1. Special Education in the New Zealand Education Context

2. Special Education Defined
“ the provision of extra assistance, adapted programmes or learning environments, specialised equipment or materials to support young children and school students with accessing the curriculum in a range of settings”

3. What we aim for Better Outcomes for Children
Raise achievement of all students
Presence, participation, learning to achievement

4. Education Policy No separate special education system in New Zealand
Education Act (Section 8) states students with special education needs have the same right to enrol and receive an education in a state school as students who do not have special education needs

5. Children and young people with special education needs generate the same regular resourcing for early childhood education services and schools as other learners do
Additional resourcing to help meet special educational needs is provided through a mix of individually and population-targeted funding and staffing and specialist services
The Ministry of Education, Special education is the main provider of specialist services

6. Access to the majority of special education support and services is determined by those closest to the learner
Boards of Trustees of schools can set up classes for students with special education needs using their regular operational resourcing and whatever special education resourcing individual students generate for a school
Special schools operate primarily under the same policy framework as all schools and are part of the broader network of education provision

7. Special Education 2000
In 1996 government approved the development of a new model for resourcing and delivering of special education to be implemented in stages by 2000
Policy recognised increasing numbers of children requiring special education service support
Recognised parents wishes to have children receive their education in regular settings

8. based on international move toward inclusion
involved a shift away from biological categorisation to an ecological paradigm
strong focus on social and physical environmental adaptation to support learning across all domains
Resourcing framework designed within the Tomorrow’s Schools policy context (self-managing schools), with considerable resourcing devolved to schools

9. Vision of Special Education 2000
Improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children with special education needs
Ensure a clear, consistent and predictable resourcing framework for special education
Provide equitable resourcing for those with similar needs irrespective of school setting or geographical location

10. Key Principles of Special Education 2000
Small group of students who need a high level of support
The term “high needs” would be defined by the amount of additional resourcing
Guaranteed level of resourcing for individual students with high special education needs across different settings
System of direct, formula-based funding to schools for students with “ moderate’ special education needs

11. Key Components of SE 2000 Resourcing Framework
Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes (ORRS) for students with ongoing high and very high support needs
Severe Behaviour Initiative
Speech-Language Initiative
Early Intervention 0-5

13. Moderate Needs Initiatives
Special Education Grant (SEG)
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour ( RTLB)
Specialist support for students with moderate-level visual, hearing and physical impairments
Early Intervention for children in early childhood centres and homes with moderate development needs

14. Wiley Review (2000)
Highlighted fragmented service provision but policy sound in principle
School students on the margin between moderate and high needs
Issue and problems associated with staffing special education units
Allocation of the Special Education grant

15. New Zealand Disability Strategy (2001)
The New Zealand Disability strategy will be successful when disabled people can say that they live in
“ a society that highly values our lives and continually enhances out full participation”

16. Objective 3 - Provide the Best Education for Disabled People
Make sure every child with a disability can go to their local school
Be sure that teachers and educators understand the learning needs of disabled people
Make sure schools meet the needs of disabled students

17. Local Service Profiling (2004)
Service fragmented, inflexible, many positives (highly skilled service deliverers, all parts of the system working well somewhere in NZ, same could be said for what’s not working)
Unwelcoming schools
Inadequate resourcing
Parents not valued for knowledge and expertise
Difference in expectations

18. Results Enhanced Programme Fund (EPF)
School High Health Needs Fund(SHHF)
Specialist Education Services integrated with Ministry of Education (GSE)

19. Supplementary Learning Support (SLS)
District reference groups
Better Outcomes for Children – Special Education Action Plan
Move from outputs to outcomes
Outcomes of Presence, participation, learning leading to achievement
Networks

21. Opportunities
Education for all - quality teaching benefits all students
Welcome mat - Barriers for Parents
Teacher aides
Inequities in resourcing special/regular schools

22. Cont. Promotion of the disability strategy Personalising learning
Professional development for Schools
Move to more networked flexible approaches
Review of Special Education

23. The National Administration Guidelines… are statements for school administration of desirable principles of conduct or administration.

24. Special Needs Register
What is the purpose?
What data will it hold?
What types of reports does it need to generate?
Track funding?
Outline programmes you have currently have in place?

25. NAG 1: Develop and implement teaching and learning programmes for all students
Good practice for schools to have policies and procedures to support all students
ERO will look for a special needs policy and want to know that SEG funding used to benefit students

26. Special Needs Register
Who enters data?
Who has acess?
Who reports?
Who reviews?
How often?

27. Role of the SENCO Coordinate support for students
Contribute to the strategic planning and the development of shared understandings around special needs
Liaise with school, family and outside agencies
Professional development

28. Cont. Manage resources Maintain and oversee records Three components:
Managing tasks
Documenting tasks
Teaching tasks

29. Why a systematic Approach?
Need to be able to demonstrate that making a difference
Need to collect data
Need to have a collaborative school culture around additional support
Systematic development of schools
professional knowledge

30. Cont. Outcomes for students are a joint responsibility
Tracking student achievement requires systematic approach
Review part of a systematic approach
Your thoughts…