Student Support Services

1. Student Support Services Presentation to Mental health, Addictions Service October 17, 2011

2. Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) Motto "Students Come First" Mission "Excelling Through Student Learning" Vision "Together Inspiring Passion For Learning - Excelling Now - Succeeding Tomorrow" Values Integrity, Empathy, Growth, Equity, On January 1, 2006 the Good Spirit School Division assumed responsibility for educational services from the areas formerly served by Eastland Lakes, Melville Comprehensive, Melville-Deer Park, Potashville and York School Divisions. Currently, we serve 28 schools located in 17 communities in East-Central Saskatchewan.

3. GSSD Student Population September 12th, 2011 Total Enrolment : 5982 students Prekindergarten to Grade 3: 1793 Grade 4 to Grade 12 : 4189 Students New to GSSD: 241 Students transferring from out of Province: 88 (based on 2010/11 data) Students transferring from another Country: 27 (based on 2010/11 data)

4. Vision for Student Services within the GSSD The Good Spirit School Division has adopted the vision for supporting student diversity that has been defined by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. This vision promotes the inclusion of all students in their neighborhood schools and is based on exemplary practices and evidence-based research. Services and support to all learners are provided through a response to intervention model of service delivery.

5. Continuum of Support for ALL Students Within the GSSD, for all students we strive to: • Provide highly effective, research-based core instruction • Identify what we want all students to learn (ELOs) • Systematically identify students who are not succeeding in our core program • Provide these students additional time, resources and support until they achieve success.

6. GSSD Continuum of Student Supports & Interventions

7. Division Goal #1:Reading for All The GSSD Literacy Learning Goal states:  Students will demonstrate at least one year of growth in reading comprehension skills during each academic year .  The three-year initiative has been set with the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year.

8. Division Goal #2: Know problems The Good Spirit School Division Math Learning Goal states: 70% of students will score at the proficient level of problem solving. The three-year initiative has been set with the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year.

9. An Exploration Of Staff Utilization with GSSD

10. Impetus for the Review of Paraprofessional Utilization within the GSSD Ministry direction Desire of teachers and administrators Exploration of whether we were truly meeting student’s learning needs. Questionable allocation of limited resources As a division, we wanted to explore how we were presently using EAs

11. Reported Time Distribution

12. Quadrant Results by Profession

13. What can we do? • We need to utilize paraprofessional supports in responsible ways. Specifically this means that: • Instruction by paraprofessionals: • should be supplemental, rather than primary or exclusive • should be planned by qualified personnel • Should be based on explicit and intensive training in research-supported, best practices. • Should be followed by on-going supervision • Non-instructional roles for paraprofessionals (e.g. clerical, materials preparation, personal care) should be acknowledged and valued as important contributions to enable teachers to spend time with students.

14. What can we do? • We need to utilize paraprofessional supports in responsible ways by: • Facilitating peer interactions and other natural supports • Involving students in making decisions about their own supports • Exploring less restrictive options to using 1:1 paraprofessional supports. • Exploring ways to fade 1:1 supports • Having and refining a process for making decisions about 1:1 professional supports – more on this in the upcoming slides. • Exploring alternatives (resource reallocation, co-teaching, transitional use of paraprofessionals, peer supports) Giangreco, 2009

15. Educational Assistant Support within the GSSD: Two Types of Allocated Support • In each of our schools we provide general educational assistant time based on enrolment numbers. This EA time is called “diversity” EA hours. • The intent of this time is to: • to support classrooms and students at certain times of need • kids that may not meet intensive support criteria but occasionally require support (for example: to have tests read, multi-grade classrooms, tutorial programs). • This “diversity” time is designed to be fluid within the school – constantly allowing schools to meet their ever-changing needs. • To meet student specific support needs, we also have “Student Specific Support” • The intent of this Student Specific Support is to support the personal program plan goals of a student with intensive support needs. • This student specific EA time is allocated based on student need as opposed to student level or diagnosis. • Not all students with intensive needs require EA time as their goals may be supported by other professionals and/or assistive technology

16. Present Practices: Allocation of Student- Specific EA Support within GSSD If the school determines that additional support is required to meet the needs of a particular student or a group of students, it is recommended that the school reassign existing professional or paraprofessional support to meet those needs. In each school, intensive supports should always be directed towards meeting the needs that are considered to be the highest priority at the school.

17. Step 1 • Following the reallocation of supports within the school to meet the highest needs, the school will contact their cluster Student Services Coordinator (SSC) to indicate continued need for support. • Some schools will request a consultation from their SSC at this time. • Some schools will proceed with a formal request for additional support.

18. Request for Additional Support Form

19. Step 2 • At the time of observation, the SSC will assess the following: • Needs of the student • Tasks that the student is expected to complete – ensuring that appropriate accommodations and adaptations are in place. • Class environment (this includes an evaluation of the number of students in the class, the diversity present in the room, current supports provided, whether co-teaching or EA support is accessible to the student , whether other professional support is provided to the student or class as a whole. • Discussions are held with the SST and/or administrator as to how they are currently using their Student Services Supports (diversity and student-specific EA allocations) .

20. Emergency EA Support • Following the observation, emergency EA support can be assigned on a temporary basis by the Student Services Coordinator, Superintendent of Schools or Superintendent of Student Support Services. • This emergency support would be in place following the observation and expire on the date of our Intensive Support Committee (ISC) Meeting. • Emergency support would be provided to individuals with safety and personal care needs. Otherwise the school would be expected to re-allocate their current student services supports to meet needs in the interim.

21. Step 3 • Following the classroom observation, a copy of the Student’s Impact Form, PPP, & Request for Additional Support Form are distributed to members of the Intensive Support Committee. Members of the committee include: • Student Services Coordinators from each cluster of the division (North, Central, South) • Superintendent of Student Services • Meetings are held monthly or as required. It is requested that schools submit all documentation one week prior to the scheduled meeting. • Our aim is to be responsive to student needs and to be fair, equitable and consistent in meeting the needs across the school division.

22. Step 4: Intensive Support Committee Meeting • At the meeting, each SSC is responsible to present their school’s requests. • The team then proceeds to discuss requests and means of meeting student goals. • Recommendations may include the following: • Specific adaptations and strategies be put in place for the student using existing student services supports. • Additional professional service provider supports. • Access to outside agency supports. • Access to assistive technologies – low tech & high tech • EA support on a temporary basis – to be reviewed at later date. • EA support for specific times/tasks throughout the day • Following 5 years of using this process, we have found that schools now rarely request full-time EA support. • This year, in an effort to be transparent, School Administration are welcome to join us (in person or via Skype) to observe the process.

23. Step 5 The Superintendent of Student Services provides a written summary to the schools of decisions made through consensus. SSCs follow up and monitor student progress. Each spring, all student needs are reviewed to prepare for fall staffing and adjustments to staffing may be made for the following school year.

24. A Note on Reductions in EA Staffing Throughout the year, adjustments may need to be made to previously approved EA staffing allocations when students with intensive needs are no longer enrolled in a school or when student’s/school needs change. It is expected that the schools inform the SSC of these changes one-week prior to the monthly ISC meeting. Following the decision to reduce paraprofessional staff in a school, a one month grace period will be provided to schools to facilitate transition for students/staff and the school as a whole.

25. Following the assignment of an EA – we must orientate all staff in how to effectively employ a paraprofessional • To do this, we need to continue to train all staff in the roles & responsibilities of both paraprofessionals & professionals when working with all children. This includes: • Providing appropriate training on working with paraprofessionals. One way we propose achieving this is through our Teacher and EA Module (TEAM) digital orientation package that will work to orient and train both teachers and paraprofessionals on effective practices to support all learners.

26. T & EA M Orientation“Together Everyone Achieves More” 1 Welcome to The GSSD 2 TEAM Pre-Test 3 General GSSD Information 4 Who & What Is Student Services? 5 Roles & Responsibilities Of Educational Assistants 7 TEAM Introductory Video 8 Ten “C’s” of Effective Teamwork 9 Collaboration: What is this? Who does what? 10 Personal Program Planning 6 Roles & Responsibilities Of Classroom Teachers & SSTs 11 Emergency Procedures 12 What is Independence? How can I Promote Independence? 13 Confidentiality, Ethics & Documentation 14 Avoiding Common Pitfalls 15 Dealing with Challenging Situations 16 Safe Practices I.e. Lifting & Transfers 17 Prompting & Using Visuals 18 Optimizing Behaviour & Promoting Self-Management 19 Valuable Lessons from the Students 20 TEAM Post-Test

27. Staffing Ratios for Professional Service Providers and Student Services Personnel

28. Current & Future Directions RTI Project – 4 classrooms (gr. 1, gr. 2/3, gr. 8, gr. 10 math) RTI Training for all staff PLC Training for all administration Non Violent Crisis Intervention - 16 of 28 schools have teams trained Inter-Disciplinary Teams Professional Service Provider (PSP) PLC Days Professional Growth Plans & Performance Appraisals for PSPs Common PSP Referral/Intake Process – utilization of technology to enhance collaboration On-going professional development for PSPs and SSTs – utilization of self guided on line PD

29. Current & Future Directions CAFAS Training for Student Services Counsellors Incredible Years Training for Counsellors PreK transitioning for students involved with therapies Autism Pro. Pilot Project – 3 Circles of Care