Moving toward a continuum of supports and services

1. Moving toward a continuum of supports and services Parkland School Division No. 70 January 2013

2. The PSD Inclusion Story • Although many students with special needs have traditionally been “included” in PSD classrooms for many years, PSD officially started the Inclusion Journey approximately three years ago: • Some students in the Modified Academic Program at Broxton Park returned to their home school; • The Division began to learn more about what “inclusion” means in theory and in practice; • We learned that there were many differing points of view about what “inclusion” meant.

3. The PSD Inclusion Story We learned that it was much more than students “sharing air in the same classroom”.

4. Inclusion is: • A way of thinking and acting that demonstrates universal acceptance of, and belonging for, all students. Inclusive education in Alberta means a value-based approach to accepting responsibility for all students. It also means that all students will have equitable opportunity to be included in the typical learning environment or program of choice. • Alberta Education 2009

5. Inclusion is: • Educating students in the least restrictive environment • Recognizing that students learn at different rates and in different ways, and creating multiple paths to learning for individuals and groups of students, including student with special learning needs • Granting students “equality rights” provided by section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

6. Inclusion is Access to: Learner Success AND Supports and Services

7. Principles of Inclusion 1. Diversity is respected 2. Strive for equity • Equity of access • Equity of success

8. Something to remember… • As educators, we have a “high responsibility” to act in the best interest of the child • We must collaborate with parents and work toward compromise • In program planning, we must think about preparing the child for independence • This will look different for each child

9. PSD’s Commitment to Inclusion: • Move from… • The idea of fixing students to the idea of improving environments • Dependence on staff (teachers and EAs) to focus on independence • Special education to ALL students being special • A deficit model of thinking to a strength-based model of thinking • Having high expectations for some to having high expectations for ALL

10. Table Talk #1: The Division has worked to develop and implement a working definition of “Inclusion” with administrators, teachers, educational assistants, and parents. Questions: What do you feel the Division has been successful with so far? What progress do you feel still needs to happen in this area?

11. Levels of Support

12. Levels of Support • The levels of support are to remove the barriers to education and learning opportunities outside the learner’s desk • Does so in an integrated way through personalization • Encourages the use of the SETT model which doesn’t require a medical diagnosis • Reduces the number of students who “fall through the crack” • Matches the students with the supports and services needed so learning can be maximized

13. Levels of Support • Eliminates the “Doubly Marginalized Student” • Who is not well served by the regular education system • Who does not qualify for special education funding • Who does not fit official definitions of disability

14. Levels of Support Special education services also create barriers to access. Gate-keeping comes in the form of: • Qualifying definitions • Limited funding for specific diagnosis • Segregation of programs

15. Levels of Support Document • Purpose is to inform resource allocation and program planning at the school and division levels.

16. Levels of Support Document • The document identifies key indicators and levels of supports across six areas: 1. Academic 2. Behavior 3. Cognitive 4. Physical 5. Vision 6. Hearing

17. Levels of Support Document The Key Indicators identify student behaviors that indicate that the student requires supports in addition to those that should be available to all students. • Level 1 – associated with the majority of students who would be successful when exposed to high quality, differentiated instruction • - considered “universal” in that these supports should be in place in every classroom

18. Levels of Support Document • Level 2 - indicators describe a student who requires adaptation and additional support in order to be successful. The student may or may not meet Alberta Education special education coding. • Level 3 – indicators describe a student who requires extensive adaptation and/or modifications. May be working towards specific learner outcomes at much earlier grade levels. The student meets Alberta Education criteria for coding.

19. Levels of Support Document • Level 4 – indicators describe a student who requires highly specialized and intensive programming and support. Program focuses on foundational or lifeskills. • The supports should be considered cumulative and incremental (e.g. students requiring Level 3 supports should also receive Level 2 supports). Higher levels of support are associated with greater student need.

20. Determining Primary Area of Need • All students have only one primary area of need for support. Many students have challenges across many areas, but these are often associated with the primary area. • Identify the student’s primary area of need related to the provision of support • Place the student in the appropriate level (level 2-4). Look at both the Key Indicators and Key Supports when making the determination • A student may require a higher level of support because of a secondary area (e.g. primary need related to cognitive ability but presents with significant behavioral challenges – secondary need)

21. Levels of Support Document • Identify a secondary area of need only when the secondary area is not typically associated with the primary area of need, or is so severe that it requires a higher level of support than that indicated in the primary area. (e.g. a student with very severe cognitive challenges may also have physical and sensory needs in the area of vision or hearing) • The student’s diagnosis and/or coding may not be synonymous with his/her greatest area of need.

22. Table Talk #2 – Group Activity • Read the student profile provided at your table and match the profile to the appropriate key indicators and level of supports • Determine the primary area of need and the secondary area of need (if there is one) • What challenges were associated with this activity? • What benefits do you see for your staff? For your students? • What would you learn about your students if you did this process for your school?

23. Developing a new PSD Inclusive Education Funding Model

24. Developing a new PSD Inclusive Education Funding Model • The Current Model • Provides the same allocation to all students coded level 6, regardless of their particular needs • Students coded less than level 6 do not access funding directly from this funding model • Schools are providing supports for these students, but are taking from the level 6 funding to support other students in their school • Some students are falling through the cracks with this model • The Proposed Model • Based on the Continuum of Supports • Reflects the supports needed by a student in order to be successful and not on a code

25. Inclusive Education Funding Model • The allocation that PSD receives from Alberta Education to support students with learning needs is provided through a new funding model that supports inclusive practice – new last year. • Local administrators, in partnership with parents, need to take into account the goals and strategies that students with learning needs r4equire to be successful when determining the allocation of resources at the school level.

26. Inclusive Education Funding Model • Inclusive education is an approach to educating ALL students and therefore ALL funding provided to school jurisdictions should be considered inclusive education funding. • Inclusive education is about ensuring that each student belongs and receives a quality education no matter their ability, disability, language, cultural background, gender or age.

27. Inclusive Education Funding Model • The new allocation is based on total student population and is meant to include supports and services in these categories: • Instructional support • Assistive technology supports/maintenance • Learning coaches • Literacy/numeracy supports/services • Community supports services • Counseling supports/services • Speech/language supports/services • Physical therapy supports/services • Occupational therapy supports/services • Mental and other Health supports/services • Vision/hearing supports/services

28. Inclusive Education Funding Model • The new allocation model also includes “Differential funding” – modifiers in the funding that recognize the incidence of diversity or the diverse needs in students based on: • Socio-Economic Factors • Demographic Factors • Geographic Factors

29. Differential Funding Modifiers • -Low income • -24.8% of children with disabilities live in a household where income is in the bottom 40% as compared to 17% of children without disabilities • -The poorest 20% of Canadians have 35% higher rate of disability and 12% higher rate of mental/behavioral problems • Low Educational Attainment • -parental education, particularly the mother, has a strong impact on a child’s early development. Children under the age of 2 with educated mothers have shown 12% higher cognitive development than children with uneducated mothers • -one parent completes high school: 10% have a child with disabilities • -neither parent has completed high school: 15% have a child with a disability • Lone Parent Family • -one in eight families have a child with disabilities • -one if five lone parent families have a child with disabilities • Low weight for gestational age • -weight below 2500 grams associated with significant medical issues at birth as well as medical and educational issues later on • FNMI • -Aboriginal children and youth have a higher rate of disability (3.5%-5.6%) than the national population as a whole (2.2%) • Children in Care • -7 out of 10 children in care have a disability • Refugee children • -require additional supports and resources to address psychological issues and lack of previous education • Distance • -increased costs to access supports and services

30. Developing a new PSD Inclusive Education Funding Model • Our challenge now is to take all of this information and develop a PSD allocation model that • will support inclusive education and • provide the supports and services needed for students with special needs to be successful • Will respect the current allocation PSD receives

31. Developing a new PSD Inclusive Education Funding Model • Develop a working committee to determine the funding model • The parameters: • The pot of money is what it is and we don’t expect an increase this year • Timelines • Ryan would like to use this work to determine the coming year’s allocation to schools • Timelines are short • Funding Priorities • What do we want to prioritize in terms of supports and services?

32. Table Talk #3 – Group Activity • Prioritize the supports and services in order of: • what is considered vitally important (can’t live without it) • what is negotiable (great but can live without it) • Nice, but not really needed • Include learning coaches and counseling as a division supports and services • List important factors/modifiers for PSD to consider that we should develop differential funding for?