Coordination of Services with other Ministries or Agencies

Purpose of the Standard

To provide the ministry and the public with details of board’s strategies to ensure a smooth transition for students with special needs who are entering or leaving a school.

Requirement of the Standard

The special education plan must provide specific details about advance special education planning that is done for students with special needs who are arriving from other programs and such as the following:

The special education plan must indicate whether it is the board’s policy or practice to accept assessments accompanying the students from these programs or whether it is the board’s policy or practice to reassesss all incoming students. If reassessment is the policy or practice the plan must state the estimated waiting time for completing assessments.

The special education plan must also provide details about the way in which information is shared for students leaving the board to attend programs offered by other school boards or by care, treatment, and correctional facilities.

In the special education plan, the plan must identify the position of the person responsible for ensuring the successful admission or transfer of students from one program to another.

Compliance with the Standard

The ministry will review the school board’s special education plan to ensure that it includes the information listed about and that the content is consistent with the legislation and with ministry policy.

1. TRANSITION PLANNING INVOLVING PRESCHOOL NURSERY PROGRAMS

The following protocol has been developed between the ST. CLAIR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, the LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, the KENT COUNTY CHILDREN'S TREATMENT CENTRE and the CHATHAM-KENT INTEGRATED CHILDREN'S SERVICE.

1.

In OCTOBER of the preceding school year, representatives of the PRISM Centre and Chatham-Kent Integrated Children's Service (CICS) develop a list of mutual clients who would be of Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten or mandatory school age for the following school year. The children will be prioritized as having "high", "moderate" or "low" needs.

2.

In NOVEMBER of the preceding school year, a joint letter from the PRISM Centre and CICS will be given to parents of the children who have been identified as having "high or moderate needs". It will explain the procedures that both agencies will be following when referring their children for school placement. Both agencies' Release of Information forms will be attached to the letter and parents will be asked to sign them for the School Board, the home school and Chatham Kent Community Care Access Services - School Health Support Services.

Once releases are returned, a list of the children who have been identified as having "high or moderate needs" will be forwarded to the appropriate Special Education Consultant by mid- December.

This list will contain: the child's name, date of birth, parent's name, address and telephone number, home school, childcare centre, name, address, telephone number and supervisor's name.

PROCEDURE FOR CHILDREN WITH HIGH AND MODERATE NEEDS

HIGH NEEDS:	Those children who will definitely require additional support in the classroom, special equipment, transportation, or who may experience difficulty with transition (eg: behaviour or mental health needs).
MODERATE NEEDS:	Those children who require teacher awareness, modification of program and/or ongoing therapy.

1.	The PRISM Centre and CICS will compile reports for each child with high needs and each child with moderate needs where it appears that they may need extra support in the classroom. If the child with moderate needs does not require additional support in the classroom, a report does not need to be completed. The report should describe functioning level, equipment required, strengths and needs and accommodations or modifications that may be needed when the child attends school. Assessment reports completed by the PRISM Centre and CICS (with parent consent) should be attached. Two copies of the reports will be sent by the respective agency to the appropriate Board of Education by January 30th of the preceding school year.
2.	In February the School Board personnel will arrange a preliminary meeting at the Board Office regarding all children with "high needs" and those children with "moderate needs" where it appears that they may need extra support in the classroom. The parents, representatives from the respective Board of Education, the PRISM Centre, CCAC-School Health and CICS will be in attendance. CCAC will provide information to the parent re: School Health Support Services. Information about the child, and an appropriate placement will be discussed. At the Separate Board meetings, the principal, resource teacher and Speech Pathologists will also attend.
3.	Once the child's placement has been agreed upon, the parents will register the child at the appropriate school. The Board will forward a copy of the PRISM Centre and the CICS reports to the principal of the school with a memo requesting the principal to make arrangements with the parent at registration, to observe the child in their child care facility program and to set up a school based conference prior to the end of the current school year.
4.	The Board of Education's personnel and/or the principal and/or the resource teacher will arrange for an on-site observation of the child following the preliminary meeting.
5.	The Principal of the school the child will be attending will arrange a conference at the school prior to the end of the current school year, to discuss the child's school placement in more detail. The parents, Board and school personnel, CICS, PRISM Centre, Chatham-Kent Community Care Access Services, childcare staff and any other agency or professionals involved with the child and parent will be invited. Transitional Assistance for CICS and the PRISM Centre can be requested at this meeting.
6.	Following the conference, the PRISM Centre and the CICS will forward additional reports regarding the children to both the School Boards and the child's school as they become available.

PROCEDURE FOR CHILDREN WITH LOW NEEDS

LOW NEEDS:

Those children whose primary area of concern is the transfer of therapy services

No reports are required for the children with "low needs." The Kent County Children's Treatment Centre will refer children with low needs directly to Chatham-Kent Community Care Access - School Health Support Program in May to ensure that therapy needs will be met within the school.

In Lambton County similar procedures have been developed between the ST. CLAIR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, the SARNIA AND DISTRICT TREATMENT CENTRE and the ST. CLAIR CHILD AND YOUTH CENTRE in respect of children who will be entering the school system in the following September. More specifically:

In February of the school year, the Supervisor of the Sarnia and District Treatment Center and the St. Clair Child and Youth Center contacts the Special Education Consultant of the St. Clair Catholic District School Board to inform the Board of children who would be of Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten or mandatory school age for September. The center will have secured signed Release of Information forms and the staff will have completed the Intake Questionnaire.

In March the Supervisor at the center will arrange observation time periods and meetings between the Program Resource Consultant and the parents. The Program Resource Consultant and parents, along with service providers will define:

• The needs of the student
• Supports that will be available
• Coordination of services
• Placement options

The Program Resource Consultant will arrange for the parents and child (if appropriate) to visit the school and meet with the principal and school staff. At the school details regarding transition will be finalized and arranged.

The Centres will send copies of any assessments, which are currently being completed, to the school.

2. TRANSITION PROTOCOL FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WHO ARE CLIENTS OF ST. CLAIR CHILD & YOUTH SERVICES, LAMBTON COLLEGE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTRE and/or PATHWAYS HEALTH CENTRE FOR CHILDREN

TO THE LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD or

THE ST. CLAIR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

CHILDREN WITH HIGH AND MODERATE NEEDS

CHILDREN WITH HIGH NEEDS:
A Special Needs Pre-School Intake Report will be completed and a transition to school meeting will be held for these children.
Children with High Needs may require additional support in the classroom which could include additional support could include special equipment, staffing and/or specialized transportation. Children with High Needs may also require assistance with transition (e.g., autism, behaviour or mental health needs).

CHILDREN WITH MODERATE NEEDS WITH A REPORT:
These children will require the completion of a Special Needs Pre-School Intake Report and a transition to school meeting will be held.
Children with Moderate Needs with a Report are those children who require accommodation/or modifications to their environment and school program

CHILDREN WITH MODERATE NEEDS WITHOUT A REPORT:
These children do not need to have a Special Needs Pre-School Intake Report completed and do not require a transition to school meeting.
Teachers will be informed about the individual student’s needs and the student will be monitored on an ongoing basis. A Transition Summary Sheet is completed and provided to the School Boards.

PROCEDURES

3. TRANSITION PLANNING FROM PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF

Students who are involved with preschool programs for students who are deaf are often involved with either the Treatment Centre in Sarnia or the PRISM Centre in Chatham. These students would then be transitioned through the same process outlined above which has been developed for children in preschool nursery programs. For those students who may not be involved with the Children Treatment Centre's prior to school entry a transition meeting, similar to the one involving the special needs preschoolers, would be convened. This process would be facilitated by the Robarts School, the Board Special Education Consultant and the Board Teacher of the Hearing Impaired.

Assessments conducted prior to entry into the School Board would be considered and accepted as part of the student's documentation. Any further assessment would be conducted by the Teacher of the Hearing Impaired in order to assist in program planning.

4. TRANSITION PLANNING FROM PRESCHOOL SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

In Chatham-Kent, children who are being discharged from the Preschool Speech and Language program at the Children's Treatment Centre (usually upon their sixth birthday), are referred to the Board for service. A Discharge and Referral Report is sent to the Board which contains assessment and treatment information as well as recommendations. Internally, the Speech and Language Pathologist who serves the child's school receives the report and places the child on the regular referral list. The child is then reviewed and provided with a further assessment if the previous one does not adequately address educationally-based issues.

In Lambton County, children who have been seen for Speech and Language services through the Preschool Speech and Language Program, are identified to the Board through the use of an Interagency Referral Form for each student. This form is sent to the Board's Speech and Language Pathologists in early September and includes a short summary of assessment information, service goals, status at discharge and recommendations pertaining to the need for follow-up. Most of these students have already been identified by the Speech and Language screening process conducted in Junior and Senior Kindergarten. Some of these students have actually been referred to the Preschool Speech and Language Program for service and thus are not unknown to the Speech and Language pathologists. For those students who are exiting the Preschool program and are new to the Speech and Language pathologist serving their school, they are followed up at the school and a plan, which could include assessment, monitoring and/or program recommendations, is implemented.

5. TRANSITION PLANNING INVOLVING INTENSIVE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

At the present time, Chatham-Kent has begun the Intensive Early Intervention Program for children with autism. The primary planning mechanism is the Preschool Nursery Transition process, described above. Children involved in the Early Intervention Program go through this planning mechanism which partners the school with community service providers.

In Lambton County, this initiative is still in the planning stages and as such has not yet developed a mechanism for transitioning students into the school system. It is likely, however, that the same mechanism which transitions students from the preschool nursery programs will be employed.

6. TRANSITION PLANNING INVOLVING CARE, TREATMENT AND CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS

In Chatham-Kent, students who are going into or are returning from residential care and treatment facilities all go through the KIDS (Kent Inter-Disciplinary Support Team). This Team consists of representatives from various disciplines and from a number of community agencies including the SCCDSB. A Service Co-ordinator acts as a liaison and advocate with all systems. Family members, as well as service providers, work to develop an individualized community-based service plan. For each student there is a "wrap team" which involves both formal and informal supports, including the school principal, classroom teacher and Program Resource Teacher from the student's home school. As well, a Program Resource Consultant is consistently involved in this process regardless of the specific school which the student attends. The Board cooperates by providing all information relevant to the student's functioning which has been consented to be released. This "wrap team" attends all admission, progress and demission meetings and receives copies of assessment reports, treatment plans and demission plans.

In Lambton County, a similar process is currently being set up. To this date, however, admission to care and treatment programs has not gone through a central community committee. Typically referrals to these facilities have been made by community agencies or individuals (eg., CAS, psychiatrists, child mental health agency, etc.). When this has occurred, the Board cooperates by providing all information relevant to the student's functioning which has been consented to be released. When the student is to be discharged from the residential setting, the school participates in a discharge and planning conference and receives copies of assessment reports, treatment plans and demission plans.

For students in correctional facilities, usually there is contact made between the teacher in the facility and the home school so that academic information and assessment reports can be provided and specific plans made to integrate the student back into the school environment. In some cases the student may need a great deal of Resource Teacher support before transitioning back into a full academic course load.

7. TRANSITION PLANNING INVOLVING PROGRAMS OFFERED BY OTHER BOARDS

Currently, the St. Clair Catholic District School Board does not have agreements with other Boards involving the purchasing or sharing of educational programs and thus no students return to our Board from such programs.

However, a number of graduating grade eight students choose to attend specialized secondary school programs operated by the Lambton-Kent District School Board. Students applying for attendance in these programs must be exceptional. In terms of transitioning to these programs the LKDSB hosts the student's IPRC meeting where all documentation (assessments, current academic performance, report cards, Individual Educational Plans, etc.) are shared and discussed. In this forum, attended by the principal, the Program Resource Teacher and the grade eight teacher from the student's home school, along with the student and his/her parents and the staff from the high school, a plan of action is developed.