Early Identification Procedures And Intervention Strategies

Purpose of the Standard

To provide details of the board's early identification procedures and intervention strategies to the ministry and to the public.

Requirement of the Standard

As stated in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 11, "Early Identification of Children's Learning Needs", boards must have in place "procedures to identify each child's level of development, learning abilities, and needs", and they must "ensure that educational programs are designed to accommodate these needs and to facilitate each child's growth and development." The board's special education plan must explain these procedures for school staff and for parents and other members of the public. The plan must also include the statement that "these procedures are a part of continuous assessment and program planning process which should be initiated when a child is first enrolled in school or no later than the beginning of a program of studies immediately following Kindergarten and should continue throughout a child's school life." (Policy/Program Memorandum No. 11).

The school board's special education plan must contain a description of the following:

Guiding principles or philosophy used by the board for early identification of children's learning needs

The teacher's role in early identification

The parent's role in early identification

Policies and procedures on screening, assessment, referral, identification, and program planning for students who may be in need of special education programs and services

Procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is having difficulty

Procedures used within the board for referring a student for an assessment (eg. An assessment by an in-school team or by professional resource staff) should learning problems be identified that might result in the student's being referred eventually to an IPRC (these procedures include notifying them in the process)

Procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is being considered for referral to an IPRC

Procedures for providing parents with notice that their child is being considered for a special education program and related services if the child is not referred to an IPRC

The types of assessments tools/strategies used to gather appropriate information on students in order to assist in the development of appropriate educational programs

The types of early intervention strategies that are used to support students prior to referral to an IPRC

 

Early Identification Procedures And Intervention Strategies

The 1997 amalgamation of the Kent County Roman Catholic Separate School Board and the Lambton County Separate School Board created a need to review policies and procedures in the area of Early Identification and Intervention. Due to the introduction of new curriculum documents, it was also necessary to examine the new Ministry of Education curriculum expectations for kindergarten.

In response to this need, an Early and On-Going Identification Committee was created in 2001 and has met on a regular basis to develop an early Identification Procedure and Intervention Plan (Section 9). The committee has developed a guideline for Early Identification which commences when the child is enrolled at school. The parental questionnaire regarding their child's development is the initial vehicle for dialoguing with parents regarding developmental milestones as well as assessing and monitoring the growth and development of each student from as early as Junior Kindergarten. These procedures are a part of a continuous assessment and program planning which is initiated when a child first enrolls in Junior Kindergarten or no later than the beginning of a program of studies immediately following Kindergarten and will continue through out a child's school life. The newly developed guideline entitled "Procedures for Early Identification of Children's Learning Needs" was developed to support and dovetail with the following services:

• System Kindergarten Committee
• Early Literacy Intervention Team
• Pre-school Intake Process for At-Risk students
• Speech and Language Services Team
• School Based Resource Team
• Identification, Placement and Review Committee

Early and On-Going Identification begins in Junior Kindergarten and continues to be monitored until Grade Three. A pilot of the program was conducted this year. In June 2003, each school will have one lead teacher in-serviced regarding the procedures. This teacher will provide in-service and support to the teachers in the Early Years and Primary Division of their school. Each teacher will have access to the following resources: The Kindergarten Book by Nelson, The Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills (Yellow and Green Binders), The Brigance Readiness Strategies and Practices. Further assessment support provided by the school Program Resource Teacher, the Speech and Language Pathologist, and psychometric evaluation if deemed necessary. Board-wide implementation is slated for September, 2003.

As the pilot project for Early and On-Going Identification has just been completed, a few refinements from the review and evaluation will be added to the document. Policy in the area of Early Identification is under development. The overview of the document outlines principles and process, purpose, procedures and timelines, tracking and communication to parents as well as roles and responsibilities.

At any point in time in the Early and On-Going Identification process, the teaching staff and/or parent in consultation with the Principal may direct a student for formal identification through the Identification and Placement Process as outlined in Section B4 of the Special Education Plan.

High Needs Pre-School Transition Process

The successful transition to school for children with special needs requires a collaborative community planning approach with all partners involved with the child.

The process developed by the St. Clair Catholic District School Board in partnership with community agencies is a child and family centred approach. Service providers, family members and school board staff are invited to an information sharing and planning session to facilitate a seamless entry for the child into the school setting. The process typically involves sharing information between the service providers and the school board upon consent for release of information from the parent. The transition to school meeting will result in the formulation of an entry plan specific to the special needs of each child. Issues that are considered include accessibility, equipment needs, accommodations and /or modifications recommended for the child and any other support that is recommended. During the meeting with the parents, school staff are invited to visit the child at their childcare setting to observe the child in a familiar environment. A follow-up meeting is held at the school in the spring prior to entry to ensure that all the action steps have been followed and to share any additional information and reports with the school.

The Pre-School Transition Protocol and supporting documentation outlines and describes the steps and timelines for agencies and the school board to follow in planning the transition of students with high needs. The Protocol is reviewed annually by participants to ensure that the established process is meeting the needs of the students and families we serve. The Pre-School Transition Process includes the following documentation which are attached to this summary (Section 10):

Pre-School Protocol Sarnia/Lambton and Chatham/Kent
Submission for Pre-School Intake Meeting Sarnia/Lambton and Chatham/Kent
Special Needs Pre-School Intake Form
Transition Summary Sheet Sarnia/Lambton and Chatham/Kent

Procedures for Early Identification of Children’s Learning Needs

Addendum

The St. Clair Catholic District School Board is currently in the process of piloting the Web Based Teaching Tool developed by the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario. The Web Based Teaching Tool is a mult-functional online database which offers support to teachers during the course of the school year. The Web Based Teaching Tool provides interactive screening tools to assist in identifying students (K-3) at risk for school failure. This tool facilitates early identification and supports for at risk students. Use of the Web Based Teaching Tool promotes communication and involvement with parents. It also aids in classroom assessment, evaluation and reporting. The Web Based Teaching Tool provides an additional tool to validate teacher concerns.

Linkage with the Web Based Teaching Tool provides access to empirically validated screening tools. The program provides evidence-based interventions including skill-specific lesson plans, teaching strategies and behaviour management techniques.

Information will be obtained from the pilot schools and discussed through the Early and Ongoing Identification Committee to determine how this tool will be implemented on a board wide basis.