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WHAT'S NEW - JUNE 2005

STANDARDS FOR MEETING SPECIAL STUDENT NEEDS IN THE CANADIAN CONTEXT

Welcome to the web site for the Council on Alberta Teaching Standards (COATS). This area of the web site changes monthly. The theme for this month will be of interest to teachers, administrators, and parents who are exploring standards for meeting the needs of special students within the Canadian context. The section below identifies several web sites related to the topic. We hope that you find this web site to be a valuable resource. For quick reference bookmark http://www.teachingquality.ab.ca today!

WEB SITES RELATED TO STANDARDS FOR MEETING SPECIAL STUDENT NEEDS WITHIN THE CANADIAN CONTEXT

Alberta's Commission on Learning
© 2005 Government of Alberta
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/commission/PDF/Highlights.pdf

The final report of Alberta's Commission on Learning, released in late 2003, strongly urged that the principles of inclusion and support be applied to students with special needs. Recommendations 42 to 49 are the sections of the report relevant to children with special needs. Recommendation 42 in particular states: "Ensure that adequate support is in place when children with special needs are integrated into regular classrooms. . . ." There is need for a variety of professional supports, resources, and coordination in the "best interests" of the child. Accordingly, Alberta Education developed and released the Standards for Special Education, June 2004 as a Ministerial Order.

Bibliography
© 2005 Alberta Education
Edmonton, AB
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/specialneeds/ipp/biblio.pdf

This bibliography provides a valuable resource for the examination of the needs of exceptional students within the Canadian context. The bibliography is part of a recent draft document (March 2005) entitled "Individualized Program Planning." As this title indicates, IPPs (Individual Program Plans) are a touchstone for this collection. The latest items are dated 2002, 2003, and 2004. The references relate to topics such as classroom assessment, accommodations and support, transitions, and assistive technology. This resource will be of particular interest to teachers of special needs students within Alberta.

Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA). 2004
Halifax, NS
http://www.apsea.ca/sitelink.htm

The Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA) is an interprovincial agency that coordinates efforts between the departments of education for the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. Located in Halifax, APSEA serves a clientele of "children and youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf blind, blind, or visually impaired." As a regional service provider, its activities provide a model for serving students with these handicaps for the Atlantic region of Canada. One example of the work made available though APSEA is a handbook for teachers serving students with sensory disabilities. The handbook was developed in 2003 by the Department of Education of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Case of Auton v. British Columbia (Attorney General)
Flynn, R. & Bundgard Flynn, E.
CAPSLE Comments 2002, Vol. 12(2)
© 2005 Canadian Association for the Practical Study of Law in Education (CAPSLE)
Toronto, ON
http://www.capsle.ca/index.php?lang=1&menid=05/02/01/04&mtyp=2&article_id=64

This online article draws attention to the issue of autism and a particular court case that set a legal precedent in British Columbia. Upholding a lower court decision, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ruled that, under Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, children afflicted with autism have a right to suitable treatment at public expense. The Court of Appeal's finding that treatment is owed a pre-school child afflicted with autism has some possible relevance for children of school age. A similar case is before the courts in Ontario. Whether this British Columbia case will stand as a precedent or not before the Supreme Court of Canada remains to be seen.

Eves Government Pilots New Standards for Special Education Programs. 2003
Ontario Ministry of Education
Toronto, ON
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/nr/03.06/nr0627.html

Ontario is addressing the needs of some of its most vulnerable students. This news release announces a pilot project for special education programs at 10 schools located across Ontario. These pilot projects focus on programs designed to address the needs of students with autism. The programs are to be offered by local school boards and funded by the province. An evaluation of the programs was scheduled for fall 2003 and results were intended to be ready for the 2004-05 school year.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Canadian Guidelines for Diagnosis
Chudley, A. E., Conry, J., Cook, J. L., Loock, C., Rosales, T., & LeBlanc, N.
CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). March 1, 2005
http://www.acbr.com/fas/Canadian%20guidelines%20for%20diagnosis%20of%20FASD.htm

This recent article identifies Canadian guidelines for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This disorder occurs in children as a result of the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women. Typical long-term consequences of the disorder include "secondary disabilities" such as poor educational experiences. The guidelines are aimed at providing a basis for early intervention rather than labeling those affected by the disorder. References are provided for further study.

FASlink
http://www.acbr.com/fas/

This web site, originating in Ontario, provides information concerning fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) disorder and other related conditions. These disorders are characteristically related to alcohol consumption by pregnant women. Even in small quantities, alcohol consumption in pregnancy can affect the health of the unborn child. Binge drinking is particularly hazardous. Many children's disabilities are now attributed to prenatal alcohol exposure. The disorders can be lasting in their effects, but early intervention and continuing support do offer some promise of improving the situation of the children affected by these disorders.

A Review of First Nations Special Education Policies and Funding Directions Within the Canadian Context. 2002
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/pub/krw/spe_e.html

As the title of this web site indicates, this document turns attention to special education needs among First Nations children. The review is divided into six chapters. Chapter One sets a historical context for the treatment of special education needs among First Nations. Chapter Six, entitled "Recommendations" comes closest to developing standards for special education among Canada's First Nations. The First Nations expectations formulated here go far beyond proposals for increased funding. These proposals advocate the development of a suitable accountability framework for addressing their children's special education needs, with measures that include appropriate program planning, student assessment, and parental and community involvement. Finally, references are provided for further study.

Special Education: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. 2002
British Columbia Ministry of Education
Victoria, BC
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/

This special education manual collects a variety of policies and standards about support for special education programs in British Columbia's public schools. The intended audience for the manual consists of administrators, school personnel and special education professionals. The special education manual was last revised in 2002. Some updated sections of the manual deal with students with intellectual disabilities, with students with learning disabilities, and with gifted students. Typically, the presentation format proceeds in regular fashion from definition, to identification and assessment, to planning and implementation, and then to evaluation and reporting.

Special Education. 2005
Calgary Board of Education
Calgary, AB
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Programs/spec_ed/default.asp

This page from the Calgary Board of Education provides indications of program standards for special needs students in Alberta. Programs are provided for students with a wide assortment of special needs. These needs range from cognitive disabilities to learning disabilities and giftedness. Other special needs students for whom programs are provided include students with emotional disabilities, students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and students with vision impairment. Kindergarten is also available for special needs students. Psychological services are an integral part of the support offered with the programs.

This web site from Alberta Education presents a wide variety of materials related to students with special needs. Many of these materials were newly published in 2004-05. The recent materials include an amended set of standards for special education programming within the province. The new materials also include a handbook for parents of gifted children (in 10 chapters) as well as an informative set of special education definitions. Two further publications deal with the topics of autism spectrum disorder and individual program planning. This set of resources is indispensable for teachers of special needs students in Alberta but might easily be of interest to the general public.

Student Services and Special Education
© 2004 Battle River School Division No. 31
Camrose, AB
http://www.brsd.ab.ca/isc/special_ed/index.htm

This web site originating from Battle River School Division provides an indication of current special education standards and their implementation. Inclusion of students with special needs is a key principle of the standards adopted in Alberta. Most students with special needs learn within the regular classroom. The major assumption is that all students can learn well with appropriate instruction and support, whether the students have mild, moderate, or severe disabilities, or whether the students are gifted in some manner. In addition, the school board also provides Opportunity Programs for students who experience difficulty in achieving within the regular classroom.