A bold school with a big heart.

The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy has received national acclaim as the nation’s first and only state-certified ASL/English public charter school. The ASLA is an innovation-driven learning community where deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students learn, grow, and thrive together.
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What Makes ASLA Different

ASL/English Dual Language Education

ASLA is the nation’s first and only state-certified ASL/English dual-language school. ASL is embraced as a powerful tool to unite the hearing and deaf worlds. All students work towards ASL proficiency.

Non-Residential K-12 Public Charter School

We bring deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students together to learn in an inclusive, connected community.

Individualized Learning

We tailor our curriculum and instructional materials to meet each student’s needs and harness their unique abilities.

Building Connections

We offer free ASL instruction for families and community members so they can support students both inside and out of the classroom.

A new day for deaf education.

Our school is built on a foundation of love and family. In 2010, a group of families came together to envision an innovative, inclusive school that would meet their children’s needs when existing school systems couldn’t, or wouldn’t.

From humble beginnings, ASLA has grown to serve more than 160 K-12 students. In 2026, we are set to move into our brand new, state-of-the-art school building, where we will build upon our bold, innovative, compassionate model of what 21st-century deaf education can and should be.

Highlights

CNM Ethics Award Winner

Featured by Huffpost

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The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy was featured in a case study by The Century Foundation as part of their project on charter school diversity and succeeding despite the odds.

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The Albuquerque Sign Language Academy runs the only New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program designed to meet the needs for students with disabilities and/or deaf.

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    ASLA at a Glance

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    1 to 1

    Students that use ASL as a primary language (due to DHH or other language needs) to students that use ASL to connect to the community.
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    95%

    of students have a connection to the deaf community.
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    65%

    of students qualify for special education services.
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    180

    Students K-12 to age 22.

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    Partnering for Innovation

    University of New Mexico
    With our partners at the University of New Mexico, we are leading the way in deaf and special-education reform in our state, while supporting dual-language ASL-English teacher certifications and trainings.
    University of MinnesotaPenn State University
    Together with the University of Minnesota and Penn State University, we are creating a deaf-normed reading assessment that can be used for all deaf or hard-of-hearing students across the nation.
    University of New Mexico
    ASLA is the only school in New Mexico to partner with Harvard’s P.E.A.R Institute in developing a system of school-embedded social-emotional programming for all students.
    Bernalillo County
    Bernalillo County has been a longtime key strategic partner for ASLA from its humble roots on Lomas and 7th to its new state of the art building.
    Community for Learning
    ASLA has a long standing partnership with CFL which provides critical Dual Language out of school time and tutoring services to its students.
    The Education Resources Consortium
    Education Resource Consortium provides strategic and analytical tools for schools, districts, and nonprofit organizations across the country. ASLA is proud to have been highlighted by ERC as a national leader in innovative dual-language ASL-English education and inclusive learning.
    Forest Service Department of Agriculture
    ASLA and the US Forest Service are strong partners due to their shared goal to provide inclusive programming under the Civil Rights banner.

      What They’re Saying

      “I firmly believe that ASLA fosters a unique and supportive environment that brings together the deaf and hearing communities. This connection is made possible by the incredible people dedicated to helping students with disabilities realize that they can achieve anything through belief and hard work.”

      – Alice Escobar, ASLA Parent

      “ASLA has helped teach our children not only to communicate with deaf and hard of hearing people but has opened their eyes to a world beyond just the hearing world. Our children who have moved on from ASLA have become successful in the paths they have chosen and I know it is because of their wonderful start at this school.”

      – Stormy Morgan, ASLA Parent

      “Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) is a unique transformative learning community where language, access, and belonging come together. The ASLA community is a "family" in the truest sense of the word. The commitment to bilingual education and recognition of each student's talents empowers them to thrive academically and socially. Families recognize ASLA as a place where all students are truly seen, heard, challenged, and inspired.”

      – Susan Rose, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus
      Department of Educational Psychology
      University of Minnesota

      See Why Families Choose ASLA

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