LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE



Thursday
Wallaceburg District Secondary School
19 00 hours

2001 10 25
Library
(7:00 p.m.)

M I N U T E S

PRESENT:
Jennifer Adam, St. Clair Child and Youth Services


Norma Hills, Sarnia & District Association for Community Living


Marion Lennan, Lambton County Association for the Mentally Handicapped


Duncan Longwell, Trustee (Chair)


Graham McIntyre, Trustee


Donna Scherer, Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent


Ted Scott, Member "at large"


Veronica Vaughan, Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for Community

Living


Jane Wright, Chatham & District Association for Community Living

REGRETS:
Sandra Blondin, Our Children's Voice


Sharon Nickerson, Member "at large" (Vice-Chair)

ABSENT:
Wenda Vallee, Autism Society of Ontario

RESOURCE
Warren Kennedy, Superintendent of Education

STAFF:
Deb Ellacott and Cathy Telfer, Special Education Co-ordinators

*********************************************************************************

1.0
CALL TO ORDER - 19 00 hours.

D. Longwell announced that the agenda would be adjusted to move Item #8.0 - Feature Association to the beginning of the meeting, immediately following Item #2.0.


2.0
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 2001 09 20



The Minutes of 2001 09 20 were approved as written.


3.0
FEATURE ASSOCIATION



3.1
Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for Community Living




Dr. Vaughan introduced David Katzman, Executive Director of Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for Community Living.

 

D. Katzman distributed information pamphlets and outlined the Mission, Principles, and Programs of the Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for Community Living. The Association provides a variety of supports and services required for the successful inclusion of citizens who are developmentally disabled within their communities and has been operational since 1956. Programs provided to over 300 families include:

· Person-centered Life Planning

· Recruitment and Training of Volunteers

· Summer Youth Programs

· Community Development and Special Projects

· Leisure and Recreational Activities

· Employment and Career Support

· Accommodation Supports

· Literacy and Numeracy Training

· Home-based Respite (Adults and Children)

 

D. Katzman also provided details on the challenges that lay ahead and funding difficulties. Samples of products available for purchase featuring community living logos were shown. Additional information may be obtained by visiting their website at www.getintocommunityliving.com.



3.2
Next Meeting Feature Association




D. Scherer volunteered to provide information on the Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent at the November SEAC meeting.


4.0
BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES



4.1
IPRC Student Guide Update




W. Kennedy announced that M. Gilfoyle has been working with N. Hills and S. Nickerson in order to compile a simplified version of the IPRC Parent Guide. A sample of the Guide will be presented at the next meeting.



4.2
SEAC Brochure Update




T. Scott distributed copies of a DRAFT SEAC Brochure that he had prepared with the assistance of A. Kuhn.

 

T. Scott explained the objective of the brochure, where the brochure should be made available, and where the brochure fits in with other special education documents.

 

The objective of the brochure is to:

· provide portal information for potential special needs students

· provide information about community groups

· make the entry process clearer

· give alternatives for information/support to parents of special needs students.

 

The brochure may be made available through:

· initial school contact (registration, local schools)

· outside settings (doctor's offices, resource agencies)

 

The brochure fits in somewhere between the Special Education Plan and the Parent Guides.

 

T. Scott highlighted the title of the brochure: "Your Exceptional Child, School, and Special Education".

 

SEAC members were asked to review the brochure and e-mail their comments to Ted Scott at www.tscott155@home.com. Further discussion will take place at the next SEAC meeting.



4.3
Transportation Update




W. Kennedy distributed copies of the overheads used by K. Fitzpatrick, Transportation Manager, during his presentation at the September meeting of SEAC.

 

W. Kennedy provided the following update concerning transportation:

· review of bus routes continues

· a transportation debriefing meeting will be held on November 1 to discuss problem areas and to develop solutions

· a consulting firm may be hired to review individual routes and make recommendations to increase efficiency

· no changes can be made in the south until the system can be restructured

· the Minister of Education has indicated an awareness of local transportation problems

· a local meeting with the Deputy Minister of Education, Norbert Hartman, will be held to discuss transportation funding.

· W. Kennedy will attempt to obtain minutes from meetings mentioned above.

 

J. Adams pointed out that school closures could increase transportation costs for the Board and also place a burden on families to get their children to and from school. The longer students are on a bus the greater the chances are that behaviour difficulties could occur. G. McIntyre agreed.

 

D. Vaughan asked what would happen to transportation costs if special needs children went to their neighbourhood schools. W. Kennedy explained that consistency of program would suffer and there are not enough resources available to manage the necessary supports.

 

T. Scott, referring to the last overhead used by K. Fitzpatrick, stated that SEAC has identified issues and wondered if the Transportation Department had developed an action plan to resolve the outstanding issues.

 

J. Wright would like assurances that the Deputy Minister of Education will be made aware that some students are not getting their full five hours of instruction per day due to their bussing arrangements.

 

D. Longwell stated that he continues to remind the Board of the SEAC recommendations made concerning transportation.


5.0
PRESENTATION - LEARNING DISABILITIES ISA PROFILE #3.2/3.3



C. Telfer presented information on the recently revised ISA Profile for Learning Disabilities, noting that only a small portion of students with learning disabilities will continue to qualify for ISA funding. She also highlighted the differences between the requirements for Level 2 ISA funding and Level 3 ISA funding.


6.0
SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN



Sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2, and 2.1.3 of the Special Education Plan: Preamble, Mission Statement, and Philosophy of Special Education, were reviewed.

 

W. Kennedy informed SEAC that no official response has been received from the Ministry of Education since our Special Education Plan had been submitted. He did, however, hear some positive comments that the Ministry was generally pleased with the quality of the Plans submitted by Southwestern Ontario boards. Current guidelines seem to indicate that boards will only have to submit a Special Education Plan to the Ministry every two years.

 

Preamble comments:

· date in first and second paragraphs will have to be revised to meet new Ministry guidelines (July instead of May).

· should the Plan be compared word for word to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Ontario Human Rights Code?

 

Mission Statement:

· no comments.

 

Philosophy of Special Education comments:

· the Chatham and District Association for Community Living believes the Philosophy statement does not stress integration in neighbourhood schools for students with intellectual disabilities.

· C. Telfer explained that the Philosophy was designed to cover all students in all areas of exceptionalities. A section later in the Plan details options available for children with intellectual disabilities.

· possible additions: "No matter the placement there is a conscious effort made to include every child in every school." or "Each school will make an inclusive environment a priority."


7.0
PROGRAM REVIEW UPDATE



7.1
Autism/PDD




The Autism/PDD Program Review Committee will reconvene in November.



7.2
Speech and Language




The Speech and Language Program Review Committee will be struck in the near future. SEAC will be asked for volunteer representatives.


8.0
CORRESPONDENCE



8.1
Letter sent by SEAC to Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School Council Chair




A copy of the letter sent by SEAC to the Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School Council Chair was reviewed. The letter thanked the A.M.S.S. School Council for expressing their concern to the Ministry of Education about the Grade 10 Literacy Test. SEAC requested a copy of any response that A.M.S.S. may receive.



8.2
Letter sent from Kawartha Pine Ridge D.S.B. to Ministry of Education




A copy of a letter sent by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board to the Ministry of Education concerning their Special Education Plan and the negative accumulated effect of the funding model on special education was received.


9.0
ASSOCIATION REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS



J. Wright announced that Lindsay Moir, Special Education Consultant, will be speaking at a seminar in Chatham. Contact J. Wright for further details.

 

D. Ellacott updated SEAC on the Snoezelen Room at Tecumseh School. To date, donations have totaled $50,000. Electrical improvements have been made to the room and it is hoped that SEAC will hold a meeting and visit the room at Tecumseh School in the near future.


10.0
QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC



None.


11.0
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS



· Professional Development

· Booklet of Strategies, Accommodations, and Tips for all Exceptionalities

· Reading Academy Software Demonstration

· SEAC Brochure

· IPRC Student Guide


12.0
NEXT MEETING



Thursday, November 22, 2001



Wallaceburg District Secondary School – Library



7:00 p.m.


13.0
ADJOURNMENT - 21 30 hours.



Joan Sparks,


Recording Secretary.