“Town Hall Meeting” Future Directions

1. “Town Hall Meeting”Future Directions Delivery Model Students with Special Needs

2. Issues • Commitment to success for all within the context of inclusion • Students normally attend community school • Support services according to need • Finite resources • Increasing demand for services within a context of decreasing enrollment

3. Our Current Approach • Striving to include all students • Organizing services so that students can attend their community school

4. Framework Guiding the Organization of Services • The Education Act • The Policy on Special Education (MELS 2000) • The QEP (Differentiation, Cycles, Teamwork)

5. Framework Guiding the Organization of Services Continued • The Framework on Complementary Educational Services (MELS 2002) • The Policy on the Evaluation of Learning(MELS 2003) • The Collective Agreements (2005-2010)

6. A Continuum of Needs At risk / Students with Social Maladjustments / Students with Handicaps Learning Difficulties Vulnerable LD/MI/BD Codes (14-99) Prevention Intervention BLUE: MELS Categories BLACK: LBPSB Operational Categories

7. Classification of Special Needs(Ministry of Education, Leisure, & Sport) • Two broad categories • Students in Difficulty (Learning/Behavior/Mild Intellectual Delay) • Students with Social Maladjustments/ Handicaps • Identification procedures and funding differ for both categories

8. LBPSB Statistics (2007-08) • Approximately 11% of student population has identified special needs • Total Population:25 665 • Students in difficulty (LD/BD/MI):1953 • Students with Social Maladjustments/Handicaps:777

9. STUDENTS “IN DIFFICULTY” 2007-2008 STUDENTS “HANDICAPPED” 2007-2008

10. School Classroom Teachers Resource Teachers Integration Aides Sp. Needs Technicians Behavioral Technicians Spiritual Animators Planning Room * Guidance Counsellors* In-School Alternate Programs* Work Study Programs * Secondary school only Support at School Level

11. School Board and External Agency Support Board • Student Services • Special Needs Consultants, Psychologists, Speech - Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, FSSTT, Health Promotion Team • REACH ATTACHMENT Program** * * Elementary school only

12. School Board and External Agency Support Continued • Educational Services • Curriculum Consultants • Early Literacy Intervention Program • Summer Literacy Camp • Summer School External • Health & Social Services Agencies • Community Groups

13. Options • Maintain current model • Refine current model • Develop new approaches for specific clientele (e.g. behavior) • Explore alternative programming for students • Develop and implement a different model • Re-distribute existing Board budgets

14. Impact of Present Board Policy and Practices • An individualized approach to success • Based on identified needs, not category • A high quality of service is costly (in time and $$) • A culture of appreciation for diversity

15. Impact Continued • Over-representation of students with Special Needs in Elementary Bilingual program • Over-representation of students with Special Needs in certain secondary school programs • Need for on-going professional development to build capacity

16. Future Directions…..