Page 39 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Draft Part A: Legislation, Policy, and Funding
• Supporting Bias-Free Progressive Discipline in Schools: A Resource Guide for School and System Leaders (2013) was developed jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The document is intended to guide school and system leaders in fostering a bias-free approach to progressive discipline, prevention,
and early intervention practices to support positive student behaviour among all students.
• Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being (Draft Version, 2013) provides educators with the information they need to support students with mental health and addiction problems through early recognition and effective classroom strategies.
• Education Funding: A Guide to the Special Education Grant provides an overview of special education funding in Ontario. The purpose of the guide is to provide a clear explanation of the funding model for parents, the public, and other partners in education.
Education Funding
The Ministry of Education provides the bulk of operating funding to Ontario’s seventy-two district school boards through the annual Grants
for Student Needs (GSN), which are determined according to a series of formulas collectively known as “the funding formula”. These grants are described in detail in a regulation made annually under the Education Act. GSN funding can be broadly categorized as providing support in four areas: classroom needs, including the cost of educators and materials, resources, and tools to support learning; school leadership and operations; specific student-related priorities; and local management by school boards.
Education funding consists of foundation grants – a Pupil Foundation Grant and a School Foundation Grant – and a number of special purpose grants. Foundation grants and special purpose grants each account for about half of a school board’s GSN funding. The grants are distinguished as follows:
• foundation grants support the elements of a classroom education that are common to all students;
• special purpose grants address the unique needs of the students and the schools of the board based on school location, specific programs offered, and demographic profile.
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