Page 165 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft (continued)
increasing or decreasing the number and/or complexity of the regular grade-level curriculum expectations.
Modified (MOD) is the term used on the IEP form to identify a subject or course from the Ontario curriculum in which the student requires modified expectations – expectations that differ in some way from the regular grade-level expectations. (See section 4.3 for more information
on how to document modified curriculum expectations in the IEP.) Students may also require certain accommodations to help them achieve the learning expectations in subjects or courses with modified expectations.
For each secondary school course with modified expectations, it is important to indicate clearly in the IEP the extent to which the expectations have been modified. Depending on the extent of the modification, the principal will determine whether achievement of the modified expectations constitutes successful completion of the course and will decide whether the student is eligible to receive a credit for the course (see Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to
Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements (2016), section 3.3.1.) The principal’s decision must be communicated to the parents and the student.
“Alternative”
Alternative expectations are developed to help students acquire knowledge and skills that are not represented in the Ontario curriculum. They either are not derived from a provincial curriculum policy document or are modified so extensively that the Ontario curriculum expectations no longer form the basis of the student’s educational program. Because they are not part of a subject or course outlined in the provincial curriculum documents, alternative expectations are considered to constitute alternative programs or alternative courses.
The skill areas in which alternative expectations and programs are often appropriate include gross motor skills, perceptual motor skills, and life skills. Examples of alternative programs include speech remediation, social skill programs, orientation/mobility training, and personal care programs. For the vast majority of students, these programs would be given in addition to modified or regular grade-level expectations from the Ontario curriculum. Alternative programs are provided in both the elementary and the secondary school panels.
Alternative courses, which are available at the secondary school level, are non-credit courses. The course expectations in an alternative course are individualized for the student and generally focus on preparing the student for daily living. School boards must use the “K” course codes
and titles found in the ministry’s Course Code listings to identify alternative courses. Examples of alternative courses include Transit Training and Community Exploration (KCC), Culinary
Skills (KHI), and Money Management and Personal Banking (KBB). (See section 4.3 for more information on how to document alternative expectations in the IEP.)
Alternative (ALT) is the term used to identify an alternative program or an alternative course on the IEP form.
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