Page 48 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft Requirements of the Standard
As stated in Policy/Program Memorandum No.11, “Early Identification
of Children’s Learning Needs”, boards must have in place “procedures to identify each child’s level of development, learning abilities, and needs”, and they must “ensure that educational programs are designed to accommodate these needs and to facilitate each child’s growth and development”. The board’s special education plan must explain these procedures for school staff and for parents and other members of the public. The plan must also include the statement that “these procedures are a part of a continuous assessment and program planning process which should be initiated
when a child is first enrolled in school or no later than the beginning of
a program of studies immediately following Kindergarten and should continue throughout a child’s school life” (Policy/Program Memorandum No. 11).
The school board’s special education plan must contain a description of the following:
• the guiding principles or philosophy used by the board for early identification of children’s learning needs
• the teacher’s role in early identification
• the parent’s role in early identification
• policies and procedures on screening, assessment, referral, identification,
and program planning for students who may be in need of special
education programs and services
• procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is
having difficulty
• procedures used within the board for referring a student for an
assessment (e.g., an assessment by an in-school team or by professional resource staff) should learning problems be identified that might result in the student’s being referred eventually to an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) (these procedures include notifying parents and involving them in the process)
• procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is being considered for referral to an IPRC
• procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is being considered for a special education program and related services if the child is not referred to an IPRC
B6