 Mission
Statement
We
believe trust relationships are the key to effective educational
services. These relationships can only be built through honest,
effective, respectful and frequent interpersonal contact. The
needs of students are best met through a collaborative consultation
approach where students and parents have the right to be, and
should be, involved in the decision-making process and education
of their children. Personal wants must become secondary to the
needs of students. Therefore, a team of equal status educators
working in a consensus or majority decision model is likely
to be most effective.
Who
Receives Special Education Services?
In
order to achieve the Province’s goals of education some
children will require special education services. These children
are identified by the School Based Team in consultation with
parents and the following Provincially mandated criteria.
When
a new child arrives or a learning difficulty is suspected: the
child's teacher and parents request help from the School Based
Team and/or School District Consultants; the School Based Team
and/or School District Consultants meet with the Teacher and
Parents to:
- identify
the problem
- generate
practical solutions
- determine
the best course of action
- put
it in writing (Individual Education Plan - I.E.P.)
- implement
the plan to help the child
The
Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.)
Once
children are identified as needing special education services,
teachers, parents, and other care-givers come together to develop
an Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.). An I.E.P. outlines what
parents, students, and others can expect regarding a specific
child’s educational program. It is a written plan which
describes the program modifications and/or adaptations for the
student. It does not describe every aspect of the student’s
program. Usually two to four major goals are included. These goals
refer to those parts of the program that need to be modified or
adapted. The I.E.P is a tool to assist teachers in monitoring
student progress and to provide a useful basis for reporting It
also identifies the support services to be provided and serves
as an on-going record to ensure continuity in programming. Please
see the resource teacher assigned to your school for the I.E.P.
format.
When
is an I.E.P. Meeting Called
The
school is legally required to design an I.E.P. for each student
who is designated using Ministry of Education guidelines. I.E.P.
meetings are held at a teacher’s or parent’s request.
Teachers may be provided with release-time. Often a mid-year review
is also scheduled.
Behavior
Specialist Service: (back to top)
Who
qualifies for this service?
Students
qualify for this service if they:
- are
designated or are in the process of being designated as outlined
in Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures,
and Guidelines as Moderate Behaviour Support/Mental illness
or Intensive Behaviour Intervention/Serious mental Illness
Who
provides the service?
Description
of staff qualifications:
- certification
from the BC College of Teachers
- a minimum
of two years successful classroom teaching experience
- a master’s
degree in special education (behaviour disorders), counselling
psychology, or a related discipline with a focus in behaviour
disorders
How
is the service provided?
The
District behaviour specialist may:
- assist
school counsellors/behaviour interventionists in collecting
behavioural information and performing initial behavioural
screenings.
- assist
in the development and monitoring of positive behaviour plans
- consult
with school personnel in areas related to behaviour disorders
- interact
on behalf of the Director of Student Support Services as a
liaison between Student Support Services, other Ministries,
and community agencies
- coordinate
the School Critical Incident Response Team (SCIRT) in the
School District
- design
and implement professional development activities in the areas
of behavioural assessment and behaviour interventions
- participate
in suicide prevention activities in the School District and
community
Who
qualifies for this service?
Students
qualify for this service if they:
- encounter
personal crisis
-
encounter difficulties adapting to the learning environment
-
are designated according to the Ministry of Education behaviour
criteria
-
experience emotional, social, or behaviour concerns which
significantly interfere with their ability to function appropriately
at school
- experience
mental health issues
Who
provides the service?
Description
of staff qualifications:
- certification
from the BC College of Teachers
- a
master’s degree in counselling psychology or a related
discipline with a focus in counselling
How
is the service provided?
Elementary
counsellors may:
- provide
short-term individual counselling addressing emotional, social,
and/or behavioural concerns
-
instruct small groups or classes on topics such as social
skills, bullying, anger management
-
serve as members of the School Critical Incidence Response
Team (SCIRT)
-
meet regularly as members of school-based teams to assist
in problem solving and provide awareness of issues that may
affect the academic and social/emotional development of students
-
refer to and consult with community service providers
- consult
with parents and school staff regarding student counselling
needs and/or behaviour issues
-
consult with district-based personnel
- collect
behavioural information and perform initial behavioural screenings
-
help develop and monitor Behaviour Support Plans (BPS)
Hearing
Resource Service: (back to top)
Who qualifies
for this service?
Students
qualify for this service if they:
- have
been medically diagnosed with a sensorineural or conductive
hearing loss and require support as determined by the hearing
resource teacher in consultation with the school-based team
Who
provides the service?
Description
of staff qualifications:
- certification
from the BC College of Teachers
-
certification or eligibility for certification by the Canadian
Association of Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
How
is the service provided?
Teachers
of the deaf and hard of hearing may:
- collaborate
with classroom teachers, parents, and other members of the
school-based team to design Individualized Education Plans
(IEPs) for assigned students
-
provide support for communication skills, language development,
academics, cognitive development, social skills emotional
development, and/or auditory management
- loan
resource materials for use with deaf and hard of hearing students
-
liaise among home, school, community agencies, and professionals
to maintain effective ongoing support
-
support Certified Education Assistants, Visual language Interpreters,
and oral interpreters
-
support career and personal planning
- provide
students with opportunities to participate in the ASL District
Resource Program
- consult
with Provincial Outreach Programs
- facilitate
secondary school ASL classes
School
Psychology Service: (back to top)
Who qualifies for this service?
Students
qualify for this service if they:
- have
been referred by the school-based team after pre-referral
assessment and intervention
Who
provides the service?
Description
of staff qualifications:
- certification
from the BC Association of School Psychologists the BC College of Psychologists, and the BC College of Teachers.
-
a master’s degree in school/educational psychology or
a related field with a focus on school psychology
How
is the service provided?
School
psychologists may:
- collaborate
with school-based and/or district personnel to gather classroom
based data, design, or implement instructional strategies,
and design and implement behaviour management interventions
-
consult with teachers, parents, students, and community agencies
regarding the nature of student’s strengths and needs,
their educational implications, and ways to enhance learning
and interpersonal relations
-
assist with pre-referral interventions
-
provide psycho-educational assessments for students referred
by the school- based team
-
contribute to the design and evaluation of the Individualized
Education Plan
- provide
inservice training in the area of assessment/intervention
-
provide counselling services
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