Refocuses Programs On Student Outcomes; Supports Quicker Assessments And Improved Mediation TORONTO, June 8 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is streamlining the way special education programs are delivered and changing evaluation methods to improve outcomes for the students who deserve our greatest attention, Education Minister Sandra Pupatello said today. "Our government is on the side of Ontario families who want the best public education for their children," said Pupatello. "That's why we are making these changes to be more responsive to the needs of students in special education programs." << The government is helping students with special education needs by: - Investing $25 million to enable the Council of Ontario Directors of Education to deliver increased professional development. This will enhance teachers' capacity to improve outcomes for students with special education needs - Investing $20 million to enable the Ontario Psychological Association to work with boards to reduce waiting times for student assessments. This will allow more students' needs to be properly determined. - Investing $5 million in training through the Geneva Centre for Autism for teachers' assistants who have students with autism spectrum disorders. >> The changes to special education also include the development of new parent engagement and dispute resolution guidelines for school boards that will give parents a more effective voice in their child's education. The process to identify students and review their progress will be streamlined to support a greater focus on student outcomes and to reduce administrative processes. "Students with special needs deserve a quality education that has a real positive impact on their daily classroom experience," said Lynn Ziraldo, a parent and interim chairperson of the Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education. "The initiatives being introduced today are going to help bring the special education community closer together and allow us to show greater leadership as we work towards improving student achievement." These new special education programs and supports respond to recommendations made by the Working Table on Special Education, co-chaired by Kathleen Wynne, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education, and Dr. Sheila Bennett, associate professor at Brock University. Released today, the working table's report found that the system needs to be more focused on student learning, achievement and access to the Ontario curriculum. "I'm pleased that the government is making changes to the special education system," said Wynne. "We strongly believe that the culture around special education needs transformation, so that student outcomes receive greater attention, bureaucracy does not stand in the way, and families and schools are encouraged to work together to support student achievement." "Our government appreciates the hard work of the Working Table on Special Education," said Pupatello. "All of the participating members including teachers, teachers' assistants, principals, trustee associations and parents have collaborated to give us valuable advice on making improvements to the special education system. Their work will give students a greater opportunity to succeed." The changes to special education programs and services are just one way the McGuinty government is improving publicly funded education for students and young adults with special education needs in Ontario. Other initiatives include: << - A new mentoring program piloted by the Ministry of Community and Social Services that will give young adults with a developmental disability the guidance, skills and inspiration they need to achieve success in life after school - Additional investments of $10 million annually by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to help Ontario's children's treatment centres provide services to approximately 4,800 more children and youth with special needs. This is in addition to the more than $110 million in new investments since 2003 that are already making a difference for children and youth with special needs - Increased supports from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, including more than doubling spending on services for children with autism, hiring more than 110 therapists and increasing the number of children receiving Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) by 48 per cent, and providing supports for more teachers to help children in the classroom. >> "These are important new initiatives that complement the work we are doing to increase and strengthen services for children with special needs, including autism," said Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Children and Youth Services. "Our vision is to deliver a continuum of services and supports that is appropriate to a child's developmental stage and helps them as they learn and grow so they can reach their full potential." << Disponible en français www.edu.gov.on.ca www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca Backgrounder ------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS >> Students with special education needs deserve a high-quality education that allows them to achieve their potential. The publicly funded education system must be there to provide the programs, supports and evaluation to ensure they can attain the best outcome possible. Students with special education needs include those with a learning disability, a language impairment, autism spectrum disorder, a mild or developmental disability, a speech impairment, or a behavioural or physical challenge. This group also includes students who are gifted, deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind or have low vision. Across Ontario, students with special education needs account for nearly 14 per cent of the student population. School boards report that there are nearly 180,000 elementary and 110,000 secondary students who receive some help through special education programs and services. The reforms being introduced by the McGuinty government will help support better outcomes for this large and important group of students who cannot be left behind. Reducing Waiting Times For Assessments The Ontario Psychological Association will be working with school boards to reduce current waiting times for students who require assessments and to enhance the capacity of teachers to provide effective programs for students. The focus will be students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 4 who require differentiated learning experiences as a result of significant learning or behavioural needs. Through shorter waiting times, more students will have the opportunity to succeed by reaping the benefits of special education programs and services. Improved Accountability School boards' special education plans will be transformed so they focus on target setting and improvement planning that is related to student achievement and program effectiveness. The ministry is also establishing a special education program and financial review, on a pilot basis, to determine program effectiveness and resource efficiency in selected boards. At the student level, the ministry intends to reinforce the connection between a student's Individual Education Plan, the Ontario curriculum and the provincial report card. This will provide students and parents with a clearer picture of how the student's progress is being assessed and reported during the school year by the classroom teacher. Streamlining the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Process In the past, some students have faced barriers or delays to accessing special education programs and services because of the paperwork required in the IPRC process. The ministry is now encouraging boards to consider the necessity of using the IPRC process when both the school and the parents agree that the student should be placed in a regular classroom. Parents will retain the right to initiate the IPRC process for any reason and a IPRC meeting would also be held when the parent or school principal desires a special class placement. Each student with special education needs would continue to have an Individual Education Plan completed by teachers every year. The plans are used by teachers to communicate to parents how their children's progress will be assessed and explained through the report card. Autism Spectrum Disorder Reference Group A reference group on autism spectrum disorders will be established to provide the ministry with recommendations on effective practices that school boards can use to improve the learning environment for these students. The group will report back to the minister. A resource guide on effective teaching practices will also be distributed to school boards. Improving Parent Engagement and Dispute Resolution School boards will be required to develop informal dispute resolution processes for issues regarding special education programs and services. To help them, a resource guide is being developed to provide parents and school boards with recommended approaches on working together to arrive at a shared solution. A provincial policy on mediation processes for special education programs and services will be developed in consultation with stakeholders, including a process for recognizing the credentials of mediators. This will give parents a stronger voice in their child's education with access to qualified, neutral individuals to hear and resolve disagreements. Additional Training for Teachers' Assistants The Geneva Centre for Autism will provide training opportunities for teachers' assistants who work with students with pervasive developmental disorders/autism spectrum disorders. More Professional Development The Council of Ontario Directors of Education plans to provide more professional development that enhances the ability of teachers and others to improve outcomes for students with special education needs. WORKING TABLE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION In May 2005, the Minister of Education established a Working Table on Special Education to look at how program policy, funding and accountability might be changed to better support the special education system and align it closer to the government's overall strategic goals. The working table's objective was to provide recommendations to the Minister of Education on how Ontario can refocus the special education system on student achievement and system accountability - a trend currently taking place internationally to improve outcomes for students with special education needs. Kathleen Wynne, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education, and Dr. Sheila Bennett, associate professor at Brock University, were asked to co-chair the working table. Other participants included educators who have students with special education needs, parents and students from across the province. The working table met six times between May and December 2005, and reviewed the first draft of the report and recommendations in May 2006. The working table identified eight areas as critical issues for special education reform: student success and greater access to appropriate curriculum; professional development; identification and support options; service integration; parent collaboration; accountability and reporting; research; and special education funding. The final report by the Working Table on Special Education was released today. << Disponible en français www.edu.gov.on.ca www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca >> For further information: Valerie Poulin, Minister's Office, (416) 325-2632; Tanya Blazina, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2746; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929, or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892