Special Education In The DDSB - Updates to Parents/Guardians & Community - Durham District School Board
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Special Education In The DDSB
Updates to Parents/Guardians & Community
John Legere, Superintendent, Special Education/Grove School
Andrea McAuley Education Officer, Special Education
Doug Ferris, Vice‐Principal, Special Education
Anila Punnoose, Chief ‐ Speech and Language Services
Special Education Instructional Facilitator
Dr. Steve Graffi – Chief, Psychological Services
Georgia Jenkins, Chief ‐ Social Worker/Attendance Support
January 2017
Acknowledging the traditional territory of the land we work and live on
shows recognition of and respect for Indigenous Peoples.
It is recognition of their presence both in the past and the present.
Reconciliation and allyship is a continuous process. It is one that we all
need to engage in fully and role model for our school communities as we
build awareness and increase knowledge of Indigenous traditions, cultures
and perspectives.
We would like to
acknowledge that we are on
the traditional territory of the
Mississaugas of Scugog Island
First Nation and in the territory
covered by the Williams
Treaties.
Objective: To share information about DDSB Special Education supports and services and to provide information to Parents/Community on the Special Education Review as part of the ongoing implementation process Agenda: • Our Commitments to Students/Families • Special Education Review – Process Overview • Programs • Supports & Services
Our Commitment • The Durham District School Board is committed to providing students with high quality, responsive programming which fosters their achievement and well‐being • The mission of Special Education is to provide a range of programs, placements and services for students with special needs in supportive environments which enables them to develop to their full potential • Thank you for giving us the privilege of being part of your child’s daily life
Special Education Review
• Effective organizations regularly review programs and practices. The Special
Education Review continues to be an opportunity for us to examine our
programs and practices to improve service and ensure coherence
• Our students reflect and grow in their learning. Our system does too
• Special Education Review is an opportunity for us to strengthen an already
strong system of supports, services and programs for students with special
needs
• Outcomes of the Special Education Review will be strategically phased in over
a two year period: Elementary 2017‐2019, Secondary 2018‐2020
Process Overview The DDSB Special Education Review included: • Consultation conducted through focus groups and surveys which included parents and students • Consolidation of consultation findings formed subsequent recommendations • With consultation across DDSB departments, teams have been looking at opportunities to refine our programs and supports • We now move into implementation related to putting what we heard into action
The ‘Why’ for Changes
• Improved quality programming for students
• Responsiveness to community, family and staff input:
Some variability in programming within special
education classes
Long distances –lengthy bus rides for some students
Loss of home school connections
• Opportunity to provide an improved service delivery model for
students with special needs closer to their home school
community
• Re‐culturing of support model roles while maintaining our
service levels
Foundation of Programming: Fostering Independence*
*Independence as defined individually for each studentSupporting Students and Their School Teams Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) • Priority: Classroom support for programming Special Education Instructional Facilitators • Priority: Coaching model of support • Supporting professional learning Family of Schools Support Teams (currently “Area Teams”)
DDSB Special Education Model
Pathways to Support for Students with Special Needs
Mainstream • Opportunity for students to benefit from differentiated
Support programming within mainstream classrooms
Community • Opportunity for students to access small class supports
Based Support within their community with a focus on integration
Intervention • Access to short‐term intervention program
Programs
Regional • Opportunity for students to access small class
Classes placements requiring intensive supports
Keys: Equity of service and choiceDDSB Students with Special Needs • 12 300 students identified (IPRC) with special needs • 15 000 students receive special education supports & services • 9500 students with special needs are in regular class placements • 2800 students are in special education classes including the Gifted Program
Current Small Class Placements
PILOT TRANSITION: Learning Strategies Class
Associated Classes (35 classes)
(1 class)
Behaviour Assessment Classes (12 classes) Modified Classes (11 classes)
Multiple Exceptionalities Classes (59 classes)
Behaviour Intervention Classes (2 classes)
(may be School to Work)
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Classes (3 classes) Practical Learning Programs (PLP) (24 classes)
Developmental Classes (14 classes) Resource Rooms (13 classes)
Note: 5 classes are 0.5
Gifted Classes (32 classes) Structured Learning Classes (SLC) (4 classes)
Ontario Curriculum OR Alternative Curriculum
Language Classes (6 classes) PILOT: School Support Class (1 clas)
Please note: Program descriptions can be found on the DDSB website in the 2016‐2017 Special Education Plan.
2016‐2017 class data shown.Small Class Placements
Current Model ‐ Fragmentation of Services Revised Family of Schools Focused Model
Coherence within Services
>200 Special Education Classes
Special Education Classroom Teachers
Elementary and Secondary
Special Education Resource Teachers/Heads
Educational Assistants
Change in type of
Special Education Facilitators class/program. No
Psychological Services Staff change in number of
Social Workers classes
Speech‐Language Pathologists
Adjustment
Hearing and Vision Resource Teachers (not reduction) in
Technology Trainers staffing
Work Experience CoordinatorSmall Class Placements
Current Model ‐ Fragmentation of Services Revised Family of Schools Focused Model
Coherence within Services
Special Education Class Types
Special Education Class Types
Current Special Education (Small Class) Programs:
Associated Program • NEW: Self Regulation Class
Behaviour Assessment Class (intervention program)
Behaviour Intervention Class
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Class • NEW: Community Support Class
Developmental Class Change in type of
Gifted Program Class class/program. No • Practical Learning Program (including former
Language Class change in number Associated Classes)
Learning Strategies Class of classes • Deaf/Hard of Hearing Class
Modified Program Class • Developmental Class
Multiple Exceptionalities Program Adjustment • Gifted Program Class
Practical Learning Program
(not reduction) in • Structured Learning Class – Ontario Curriculum
Resource Room & Alternative Curriculum
Structured Learning Class – Ontario Curriculum staffing
Structured Learning Class – Alternative Curriculum2017‐2018 (Phase 1) • Key changes to the model of small classes will focus on the elementary panel • Key changes for secondary will be focused on pilot programs in 2‐3 schools 2018‐2019 (Phase 2) • Continued transition of classes to the revised model –elementary schools • Beginning of implementation to the revised model in secondary schools • On‐going data analysis and monitoring of student achievement and well‐ being related to Phase 1
Speech‐Language/Hearing Services: SLP Role • Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) • Hearing Resource Teachers (HRT) • Interpreters • Intervenors • This complement of staff works with special education staff, school staff, parent(s)/caregiver(s) and community agencies to support students with communication needs impacting on independent functioning in the school environment. • Estimated that 10‐18% of students present with communication difficulties and receive supports for the first time after entry to school
Speech‐Language/Hearing Services: SLP Role • Build oral language foundations needed for literacy, numeracy and social communication. • Focus direction on early intervention starting in Kindergarten. • Assessment (informal/formal) as discerned by the SLP. • Small group in class intervention, building capacity of staff and parent(s)/caregiver(s) through training and modeling of interventions. • Referrals to the community for direct Tier 3 interventions.
Speech‐Language/Hearing Services: SLP Referral Process
• Consent for service (school and/or parent(s)/caregiver(s)
• Review of the student's record
• Classroom observation
• Discussion with parents, teacher and other school personnel
• Informal and formal assessment
• Modelling and coaching of communication strategies
• School and home programming
• Consultation regarding augmentative/alternative communication for students who are
non‐speaking or who have limited verbal skills
• Consultation regarding assistive technology and technology requests
• Communication with community agencies in order to make referrals and
coordinate services
• Provision of workshops to educators and parents
• Collaboration with Hearing Resource Teachers and Educational Audiologist and members
of the School and FOS Teams and the Programs DepartmentPsychological Services
With the goal of enhancing a student’s ability to access the curriculum
and/or programs and resources within the DDSB, Psychological Services
offers:
• Clinical Consultation for students who have needs related to their
mental health and/or their social, behavioral, learning or
developmental functioning;
• Psychological Assessments, including clinical assessment, behavioral
assessment, psycho‐educational assessment, social assessment
and/or developmental assessments;Psychological Services
• Direct Clinical Intervention, counselling and/or therapy with
individual students or groups of students;
• Crisis Response for Violence, Suicide or Tragic Loss, consistent with
the DDSB protocols on Violence/Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA),
Suicide Prevention and Intervention, and Crisis and Loss;
• Staff Capacity Building, by providing staff training, working on
committees, supporting individual school growth plans, and offering
individual teacher consultation and/or modeling of skills.Social Work/Attendance Services Referrals are made to Social Work/Attendance Services in response to emotional, behavioural and social concerns that appear to be inhibiting student achievement. In the role of School Social Worker, the following services are provided: • consultation to school personnel • consultation to parent(s)/guardian(s) • assessment • short term individual counselling and group counselling related to concerns affecting student achievement and/or well being at school
Social Work/Attendance Services • Coordination of services and facilitation of referrals to community agencies • Crisis response In the role of the Attendance Counsellor, the school social worker will: • Identify factors that are inhibiting a student's attendance • Work with the student, parent(s), school staff and community collaterals to develop a plan to address these factors and promote and support attendance
Vision Resource Team
• Vision Resource services are available for students in regular class placements or special
education classes who are identified with significantly reduced visual acuity, low vision, or
blindness as determined by an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or medical doctor, and who
meet the Ministry of Education identification for Physical Exceptionality: Blind or Low Vision
• Support to students varies depending on individual strengths and needs. Students may
receive direct 1:1 support, in‐class support, and consultation services for programming
• Vision Resource Teachers provide direct instruction for skills that are essential for daily living,
fostering independence, and navigating school, community, and technological environments
• As well, students may also receive direct support to develop skills that are essential to access
the curriculum including accessing the curriculum through braille, alternate formats, tactile
skill development, and/or technology
• In addition, Vision Resource Teachers provide consultative services and information to
parents, classroom teachers, and school staff for individual student programming and low‐
vision related programming, its educational implications, and fostering learner self‐advocacy
and independenceExperiential Learning – Pathways to Success
• Experiential Learning connects learning in the classroom to contexts outside of the
classroom in the broader school, the local community, and the world
• Experiential Learning succeeds when schools partner with community organizations and
businesses to provide students with a broad array of real‐world learning environments
and connected experiences
• By offering a wide array of opportunities both inside and outside of the school, student
independence, engagement, and achievement are fostered as students understand the
connections between their classroom learning and their place in the life of the broader
community
• Through Experiential Learning, students connect their personal learning to life
experiences and community involvement through a structured reflective process where
they participate in community‐connected experiences, reflect on the
experience, and apply their new learning in the many contexts of their lives.Advanced Technology Team
• Special Education Facilitators for Advanced Technology provide
coaching, consultation, and professional development to support
SERTs and teachers in their efforts to embed technology at the point
of instruction and learning
• Advanced Technology Trainers provide individual and small group
training sessions for students who have SEA laptops and Apple
devices
• Through direct and indirect support, the team focuses on helping
students develop technical, independence, and self‐advocacy skills
related to the use of technology in the classroomAdvanced Technology Team
• Students access and engage with the curriculum through a variety of
software such as Kurzweil, WordQ, Clicker6, SMART Notebook, and a
wide range of apps
• Students use hardware such as laptops, iPads, iPods, and
SMARTboards
• To foster engagement and support at home, parents and guardians
are invited to attend training sessions with their child as well
participate in Advanced Technology Parent Training Evenings offered
throughout the school year. Speak to your SERT about these
opportunitiesSummary of Proposed Changes
• Improved service delivery model for students
closer to home school location
• Improved quality programming for students
• Re‐deployment of special education staff
aligned with Family of Schools model
• Redefining special education roles to improve
special education service deliveryQuestions/Inquiries
Thank You – Community Engagement
• Thank you for your ongoing partnership
• Your partnership invaluable as we move forward
in our delivery of special education supports and
services
• Our commitment is to support you and your
child(ren) with provision of supports and services
truly reflective of Many Paths to SuccessYou can also read
