Page 201 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft
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Since the transition plan is part of the student’s IEP, the teacher assigned responsibility for the IEP may also be responsible for the transition plan. In special circumstances, or for students with high or complex needs, the principal or another teacher may be assigned this role.
It should be noted that PPM No. 140 specifically requires the principal to ensure that relevant school board and community personnel who have previously worked and/or are currently working with a student with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are invited to provide input and participate in the IEP process.
Establishing a Collaborative Approach for Developing and Implementing the IEP
It is important that the IEP be developed collaboratively. Part C describes some of the functions of in-school teams and some approaches to developing them (see the In-School Team and Out-of-School Resources section in that part of the guide).
The needs of the individual student determine who will be involved in
the IEP’s development, implementation, and monitoring. The student, the student’s parents, the student’s teachers, the guidance teacher/counsellor, the principal, special education staff and support personnel, and staff from community agencies, as appropriate, may have a role. As noted earlier, regardless of who is coordinating and participating in the IEP process, decisions related to the program-planning sections of an IEP should be made by the individual who teaches the student and prepares the student’s report card – usually the classroom teacher.
A team approach enables all those who are responsible for and interested in meeting the student’s needs to:
• share information and observations about the student’s behaviour and learning in a variety of settings;
• develop a common understanding of the student’s strengths and needs as they affect the student’s ability to learn and demonstrate learning, and the student’s educational goals;
• discuss accommodations that can help the student learn and demonstrate learning;
• select and make recommendations about the purchase of individualized equipment, if applicable;
• discuss the type and level of support required from support services personnel;