4. Other visual impairment, not perceptual in nature, resulting from a medically documented condition (i.e., cortical visual impairment).

3. Only children ages 7 and over will be considered for residential placement. Admission to TN School for the Blind does not automatically admit a student as a residential student. This is a separate, distinct decision made by the Director of Residential Services and the Director of Admissions. This is a separate application process and is determined by age, proximity of legal residence to the school and the developmental level of care required by the student.

4. The Superintendent in consultation with the Director of Admissions at TENNESSEE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND will make the final determination of eligibility for admission. A major consideration is whether or not the school has an educational program that meets the needs of the student challenged, primarily, by severe vision loss. This determination might necessitate the applicant undergoing an educational, psychological and/or ophthalmologic assessment by the staff of the Tennessee School for the Blind.

5. The superintendent will have the prerogative to admit children whose request is accompanied by an ophthalmologist’s statement that the prognosis is “poor” and the visual acuity is decreasing. The visual findings of the ophthalmologist employed by the school will be final.

Admissions Packet

Please note that the complete application for admission is divided into three (3) sections:

• admissions
• school office registration
• clinic documents

Admission procedures will begin when an official representative from the local education agency (LEA) and the parent(s)/guardian(s) indicate an interest in having a student transfer to Tennessee School for the Blind.  The LEA and family will complete an intake form to request participation from TSB at an IEP meeting to discuss placement options.  A tour and student observation are also required during the process for admissions.