LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday,	Wallaceburg District Secondary School	7:00 p.m.
May 18, 2006	Library

M I N U T E S

PRESENT:	Rose Gallaway, St. Clair Child and Youth Services
	Norma Hills, Community Living Sarnia-Lambton
	Elizabeth Hudie, Trustee
	Susie Jones, Trustee (Vice-Chair)
	Al Kuhn, Community Living Chatham-Kent
	Marion Lennan, Lambton County Developmental Services
	Lisa Saul (for Lisa Matthews), Learning Disabilities Association of Lambton County
	Donna Scherer, Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent
	Jonathan Quaglia, Member "at large"
	Wenda Vallee, Autism Society of Ontario
	Janet Vanderwerf, Member "at large"
REGRETS:	Laurie Mawlam, Community Living Wallaceburg
	Maggie Rochon, Easter Seal Society of Ontario, Sarnia-Lambton Branch
	Charlene Taylor, Member "at large" (Chair)
RESOURCE	Jim Costello, Superintendent of Education
STAFF:	Denise Emery, Special Education Co-ordinator

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1.0	CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by SEAC Vice-Chair, S. Jones.

2.0	APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 2006 04 27

D. Scherer would like SEAC to receive information on the “Learning to 18” Ministry of Education initiative. This item will be added to the list of possible future agenda items.

The Minutes of 2006 04 27 were approved as written.

3.0	BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES - None.

4.0

PRESENTATION – 2006-2007 BUDGET OVERVIEW

Sandy Anderson, Manager of Financial Services, provided an overview of the 2006-2007 Budget. The Ministry has not yet released grant details to date. Highlights included: · an outline of the Board’s Strategic Budget Objectives. · an outline of the Ontario Education Budget Structure, which is broken down into ten different areas: Instruction, School Management, Student Support Services, Technical Student Support Services, Library and Guidance Services, Teacher Support Services, Trustees, Administration, School Operations, School Maintenance and Renewal. · an overview of the current Ontario Government Roadmap which emphasizes smaller class sizes, child care, and early learning initiatives. · the Ontario Budget Outlook estimates that funding for education in 2006-2007 will be $17.3 Billion, for the entire province. · Special Education Budget for current school year is $22.8 Million · Enrolment Projections for 2006-2007 indicate a decline of approximately 631 students, which may result in lower funding for special education in the area of SEPPA (Special Education per Pupil Amount). SEAC members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions. More information will be provided once the funding regulations are released.

5.0	DRAFT ANNUAL ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
	SEAC received a DRAFT copy of the Board’s Annual Accessibility Plan for 2006-2007. Under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), all public institutions must develop an Annual Accessibility Plan. Further information will be provided at the next SEAC meeting.

6.0

SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SEAC AWARENESS PLANNING AND OTHER ITEMS Discussion continued on the planning for the two Awareness Open Houses to be held in October, 2006. Items to consider include: · selection of off-campus locations. · publicity (inter-board and external). · opening remarks (board staff) and ending remarks (SEAC Member), with brief presentation on IPRC Process. · carousel approach--booths for Itinerant Teams, SEAC with info. pamphlets from various associations/agencies represented on SEAC, Students (success stories). · selection of title (“____ Symposium”, “____ Open House”, “____Celebration”)--bring ideas to next meeting. Further planning will occur at the May 30, 2006 SEAC meeting along with the possible assignment of individual tasks. J. Costello provided details on the Special Circumstance Fund and the Anti-Bullying Initiative recently announced by the Ministry of Education. Superintendent W. Kennedy is administering the fund which was announced on March 9 with instructions that it had to be spent by March 31. Each Board is responsible for developing their own program. J. Costello distributed copies of a Memorandum inviting each secondary school to participate in the “Beyond the Hurt” training program, involving both staff and students. A multitude of anti-bullying resources and materials have been purchased and will be distributed to elementary schools through the Staff Development office and the Itinerant Behaviour Team. D. Scherer asked if the Board will be conducting an evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of these new programs and resources. She also voiced concern, and stressed the importance of, the sustainability of anti-bullying programs from year to year. J. Costello distributed an information pamphlet from the Trillium Lakelands District School Board which outlines their special education programs and services. SEAC was in favour of staff developing a similar pamphlet for the Lambton Kent District School Board. Staff will begin to draft a local model. J. Costello distributed and reviewed the recommended special education staffing complement for 2006-2007. J. Costello provided rationale for each of the changes. J. Costello also explained that the cost of transporting students to centralized specialized programs has become astronomical which raises the question: would boards be better to provide rural schools with additional staff instead of bussing students to urban schools with specialized programs?

7.0

WEB-BASED IEP UPDATE D. Emery reported that all Elementary and Secondary Resource and Special Class Teachers have been trained on the new web-based IEP. Feedback has been very positive. Staff are currently fine-tuning the process to transfer IEP data to secondary schools for Grade 8 students entering in September. All trained staff have also been offered one release day to practice their new skills and to begin writing their new IEP’s. Administrators will receive an overview in the Fall.

8.0	CORRESPONDENCE
	8.1	Letter from Ontario Association of Education Advocates SEAC reviewed a letter received from the Ontario Association of Education Advocates, dated April 24, 2006, outlining details of an on-line “Advocacy Training Certificate Program” in partnership with the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario.

9.0

ASSOCIATION REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS A. Kuhn announced that the Ministry of Community and Social Services has published a consultation document investigating communities and social actions. Community Living Chatham-Kent is hosting an information session to review the document on June 19, 2006. Community Living Chatham-Kent will be holding their annual golf tournament on June 3, 2006 and their annual general meeting on June 15, 2006. D. Scherer distributed pamphlets on the Summer, 2006 Tutoring Program and Social Skills Program offered through the Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent. R. Gallaway thanked those who participated in the successful Box Lunch Social fundraiser hosted by St. Clair Child and Youth Services. D. Emery informed SEAC that, due to the high number of recent in-service sessions requiring staff to be away from their classrooms, the Inclusion Facilitator training has been postponed until the Fall of 2006. D. Seager has been contacted by other district school boards wanting to gather more information on our inclusionary model for physical activities. D. Emery displayed samples of a Learning Resource Centre newsletter prepared by some of our schools. SEAC suggested that samples by provided to all Principals.

10.0	QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC - None.

11.0	FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS · Learning to 18 Initiative (Fall, 2006)

12.0	NEXT MEETING
	Tuesday, May 30, 2006
	Wallaceburg District Secondary School - Library
	7:00 p.m.

13.0	ADJOURNMENT - 9:15 p.m.

Joan Sparks,

Recording Secretary.