EPSB.ca » Our Division » Board Policies & Administrative Regulations » H - Students » HA.AR Students in Need of Specialized Supports and Services

Students in Need of Specialized Supports and Services

  • Code: HA.AR
    Topic: Students in Need of Specialized Supports and Services
    Issue Date: 29/01/2020
    Effective Date: 29/01/2020
    Review Year: 2017

Regulation

BACKGROUND FOR INTERPRETATION
This regulation aligns to expectations of Board Policy HA.BP - Inclusive Education, that students in need of specialized supports and services are included within one inclusive learning system that takes responsibility for all students.

  1. ACCESS
    1. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
      1. Division Administration shall:
        • Delegate to District Support Services the responsibility to serve as a central point of contact for schools and parents/guardians, for advice and assistance about Division policies, procedures, and program options for students in need of specialized supports and services. Staff in District Support Services will have the authority to:
          1. facilitate and mediate any concerns, in consideration of the best educational interests, and most enabling placement, of students in need of specialized supports and services; and
          2. provide information, advice or recommendations during any appeal process to parents/guardians of students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Designate and maintain an administrative officer to chair an Inclusive Education Parent and Community Advisory Committee, consisting of a representative group of interested parents and community members, to provide regular input and advice specific to inclusive education.
        • Maintain, keep current, and communicate, through the Division website:
          1. the Division's commitment to inclusive education;
          2. the range of program options for students in need of specialized supports and services;
          3. information on the specialized consultation and assessment process; and
          4. information on the appeal process.
      2. Principals shall:
        • Ensure that, for students in need of specialized supports and services, the first placement option for due consideration is, in consultation with parents/guardians, the regular classroom in the attendance area school.
        • Welcome students and parents/guardians and ensure they are provided with accurate and timely information, advice, and assistance regarding:
          1. the range of programming and placement options available within the school and the Division;
          2. registration, orientation, course selection, and program planning; and
          3. transitioning to new schools, other programs, and beyond secondary school.
        • Invite meaningful involvement of parents/guardians in the learning team for planning and problem solving relating to programming for the student in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Build, maintain and ensure respectful working relationships between parents and other members of the learning team.
        • Provide parents with access to information contained in the student record, including student progress reports and results of specialized consultation or assessments, in accordance with the School Act and the Student Record Regulation.
    2. IDENTIFICATION
      1. Division Administration shall:
        • Develop appropriate and consistent practices related to early and timely assessment and identification of students in need of specialized supports and services.
      2. Principals shall:
        • Identify, in collaboration with specialist and professional staff, students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Involve parents/guardians according to all expectations outlined in Standards for Special Education, including:
          1. obtaining parent/guardian's written informed consent for specialized consultation, assessment, or referral for services; ensuring that consent is understood as voluntary and may be revoked in writing at any time;
          2. involving parents/guardians and, when appropriate, students in the screening, identification and referral process;
          3. requesting information from parents/guardians that is relevant to students' education; and
          4. providing parents/guardians interpretation by qualified professionals of results of specialized consultation or assessment results.
  2. APPROPRIATENESS
    1. PROGRAMMING
      1. Division Administration shall:
        • Provide a range of choices throughout the Division in programming placement options for students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Provide professional learning opportunities to support inclusive education values and practices for all Division staff.
        • Provide teachers with ongoing access to professional learning for inclusive and specialized instructional strategies for students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Enhance programming capacity through targeted recruitment of teaching staff with expertise in inclusive and specialized instructional strategies.
      2. Principals shall:
        • Invite and enable collaborative conversations on program planning between the classroom teacher(s) responsible for programming, other school or Division staff who provide advice, assistance or specialized consultation, and the students' parents/guardians.
        • Ensure that programming for all students in need of specialized supports and services is aligned to appropriate Programs of Study.
        • Ensure that programming for all students in need of specialized supports and services meets expectations for instructional time.
        • Ensure that such programming utilizes effective teaching, informed by aspects of strength-based programming, multiple means of instruction and evaluation, and evidence-based practices.
        • Utilize specialist services for programming collaboration, consultation and review of student progress.
        • Develop, implement, modify, and evaluate programming strategies and Individual Program Plans (IPPs). IPPs will use results from school data, specialized consultation and assessment, other specialist reports, and outline the nature and extent of adapted or modified programming, special accommodations provided, and relevant programming goals.
        • Use assessment data to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of programming and services provided to students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Ensure assignment of teachers to programs for students in need of specialized supports and services is based on prior success with inclusive and specialized instructional strategies.
    2. SUPPORTS AND SERVICES
      1. Division Administration shall:
        • Ensure schools have access to specialist and professional staff to provide consultation, planning and problem solving relating to identification and programming for students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Collaborate with ministries, community services or other partners in securing consistency of access to other associated services for student success.
        • Develop, keep current and implement written procedures for working with other members of the community to design and deliver services for children and students in need of specialized supports and services.
        • Establish links or formal partnerships with other agencies offering pre-school or private early childhood services, post-secondary services, program placements or employment services, for the purpose of planning and securing transition support.
      2. Principals shall:
        • Ensure that each student receives a range of specialized supports and services, aligned to individual programming needs as identified through an Individual Program Plan (IPP) or equivalent planning tool.
        • Document the supports and services received on the IPP or equivalent planning tool.
  3. ACCOUNTABILITY
    1. REPORTING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION
      1. Division Administration shall:
        • Provide an annual special education report to the Board of Trustees.
        • Conduct regular audits and reviews of designated Division programs for students in need of specialized supports and services to ensure consistency and reliability in programming practices.
      2. Principals shall:
        • Monitor and evaluate, in collaboration with specialist and professional staff, the effectiveness of specialized supports and services provided to each student.
        • Communicate school initiatives and activities for fostering inclusive learning environments through various means, including the Budget Planning and Results Review process.

References

AB.AR Appeal Processes
AB.BP Dispute Resolution and Appeals
FA.BP Human Resources Framework
GA.BP Student Programs of Study
GAA.BP Delivery of Student Programs of Study
GD.BP Instructional Time
HA.BP Inclusive Education
HB.AR Student Placement
FBCB.AR Division Staff Code of Conduct
Alberta Education - Standards for Special Education - Amended June 2004
Alberta Education - Student Record Regulation
Alberta Education - The Learning Team: A Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs (2003)
Education Act

(please see Sections 3, 11(1)(2)(3)(4)(5), 197(e))