1.- Describe personal qualities and experiences you have that will promote a positive environment in the
department and within the school
Teamplayer…collaborative…empathy…highly organized….takes initiative….empowers
others…leadership….lifelong learner…contributes to PLC (professional learning
community)..care, trust, respect, integrity….equity not equality
2.- What do you envision as your role and responsibilities
- availability to students, Liaising with other divisions/departments, knowledge and
implementation of ministry spec ed policy and program, connection to the outside agencies
Students…..teach self-advocacy skills, make them aware of strengths/needs, short & long term
goals, organizational skills…also be an advocate FOR students with subject teachers so they get
their needs met
Staff…support them as you encourage them to implement the IEP recommendations
(instructional, environmental, assessment accommodations)…as well as any program
modifications that are list….help them see that they are the curriculum EXPERTS who should be
making the recommendations re the IEPs…IEPS should be “living documents”…changing as
needs change
Parents…should work as a team member with staff & student, regular communication
Administration….participate in school initiatives, directives, report major concerns, successes
Liasion…with elementary schools re transitioning grade 8 students with special education needs
Liasion…with colleges, universities, work place, community living re students with special
education needs
Team Member…with other special education teachers…and ALL other department
heads…never isolate self!
3.- Describe your role in helping to enculture staff regarding the various exceptionalities of
students.
…..give inservices…provide “Special Education Companion” for all staff…google it…has great
stuff for all exceptionalities
http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/
this website has sample IEPs for EVERY exceptionality! Provide copies for teachers
4.- Describe ways you would empower teachers to incorporate differentiated instructional
strategies in their daily teaching to support the learning of these students.
(Draft Learning for All K-12 (including sample class and student profiles)…brand new ‘draft’
Ministry of Education document…inservice staff
http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/
5.- Addressing the needs presented by students of various exceptionalities within the department
is always a concern. How would you ensure that the needs of all your students with an IEP are
met
Meet with students…teach them self-advocacy skills…meet with teacher/students re specific
subjects, ask how you can provide support, resource room
6. - incorporate the help of spe ed teachers, CYWs, EAs etc
Regular meetings, be collaborative…see what their strengths, needs are…together do a ‘needs
assessment’..plan of action for improvement
7.- In a setting where so many people are working together, can you describe a conflict that has
arisen and how you facilitated the solution of it bearing in mind probable involvement of
individuals of the same union and those of separate unions?
This is an EXCELLENT Ministry of Education resource guide re the STEPS for finding a
‘shared solution’ to a problem….think of a actual conflict you have had an how you orchestrated
a WIN/WIN shared solution….respect/dignity/empathy/understanding etc …the result!
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/shared.html
Shared Solutions - A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with
Special Education Needs……The Ministry of Education continues to encourage the use of approaches
and strategies that lead to higher achievement for all students in Ontario's publicly funded
education system. The resource guide is intended to help parents, educators, and students with
special education needs work together to prevent conflicts, resolve them quickly, and allow
students to develop their full potential and succeed in school. The approaches outlined build on
techniques and strategies for conflict prevention and resolution that are already in place in many
school boards.
8.-What do you see the role of technology in the education of students with exceptionalities and
others with an IEP?
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/speced/panel/index.html
See chapter 10 in Education for All….great summary!
9.-Literacy continues to be one of the initiatives of the board. What do you see as the
responsibility of sp ed teachers in this initiative?
Curriculum & special education departments must work hand in hand…must not be two separate
departments…special ed teachers must collaborate with all initiatives of subject teachers…and
have high expectations for students with special education needs…however, the spec ed teacher
can teach teachers how to provide accommodations (instructional, environmental,
assessment)..and Differentiated Instruction…..provide assistive technology etc. so students can
succeed
(Draft Learning for All K-12 (including sample class and student profiles)…has section on
literacy……….
10.-speak about strategies you have used to prepare students for the EQAO testing and to address
the school's results from one year to the next. Please make reference to both OSSLT and Gr 9
Math assessment
running after school math help program, working through previous years tests, incorporating
similar testing
techniques throughout the course, (multiple choice, thinking questions etc), going over
exemplars and model the right way of doing the tasks etc
Literacy - word wall, devoting one day a week 20mins to do journaling to improve students'
writing skills,….great!!
11.
www.edu/gov.on.ca..................Ministry of Education website...see Special Education
Special Education
Students who have behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical or multiple
exceptionalities, may require special education programs and/or services to benefit fully from
their school experience.
Special education programs and services primarily consist of instruction and assessments that are
different from those provided to the general student population. These may take the form of
accommodations (such as specific teaching strategies, preferential seating, and assistive
technology) and/or an educational program that is modified from the age-appropriate grade level
expectations in a particular course or subject, as outlined in the Ministry of Education's
curriculum policy documents.
Overview
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An Introduction to Special Education in Ontario
The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee
The Individual Education Plan Process
Transition Planning
Ministry Support for Special Education
Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education
Resolving Identification or Placement Issues
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Procedures for Parents/Guardians
Policy Direction
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The Education Act on Special Education
Special Education Regulations
Special Education Policy Documents
Policy/Program Memoranda Concerning Special Education
Funding for Special Education
Standards for School Boards' Special Education Plans
Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and
Implementation
Resource Documents
In addition to policy documents, the ministry has published a number of resource documents to
assist school boards in implementing policies and delivering high-quality special education
programs and services.
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Special Education Funding Guidelines: Special Equipment Amount (SEA) and
Special Incidence Portion (SIP), 2007-08 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Shared Solutions – A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding
Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs
Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs with the
Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006
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
Early School Leavers: Understanding the Lived Reality of Student Disengagement
from Secondary School, 2005 (PDF, 973 KB)
Planning Entry to School – A Resource Guide, 2005
Guidelines 2005 – For Approval of Education Programs for Pupils in Government
Approved Care and/or Treatment, Custody and Correctional Facilities
The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide, 2004
Transition Planning: A Resource Guide, 2002
Special Education, A Guide for Educators, 2001
Highlights of Regulation 181/98: Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils
provides a summary of the key provisions of this regulation. Readers should refer to
Regulation 181/98 itself rather than to this summary for the exact wording of the
relevant sections.
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Information Program,
developed by the ministry, assists SEAC members in undertaking the roles and
responsibilities ascribed to them by legislation.
Older Resource Documents
Related Information
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Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education
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Special Education Tribunals
Special Needs Opportunity Windows (SNOW)
Web Based Teaching Tool (WBTT)