LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday
Wallaceburg District Secondary School
19 00 hours
2003 05 29
Library
(7:00 p.m.)
M I N U T E S
PRESENT:
Rose Gallaway (for Jennifer Adam), St. Clair Child and Youth Services
Jenny Greensmith, Pathways Health Centre for Children
Norma Hills, Sarnia & District Association for Community Living
Al Kuhn (for Jane Wright), Community Living Chatham-Kent
Duncan Longwell, Trustee (Chair)
Sharon Nickerson, Member "at large"
Donna Scherer, Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent
Ted Scott, Member "at large" (Vice-Chair)
Wenda Vallee, Autism Society of Ontario
Veronica Vaughan, Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for
Community
Living
REGRETS:
Marion Lennan, Lambton County Developmental Services
Graham McIntyre, Trustee
RESOURCE
Warren Kennedy, Superintendent of Education
STAFF:
Ron Andruchow, Superintendent of Business
Deb Ellacott and Chris Gordon, Special Education Co-ordinators
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1.0
CALL TO ORDER - 7:05 p.m.
2.0
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 2003 04 24
The Minutes of 2003 04 24 were approved as written.
3.0
BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES
A. Kuhn inquired about the "Best Buddies"
presentation to Principals. W. Kennedy explained that there would be
some information provided later in the meeting.
4.0
PRESENTATIONS
4.1
2002-2003 Budget Overview
Superintendent of Business, Ron Andruchow, provided
an overview of the 2003-2004 Budget.
Highlights included:
· funding improvements have been realized
due to Rozanski Report
· multi-year base funding established
(base funding for at least 3 years)
· actual education funding increase for
2003-2004 is $551 Million, province-wide
· Board's total budget will be $199.4
Million (a $3 M increase over 2002-2003)
· new funding provided for a "Students
At-Risk Program"
· all ISA 2 and 3 claims will be funded,
resulting in a $2 Million increase to the Special Education funding
envelope
· slight increase to SEPPA funding
· $3.4 Million will be taken from Reserves
to provide some capital improvements
· projecting a 4.1 % decrease in enrolment,
mostly due to the double cohort graduates
SEAC members were provided with the opportunity
to ask questions and provide their comments concerning the 2003-2004
Budget.
4.2
Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Chris Gordon, Special Education Co-ordinator,
provided SEAC with information on the recent "Best Buddies"
presentation. Two representatives from the Best Buddies Canada organization
attended a Secondary Principals meeting on May 29, 2003. They provided
details about their program which is a student-based volunteer extra-curricular
partnership designed to foster friendships between high school students
with and without intellectual disabilities. C. Gordon distributed information
folders to SEAC, and indicated that several Principals were interested
in introducing the program in September, 2003.
C. Gordon distributed copies of the DRAFT Annual
Accessibility Plan for the Lambton Kent District School Board (September
2003 to August 2004), explaining that under the new Ontarians with Disabilities
Act (ODA), all public institutions must now develop an annual Accessibility
Plan. The Plan must provide general guidelines on how public buildings
and programs will be made more accessible to people with disabilities.
A joint "Accessibility Working Group"
was formed in January, 2003, with members from the Lambton Kent District
School Board and the St. Clair Catholic District Board. The Working
Group focused on six specific areas for their initial Plan, and $50,000
is included in the 2003-2004 Budget to support recommended initiatives.
SEAC was asked to forward their comments to either
Chirs Gordon or Denise Emery.
J. Greensmith suggested that the Accessibility
Working Group could, in the future, include a person with disabilities
on the committee.
A. Kuhn felt that School Councils should be made
aware of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Annual Accessibility
Plan process.
5.0
DRAFT SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN – 2003
SEAC reviewed a complete DRAFT version of the
Special Education Plan - 2003. D. Ellacott distributed:
· a revised version of Section 2.14 -
Accessibility of School Buildings (a copy of the Board's Annual Accessibility
Plan once approved will be included as an Appendix).
· a summary of training for Bus Drivers
transporting special needs students to be added in Section 2.15 - Transportation,
as an Appendix.
· comments from Community Living Chatham-Kent
to be added in Section 1 - Consultation Process, as an Appendix.
D. Ellacott also outlined some changes to Section
2.9 - Individual Education Plans, as a result of feedback received from
J. Wright:
· Page 55, 1st Paragraph, change: "…within
30 days…" to "…within 30 school days…".
· Page 56, 2nd Bullet, change: "…within
30 days…" to "…within 30 school days…".
· Page 56, add a 4th Bullet: "The
IEP will be reviewed and updated at each reporting period."
SEAC was informed that feedback on the Special
Education Plan was always welcome from the various associations represented.
Motion: Moved by T. Scott, seconded by A. Kuhn,
that the Special Education Advisory Committee recommend that the Lambton
Kent District School Board approve the Plan for the Provision of Special
Education Programs and Services – June, 2003.
The Motion CARRIED.
The Special Education Plan will now go to the
June 10, 2003, Board Meeting for final approval prior to submission
to the Ministry of Education.
6.0
CORRESPONDENCE
6.1
Memo from Parents for Children's Mental Health
A Memo was received from Parents for Children's
Mental Health (PCMH) on May 2, 2003. PCMH is conducting a "postcard"
campaign to make the provincial government aware of the need for increased
funding and supports to provide mental health services for children.
A supply of the postcards was available for anyone interested in participating.
6.2
Letter from the Ontario College of Teachers
A letter, dated March 31, 2003, from the Ontario
College of Teachers, was reviewed. The letter announces the recent release
of the revised Guidelines for Special Education Additional Qualification
Courses.
7.0
ASSOCIATION REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS
A. Kuhn announced that:
· a new curriculum for schools has recently
been developed and distributed jointly by Community Living Chatham-Kent
and the Wallaceburg & Sydenham District Association for Community
Living.
· Community-Living Chatham-Kent is offering
a Literacy Program.
· The Annual General Meeting of Community
Living Chatham-Kent will be held on June 12, 2003.
A. Kuhn also distributed some bookmarks and pins
related to Community Living Month (May), an article on Tolerance and
Acceptance, and information on upcoming Telephone Conferences.
W. Vallee requested information on a recent Autistic
in-service held in Chatham, as well as the status of the pilot program
for 18 to 21 year olds with intellectual disabilities. She was informed
that 87 staff members attended the Autism in-service, and that the pilot
"Options Program" is still in the planning stages.
R. Gallaway thanked those who participated in
the recent St. Clair Child and Youth Services Box Lunch Social, which
was deemed a successful fundraiser.
D. Ellacott distributed the Summer 2003 edition
of the "Staff Development for all Employees" booklet.
8.0
QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC - None.
9.0
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
· Professional Development
· Booklet of Strategies, Accommodations,
and Tips for all Exceptionalities
· Board Website Demonstration
· Kurzweil Software Demonstration
· Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
· Exceptionality Presentations
· Safe Schools Act and Its Effect on Exceptional
Pupils
· Impact of Special Education Programming
Changes and School Closures
· Link between IPRC, IEP, and Transition
Plans, etc.
10.0
NEXT MEETING
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Wallaceburg District Secondary School - Library
7:00 p.m.
11.0
ADJOURNMENT - 9:05 p.m.
Joan Sparks,
Recording Secretary.
