Page 80 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

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Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft
As teachers observe students, they record many different aspects of a student’s responses in the moment of learning. When gathering assessment information, educators may watch for the following:
• how the student responds to text and to non-print alternatives
• how the student approaches new tasks, persists with tasks, organizes
time and materials, uses language, and responds to cues (including
auditory, visual, and direct and indirect verbal cues)
• how the student performs individually or in small and large groups
(e.g., how the student interacts with peers, teachers, non-teaching staff,
and others in roles of authority)
• how the student’s learning is affected by environmental variables
(e.g., lighting, sound, temperature, colours, the physical arrangement of the classroom, the time of day, and routines and schedules)
In addition to their own observations and assessment, educators can gain valuable additional information from parents and others who have worked with the student.
All information gathered about a student must be carefully documented and stored in a secure place to ensure that confidentiality is maintained. School board policies addressing the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) must be followed.
If the teacher requires assistance in assessing a student’s learning or in program planning to meet the student’s needs, the teacher may make
a referral to the in-school team. The in-school team may recommend referring a student for further assessment(s). This does not necessarily mean that the student has a special education need but may simply indicate that there are areas in which the teacher might benefit from the insights and expertise of other professionals in making assessments and/or developing further programming ideas.
The resource document Learning for All: A Guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2013), which expands on the key themes outlined in Education for All: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6 (2005), is the primary