Welcome Special Education Liaisons! Special Education Liaison Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011

Today’s Agenda  Welcome  Question Box  Action on Inclusion o Diversity o Inclusive School Communities  Quality Learning Environment  Success in School  Guest Speaker – Bill Gordon – “Five Qualities That Make A Difference”  Wrap Up

Question & Answer  Everyone writes something…  On the piece of paper (provided at table), please ask any question(s) or comment(s) you are thinking about…  Our SS team will do our best to answer all questions…if you stump us, then we will find out the answer and share this with you at a later time today…

The starting point of an inclusive school community… DIVERSITY

In an Alberta school of 500 students, we might expect to see…* *Please note that this information is taken from current prevalence rates and other Alberta Education data. Some students may be represented more than once.

25 students with learning disabilities 40 students with AD/HD

7 students with autism 5 students with FASD

At least 1 student with a physical disability 15 students with cognitive disabilities

8 students with severe behavioural/emotional disabilities 7 students requiring support for mental health issues

100 students who will not finish high school within 5 years 20 students who may require additional challenge

Diversity could also mean… For more information, please see Alberta Education’s High School Completion website:

Diversity could also mean … Differences in:  background knowledge and experience  learning preferences  learning strengths  personal interests and motivation  levels of engagement

Paper Airplane

Self-Reflection: Quick Write  Take 2 minutes to reflect on what you have just heard in regards to thinking about diversity as the starting point to inclusion and write about it.  Consider… How does our awareness of diversity in our schools impact teaching and learning?  Share your reflections with your table group  Share one highlight with the whole group

An Inclusive School Community: Placemat Activity What does the word ‘inclusive’ mean to you?

What is Inclusion? 

Discussion: Turn & Talk  What supports and resources would need to be in place to allow all school staff to know their students better?  What supports and resources would need to be in place to allow all school staff to include students in the learning process?  What supports and resources would need to be in place to allow all school staff to use multiple means of teaching?

Homework Your Task:  Interview 2 teachers who demonstrate excellent teaching practices and interview them about their perspectives on inclusion  What does the word “inclusive” mean to you? What does it look like?  What inclusive practices are you using? Best practices?  What are some of the barriers?  Bring your interview results back with you to the next meeting

 Welcome Dr. Lissa Steele, Associate Superintendent and the Learning Services team Quality Learning Environment

Golf Course

Back to Back Find a partner at your table and stand back to back Find one thing that you have in common with them… once you find one… high five Repeat this two more times with two different people at your table Finish by doing a celebratory dance with your table group

Success in School: Provincial Protocol Framework (PPF)

“Every time a youth in care moves to a new placement and new school, they fall approximately six months behind academically.” (National Youth in Care Network, 2008)

Significantly more children and youth in care:  Drop out of school Do poorly on provincial achievement tests  Fall farther behind in school as they get older, and  Are less likely to graduate from high school, compared to students in the general population (Only 17% graduate) Provincial data findings

The Provincial Protocol Framework (PPF)- Success in School for Children and Youth in Care  A collaborative initiative between Alberta Education and Children and Youth Services (CYS) to support children and youth in care that: o Creates a learning team that wraps around the student o Creates a holistic, strength based Success in School plan o Assists the student to become a self-advocate The RESPONSE…

 To improve collaborative practice resulting in children and youth in care feeling welcomed and being supported at school  To allow and support the child/youth’s voice to be heard  To improve transition plans that will move with the student in care to develop consistency INITIATIVE Goals

 To reduce drop out rates of children and youth in care  To improve achievement test results  To improve high school completion  To increase in communication and sharing of essential information between CFSA, DFNA’s and educational facilities INITIATIVE GOALS

Core team members include:  The student  Caseworkers,  Caregivers  A school point person  The classroom teacher(s), and  Any other individual that contributes to the student’s success Members help promote success in school by reinforcing the importance of an education, positive peer groups, and connection to supportive adults in the lives of young people in care. Core Team

Some Role and Responsibilities:  Identifies student(s) in care  Establishes a relationship with student  Establishes a relationship with caregiver and caseworker  Helps coordinate and develop Success in School Plan  Worked with teachers to address academic needs on an individual basis School Point Person

- Have a Success in School plan for each student in care by the school year This year’s implementation plan will focus on:  A continuation of the students who had SIS plans last year  Students in care who have an IPP  Students in care who have VTRA (Violent Threat Risk Assessment)  Students in our residential programs Plan

Reflection: Check with Your Neighbour  What is one thing you learned about Success in School?  What is one question you still have about Success in School?

Welcome Bill Gordon The Five Qualities That Make A Difference