Annual Calendar 2019-20

PAAC on SEAC Special Education Advisory Committee Annual Calendar of SEAC Business

PAAC on SEAC encourages school boards to use the PAAC on SEAC Handbook of Effective Practices for SEAC Members as part of the training.  A copy of the handbook can be downloaded at www.paac-seac.ca

SEAC On-Going SEAC Activities

• Request notification of all Ministry of Education announcements related to special education and ensure SEAC Chair is registered on the SEAC E-learning site
• Provide orientation to new members and on-going professional development for all SEAC members
• Provide opportunities for SEAC members to provide presentations and updates about their association/organization
• Consider ways to enhance parent engagement and collaboration in special education in every program/initiative
• Evaluate SEAC effectiveness and identify ways to improve meetings

Glossary – A glossary for all of the terms and acronyms underlined in the calendar is in the attached appendix.

Additional SEAC Resources:

A broad overview of special education and details of many legal requirements are captured in the newly released, Special Education In Ontario Kindergarten to Grade 12, Policy and Resource Guide (2017 draft): Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide (2017)

The role of SEAC is defined in Regulation 464/97 on Special Education Advisory Committee available at:
www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_970464_e.htm

Other Ministry resources including, Standard Documents and Resource Guides are available on the Ministry of Education Website at
www.edu.gov.on.ca

For more information on SEAC and links to key documents, check the new SEAC web pages on the Ministry of Education website at:
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/seac/

For copies of all funding (B & SB) memos sent from the Ministry to school boards, check the website:
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/memos/

The Ministry of Education IEP Samples for each exceptionality are available on EduGains website at:
www.edugains.ca/newsite/SpecialEducation/transitions.html

Glossary for PAAC on SEAC Calendar

Special Education Report Checklist – The Ministry of Education provides an annual checklist for school boards to complete regarding the Special Education Plan. The checklist requires school boards to note any changes to the plan and may ask specific questions regarding special education.

ODA Accessibility Plans – Under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001) school boards are required to prepare annual accessibility plans which report on the measures the board has taken and intends to take in the coming year to identify, remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities.

BIPSA (Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement) —

Ministry of Education, Student Achievement Division has developed a comprehensive set of tools and resources to assist school districts in planning, designing and monitoring effective improvement strategies. All of these tools – the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement, the Board Improvement Planning Assessment Tool and the School Effectiveness Framework – reinforce the understanding that board improvement planning has two main purposes:

1. To improve student learning, achievement and well-being, and
2. To build capacity and sustainability in the skill and knowledge of educators.

The Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and its related tools and templates are built on the notion of precise SMART goals based on the analysis of relevant data.

PD Day – Professional Development day for teachers and other school staff.

Special Education Plan — Every school board is required to have a plan for the special education programs and services that they provide. The Special Education Plan must be reviewed annually and a report submitted each year to the Ministry identifying any changes.

IEP – Individual Education Plans developed for all exceptional students and for those students who require accommodations, modifications or alternative programs.

EQAO – The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assesses how well Ontario’s public education system is developing students’ reading, writing and math skills. EQAO provides reliable and useful information that is used to help improve student achievement and ensure the accountability of school boards.

October Report/OnSIS – Ontario Student Information System is a Ministry system for the collection and management of education related data. OnSIS provides comprehensive, depersonalized qualitative data for the purpose of developing evidence based analysis of student achievement by the Ministry and school boards. School boards are required to submit student data in October and March, including information on exceptionality, IEPs, suspensions and expulsions. The student data was previously submitted once a year in October and was known as the October Report.

EduGains — is the website that houses Ministry of Education resources to support policies and programs to support improved learning and teaching. Website can be found at: http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/HOME/index.html#

Special Education Programs and Services — Under the Education Act, subsection 1(1),

special education program is defined as:
an educational program that is based on and modified by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation and that includes a plan containing specific objectives and an outline of educational services that meets the needs of the exceptional pupil;

special education services is defined as:
facilities and resources, including support personnel and equipment, necessary for developing and implementing a special education program;

exceptional pupil is defined as:
a pupil whose behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical or multiple exceptionalities are such that he or she is considered to need placement in a special education program by a committee, established under subparagraph iii of paragraph 5 of subsection 11(1), of the board…[that is, by an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee].

Special Education Budget – That portion of the school board budget that funds special education programs and services.

Special Education Grant – The grant from the Ministry of Education that is intended to fund special education programs and services. The grant has 5 main components:

• SEPPA – Special Education Per Pupil Amount
• HNA – High Needs Amount
• SEA – Special Equipment Amount
• SIP – Special Incidence Portion
• FA – Facilities Amount