Special Education Module #1 : Legislative Overview

Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario Achieving excellence Ensuring equity Promoting well-being Enhancing public confidence

Ministry of Education Strategic Directions Our Renewed Goals Achieving Excellence Ensuring Equity Promoting Well-Being Enhancing Public Confidence NOTE: These goals include students with special education needs. Special Education Goals Improve achievement and well-being of students with special education needs Increase capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of all learners Support the development and implementation of effective Individual Education Plans (IEPs) Enhance collaboration among ministries, schools, families and community partners Improve balance between teaching and learning and required processes and documentation Enable transitions for students into, through and exiting from the system. 3

Roots of Ontario Legislation and Policy Bill 82 (1980), An Amendment to the Education Act: –Universal access: right of all children, condition notwithstanding, to be enrolled in school; –Early and ongoing assessment; –Provision of special education programs and services; –Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), including parental involvement; –School Board Special Education Advisory Committees; and –Special Education Plans. Full implementation: September 1, 1985 –Regulations developed to ensure phased-in implementation; –Policy and Legislation were process driven, similar to U.S.

Special Education Programs and Services Special education programs: primarily consist of instruction and assessments that are different from those provided to the general student population. Special education services: typically refer to supports such as assistance with instructional programming, personal care and behavioural management, and may involve additional human supports such as educational assistants.

Students Receiving Special Education Programs & Services *IPRC – Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)  In school boards reported that 16.6% of the total student population, or 334,312 students were receiving special education programs and/or services.

Overview: Demographics by Exceptionality (Formally identified as “exceptional” by an IPRC) 7 In the school year, 182,492 students (94,344 secondary) were identified as “exceptional” by school board Identification, Placement and Review Committees (IPRCs).

Overview: Students Receiving Special Education Programs & Services Approximately 83% of all students (86% secondary) receiving special education programs and/or services are placed in regular classrooms for more than half of the instructional day.

IPRC Decides… Exceptionality and Placement Regulation 181/98 requires that an IPRC shall, before considering the option of placement in a special education class, consider whether placement in a regular class, with appropriate special education services: –would meet the student’s needs; and –is consistent with parental preference. Parents who disagree with an IPRC identification and/or placement decision may appeal to a School Board Appeal Board and, thereafter, to the Ontario Special Education Tribunal.

Categories and Definitions of Exceptionality Where the Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) has identified a student as exceptional, the decision will include the categories and definitions of any exceptionalities using the categories and definitions established by the Ministry of Education 5 Categories and 12 Definitions of Exceptionalities BEHAVIOUR INTELLECTUAL MULTIPLE EXCEPTIONALITIES Behaviour Giftedness Multiple Exceptionalities Mild Intellectual Disability COMMUNICATION Developmental Disability Autism Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing PHYSICAL Language Impairment Physical Disability Speech Impairment Blind and Low Vision Learning Disability

Placements Add Options for Placement Regular Classroom with Indirect Support Regular Classroom with Resource Assistance Regular Classroom with Withdrawal Assistance Special Education Class with Partial Integration Special Education Class Full Time

Reasons for an IEP Required to outline the special education programs and services provided for students identified as exceptional by an Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC) Not mandatory, but recommended, to outline the special education programs and services provided for non-identified students having special education needs Documents EQAO accommodations that are consistent with classroom practice

An IEP is…. A relevant working document that outlines the special education programs and services to be provided to the student. A plan for a student’s progress through the Ontario curriculum and/or alternative programs or courses. Based on assessment and student areas of strength and need. Linked to the Provincial Report Card and/or alternative report card. Reflective of parent and student consultation.

What We Believe All Students Can Succeed Classroom teachers are the key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development Universal design and differentiated instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research tempered by experience Each child has his or her own unique patterns of learning Classroom teachers need the support of the larger community to create a learning environment that supports students with special education needs Fairness is not sameness

Resources 15

16 Links to Useful Resources Special Education, Ministry of Education website Highlights of Regulation 181/98 Special Education Transformation: The report of the Co-Chairs with the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education Special Education: A Guide for Educators Education For All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6 Learning for All, A Guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2013) The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide Planning Entry to School – A Resource Guide Transition Planning: A Resource Guide Shared Solutions- A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs Effective Education Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Caring and Safe Schools in Ontario: Supporting Students with Special Education Needs Through Progressive Discipline, Kindergarten to Grade 12