GOVERNMENT OF
Department of Education
www.edu.gov.nf.ca
Guidelines for Completing Documentation Only*
for Teacher Support under
Section 10.1 (F) of the
Teacher Staffing Policy,
Learning Disability
Division of Student Support Services
January 2000
* Re-documentation requires copies of the following:
Evaluated ISSP (Progress Report)
Revised ISSP
Student Schedule
Principal’s Letter
Outline of Alternate Courses
District Office Confirmation
NB. Documentation Package is 11 pages including cover and criteria statements.
Severe Learning Disability: Teacher Staffing Policy 10.1(F)
Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, or mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. 1 A child/youth qualifies for services via Teacher Staffing Policy 10.1 (F) if s/he meets the following 7 criteria: (For assessment and programming support see Programming for Individual Needs: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities)1. A comprehensive assessment has demonstrated:
(i) average or above average intellectual ability;
(ii) a specific learning disability;
(iii) a significant discrepancy between potential and performance, (e.g., >3 yrs.);
(iv) uneven development of skills, and
(v) has ruled out other primary causes for the demonstrated disability, such as visual,
hearing or motor disabilities, or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or
environmental deprivation, or cultural or economic disadvantage
2. Direct instruction has not enabled the student to acquire skills and the discrepancy demonstrated is greater than 3 years.
3. The student is enrolled in four or more alternate courses at the high school level/ alternate programs K-9. Each course should require at least 60 minutes teaching per week. The areas addressed include academics; communication; learning strategies; metacognition; organization; perception; sensory/motor; social/adaptive including problem-solving. Alternate course/program descriptions are included with the ISSP. If the course is registered for credit it must be at least 55 hours in length for one credit and 110 hours for 2 credits.
4. The student is receiving direct instruction to transfer skills learned in alternate courses to other environments.
1 The Council for Exceptional Children
5. The student is receiving alternate instructional and evaluation strategies.
6. The student is using assistive technology to access/demonstrate knowledge. See Using technology to enhance students differing abilities for decision-making framework.
7. The educational component of the ISSP, signed by the team,
indicates:
-- required alternate courses
-- goals and objectives/outcomes for modified course(s)
-- specific strategies which the student must learn to accommodate his/her
learning disability
-- supports required by the student to enable learning:
(i) requirements for adapted, supplementary or alternate learning
resources
(ii) appropriate assistive technology
(iii) alternate instructional and evaluation strategies
(iv) the needed structures and routines
(v) transitional supports
-- how and where (include a copy of the student’s schedule) intense
interventions will be provided
GOVERNMENT OF
Department of Education
Severe Learning Disability
Criteria F
Student’s Name:___________________________MCP#_______________DOB:_________
Grade Level: _____ School Name and #: _______________________ District #: _____
1. I/We certify that our comprehensive assessment(s) demonstrate that this student:
2. I/We certify that other primary causes have been ruled out for the demonstrated disability:
cultural or economic disadvantage Yes ___ No____
3. I/We certify that comprehensive assessment verifies this student is able to access and achieve the outcomes of the Prescribed Provincial Curriculum and to meet graduation requirements. Yes____ No____
4. I/We certify this student has received direct instruction in areas relevant to his/her learning disability for a minimum of one year from the non-categorical special education teacher. Yes ___ No____
Note: Persons signing this section must be certified to administer relevant assessment
instruments.
Signature:______________________________ Position:_____________________________
Signature:______________________________ Position:_____________________________
Signature:______________________________ Position:_____________________________
If Sections 1 - 4 are completed, and the responses to all subsections are Yes, then please proceed to Sections 5-13. If any of the responses are No, then the student is not eligible for this service.
5. This student has received direct instruction, for a minimum of one year from the special education teacher, in the following areas relevant to his/her learning disability. Please complete this page only if the information is not apparent in the ISSP.
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Last year’s student schedule is attached indicating the above information. Yes___No___
The Programming Pathways chart is completed in detail and is enclosed. Yes___No___
The student is receiving direct instruction to transfer skills learned in alternate courses or programs to other environments. Yes___No___
This student is using the following low-tech/high-tech technology to access/demonstrate knowledge. See Using Technology to Enhance Students’ Differing Abilities for the decision making framework.
Technology |
Subject Areas/Environments Used |
10. The student’s ISSP, including the educational component, as signed by the team, is attached indicating:
Principal’s letter is signed and attached. Yes___ No___
ISSP team confirmation is signed and attached. Yes___ No__
District Office Confirmation of Procedures is signed and attached. Yes___ No___
Form completed by:
_______________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________
Telephone Number:______________________ Fax Number:_________________________
Date:_____________________________________________
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INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT SERVICES PLANNING TEAM CONFIRMATION
We, the undersigned have been involved in the assessment and individual support services
planning process for ___________________________________ and verify the accuracy of the
(Child’s Name)
information provided in this documentation for support under Teacher Staffing Policy 10.1 (F)
Severe Learning Disability.
_____ We understand this service is provided to supplement the services of the non-categorical special education teacher.
_____ We understand this service will not remain in effect throughout the student’s school career, and planning for transition from this support to support from the non-categorical special education teacher will form part of the student’s program.
_____ We confirm this student is able to access the prescribed curriculum.
_____ We understand this is only an application.
___________________________ ______________________________
Date
Teacher
___________________________ ______________________________
Parent
Principal
___________________________ ______________________________
Student
Guidance Counsellor/ Psychologist
___________________________ ______________________________
Other
Other
___________________________ ______________________________
Other
Other
PRINCIPAL’S LETTER
As principal of this school I acknowledge, as I sign my initials before each statement, that the following conditions exist in this school and the utilization of Student Support Services personnel will be monitored by the Division of Student Support Services:
---------- 1. Special education teachers are providing services on a prioritized basis in Pathways 5, 4, 3 and 2 respectively, and also on the severity of the students’ exceptionality.
---------- 2. Special education teachers are not teaching prescribed courses (high school) or programs (K-9) except under the following circumstances:
______ the course/curriculum is being offered only to students with identified exceptionalities, as articulated in Appendix A of the Transitional Student Support Services Policy
______ the group size is kept to a maximum of ten (10) students.
---------- 3. Special education teachers are not used as remedial teachers, other than for students with diagnosed exceptionalities.
--------- 4. There is not sufficient time in the schedules of the Special Education teachers (non categorical) to meet the needs of children/youth with the above mentioned exceptionalities.
--------- 5. Any categorical units allocated for students with severe mental handicaps and severe physical disabilities are utilized solely for the students designated.
----------- 6. It is fully understood that any teacher allocated is provided as a support to the non categorical special education teacher and is not seen as a separate and unrelated allocation.
----------- 7. The student will be in school on a full time basis.
Comments:
Signature of Principal:____________________________________
Date:____________________________________
DISTRICT OFFICE CONFIRMATION OF PROCEDURES
The documentation, including the required forms and the ISSP, has been reviewed. Services that have been provided through existing resources have been deemed insufficient to meet this student’s needs and therefore we concur with the request of the ISSP team for this categorical teacher allocation.
_______________________________________
Program Specialist for Student Support Services
________________________________________
Director or Assistant Director (Programs)
______________________________
Date
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