LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Thursday,	Wallaceburg District Secondary School	7:00 p.m.
January 24, 2008	Library

M I N U T E S

PRESENT:	Melissa Hewitt, VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children
	Norma Hills, Community Living Sarnia-Lambton
	Elizabeth Hudie, Trustee
	Marion Lennan, Lambton County Developmental Services
	Jonathan Quaglia, Member "at large"
	Lisa Saul, Learning Disabilities Association of Lambton County
	Donna Scherer, Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent
	Margaret Smith, Autism Ontario - Chatham-Kent
	Charlene Taylor, Member "at large"
	Malcolm Tyrrell, Community Living Chatham-Kent

REGRETS:	Ruth Ann Dodman, Trustee
	Jackie Dorssers, Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders
	Rose Gallaway, St. Clair Child and Youth Services
	David Katzman, Community Living Wallaceburg
	Janet Vanderwerf, Member "at large"

RESOURCE	Pam Graham, Principal of Special Education
STAFF:	Patti Palmer and Debbie Seager, Special Education Co-ordinators
	Jim Stewart, Lambton Kent Secondary Administrators’ Association

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1.0

CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA - 7:02 p.m.

2.0

ELECTION OF 2008 CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR

P. Graham explained that, according to Board administrative procedures, a Trustee must always be either the Chair or Vice-Chair of SEAC.

Trustee Elizabeth Hudie agreed to serve as SEAC Vice-Chair.

The floor was opened for nominations for Chair. Charlene Taylor was nominated by E. Hudie and Norma Hills was nominated by D. Scherer. Both allowed their names to stand and ballots were cast. Norma Hills was elected SEAC Chair for 2008.

3.0

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 2007 12 13

Referring to Item 10.0 of the Minutes, M. Tyrrell mentioned that graduates of the Personal Support Worker Program receive a college certificate, not a diploma. The Minutes will be revised to reflect this.

The Minutes of 2007 12 13 were approved as revised.

4.0

BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES

P. Graham clarified the number of 2006 exceptional pupils compared to the number 2007 of exceptional pupils reported at the last meeting. On October 31, 2006 we had 3427 exceptional pupils and on October 31, 2007 we had 3392, which is a difference of 35 pupils.

5.0

PRESENTATION: SAFE SCHOOLS, BULLYING

Tim DeActis, Principal of Alternative and Continuing Education; Jim Stewart, Vice-Principal of Wallceburg District Secondary School; and Pam Graham, Principal of Special Education, provided SEAC with an update on the implementation of Bill 212. Bill 212 legislates changes, effective February 1, 2008, to the Safe Schools portion of the Education Act with the goal of providing safer, more positive school environments. There are five components:

· Code of Conduct

· Progressive Discipline

· Bullying

· Suspension

· Expulsion

P. Graham explained that each school must develop a Code of Conduct which sets expectations for behaviour for all members of the school community. The code applies whether persons are on school property, on school buses, or at school-authorized events/activities or in other circumstances that could have an impact on the school climate.

J. Stewart informed SEAC that Progressive Discipline is a non-punitive, whole-school approach that uses a continuum of corrective and supportive interventions, supports and consequences to address inappropriate behaviour. Consequences include learning opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviour and assisting students to make good choices.

T. DeActis outlined the Mitigating and Other Factors that must be considered prior to imposing a progressive discipline approach, or a suspension, or an expulsion:

· whether the pupil has the ability to control his or her behaviour

· whether the pupil has the ability to understand the foreseeable consequences of his or her behaviour

· whether the pupil’s continuing presence in the school does or does not create an unacceptable risk to the safety of any other individual at the school

· the pupil’s academic, discipline and personal history

· whether other progressive discipline has been attempted with the pupil, and if so what type and was there success or failure

· whether the infraction was related to any harassment of the pupil because of race, ethnic origin, place of origin, religion, creed, disability, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, or harassment for any other reason

· the impact of the discipline on the pupil’s prospects for further education

· the pupil’s age

· where the pupil has an IEP or disability related needs:

§ whether the behaviour causing the incident was a manifestation of the pupil’s disability

§ whether appropriate individualized accommodation has been provided

§ whether a suspension is likely to result in aggravating or worsening the pupil’s behaviour or conduct or whether a suspension is likely to result in a greater likelihood of further inappropriate conduct

§ whether or not the pupil’s continuing presence at the school creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of anyone in the school.

J. Stewart provided a definition of Bullying. Each school must form a team with responsibility for bullying prevention and intervention.

T. DeActis and P. Graham outlined changes to the Suspension and Expulsion process. Teachers no longer have the authority to suspend. There are no longer any mandatory suspensions, all suspension are now discretionary. Depending on the length of the suspension, school work, alternative programming, and academic and non-academic support must be provided. A committee of Trustees will make the final decision on any expulsions. Expelled students can be placed in another school or provided with an alternative program.

SEAC was provided with copies of the DRAFT Board Policies and Regulations resulting from the implementation of Bill 212 (Code of Conduct, Progressive Discipline, Bullying, Suspension of a Pupil, Expulsion of a Pupil). SEAC was asked to review the DRAFT Policies and Regulations and report any questions or concerns to P. Graham or Superintendent, Dave Doey.

6.0

SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN

P. Graham led SEAC through a review of several sections of the Special Education Plan. The following revisions were suggested:

	6.1	Review of Section 2.1.1 - Preamble No suggested changes.

	6.2	Review of Section 2.1.2 - Mission Statement No suggested changes.

	6.3	Review of Section 2.1.3 - Philosophy of Special Education No suggested changes.

	6.4	Review of Section 2.2 - Roles and Responsibilities in Special Education No suggested changes.

	6.5	Review of Section 2.3.2 - Intervention Strategies · Page 16 - Steps to Success: Referral Process to Special Services - Chart has been updated. Revised version was reviewed. · Appendix 2.3.8 - Referral to Special Services - Form has been updated. Revised Appendix 2.3.8 was reviewed. · Appendix 2.3.11 - Administrative Procedures: Speech and Language Services - Administrative Procedure has been updated. Revised Appendix 2.3.11 was reviewed.

	6.6	Review of Section 2.6 - Health Support Services No suggested changes.

	6.7	Review of Section 2.7 - Categories of Exceptionalities and Definitions No suggested changes.

	6.8	Review of Section 2.11 - Special Education Staff · Appendix 2.11.1 - Special Education Staff. Chart has been updated based on 2007-08 statistics. Revised Appendix 2.11.1 was reviewed.

7.0

CORRESPONDENCE

7.1

Letter dated 2007 12 10 to SEAC Chair from Four Members of AMSS Staff

SEAC reviewed a letter from four staff members of Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School (AMSS). The letter outlined their concerns over the designation of “open-level” status to some of the courses offered at AMSS this year. Open level courses are designed for all students and are generally “optional” courses such as Physical Education, Art, etc. P. Graham reported that Superintendent Warren Kennedy has met with the school staff and issues raised in the letter are being dealt with at the school level.

8.0

ASSOCIATION REPORTS AND OTHER BUSINESS

D. Scherer introduced her alternate, Kelly Goldsmith. She also announced that the Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent has received funding which will allow them to offer a transition program for students in Grades 7 to 9 called SOAR (Some Assembly Required). The program will be offered three times over a one-year period and can facilitate a maximum of 8 students in each session who would attend a 2 hour class once a week for 9 weeks. Contact the office of the Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent for further details (519-352-2024).

D. Seager distributed the Winter/Spring edition of the “After School Workshops” booklet and highlighted the special education ABA workshops which have been very popular.

9.0

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC - None.

P. Graham and SEAC thanked C. Taylor for her service as SEAC Chair over the past two years.

10.0

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

· Ministry Special Education Projects Update (CODE, ASD)

· Review of Special Education Plan

11.0	NEXT MEETING

	Wednesday, February 20, 2008
	Wallaceburg District Secondary School - Library
	7:00 p.m. N. Hills reminded SEAC that the February meeting is on a Wednesday (rather than a Thursday).

12.0

ADJOURNMENT - 8:10 p.m.

	Joan Sparks,
	Recording Secretary.