Page 75 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Draft Part C: Early Identification, Assessment, and Transition Planning
Where special education needs have been identified, either in the initial assessment or through later assessments, students are eligible for ESL or ELD services and special education services simultaneously. For more information on policy concerning English language learners, see English Language Learners/ESL and ELD Programs and Services: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2007). For additional resource information, see Supporting English Language Learners: A Practical Guide for Ontario Educators, Grades 1 to 8 (2008).
Assessing Student Learning
The early identification procedure, discussed earlier, is part of an ongoing assessment process that school boards are required to initiate when a child first enters school. Ongoing assessment is intended to give educators and students precise and timely information so that instruction can be adjusted in response to individual students’ strengths and needs, and students can adjust their learning strategies or revise their goals.
The Continuous Assessment Process
Section 1(1) of the Education Act defines a special education program as “an educational program that is based on and modified by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation and that includes a plan containing specific objectives and an outline of educational services that meet the needs of the exceptional pupil” (emphasis added).
Assessment of students with special education needs is a continuous, cyclical process that begins and ends with the classroom teacher(s). Educators gather assessment information about students in their classes every day. In doing so, they are able to understand students’ strengths, even in the earliest grades, and can focus on areas that may need special attention.
In some cases, teachers may require the support of an in-school team and out-of-school resources, including professionals such as psychologists, speech therapists, and medical personnel, to assess a student’s learning
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