Collaborative Planning
What is Collaboration:
- Voluntary Participation
- There is parity between participants
- Equal value amount participants
- Equal decision making power
- Mutual Goal
- just 1 goal is necessary
- set aside differences
- Shared Responsibility
- divide labour
- Share Resources
- Contribute resources or knowledge
- Contribute special techniques or access to services
- Shared Accountability
Benefits of Collaboration
-resources and knowledge are shared
-there is a division of labour and responsibilities
-it promotes respect and trust among colleagues
-it enhances instruction
-it coordinates services more effectively
-it promotes early intervention
-it improves student outcomes
General Resources:
- The Practice of Teaching: A handbook for New Teachers and TTOC's - BCTF guide to teacher responsibilities
- Personalized Learning Commons Framework (PLC) from SD68
- IEP: A guide for Parents (available in multiple languages)
- Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines a BC Ministry of Education resource that contains information including: roles and responsibilities of school staff and parents, development of IEPs, special services, designation and resource programs
What Meaningful Consultation with Parents Looks Like:
- Meeting on behalf of child
- All parties are valuable participants
- Occurs with ongoing dialogue and participation of all parties
- Voluntary desire to meet and collaborate
- All contribute
- Two-way communication
- Meet to share information, advice or to inform
- Share both strengths and needs of child
- Equal opportunity to express point of view in a safe/welcoming environment
- The goal is to make a decision
- Multiple step process to get to final decision
- Mutual agreement of final decision
Resources for Parent Teacher Interviews and SBT Meetings:
- Draft of SBT Information presented by SD68
- Guide to Parent Teacher Interviews
- Guide to Parent Teacher Interviews. Click on Parents Guide to School Conferences on the left-side navigation bar. Great checklist!
- Ministry of Education Classroom Assessment and Student Reporting. Scroll down to Conferences.
- Learning Disabilities Association, Victoria: Making Parent Teacher Interviews Work for You
- Rocky Mountain DPAC Parent Teacher Progress Interviews brochure
- SD #68 Nanaimo: Questions for parents to prepare for Parent Teacher Interviews
- Preparing for a Parent-Teacher Interview Contains Resources for Parents
Possible Questions that Parents Might Ask Teachers During an Interview:
- What activities does my child enjoy most?
- What do you appreciate about my child?
- What skills does my child need to develop further? What are the main challenges?
- What can I do at home to help my child develop skills?
- How can I best support my child in each subject?
- How can I follow up on these suggestions?
- How does my child get along with other students?
- Is there anything about my child’s behavior or performance you would like to share?
- What is the best way to contact you? How can we best work together?
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines - BC Ministry of Education
•Ministerial Order - Individual Education Plan (PDF)
•Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs- 2006
How to Write and IEP
Objectives should follow the CBC method and be specific
Condition – When student X is given a single oral direction
Behavior – he will be able to follow it
Criteria – 4 out of 5 times with verbal prompting
lThe objective would read:
When Student X is given an single oral direction he will be able to follow it 4/5 times with verbal prompting.
(Do not include the words “condition, behaviour, criteria”. They are there to guide you on the format only.)
The goal could be:
To increase oral comprehension (very broad)
Objectives should follow the CBC method and be specific
Condition – When student X is given an assignment in the classroom
Behavior – he will be able to complete
Criteria – 80% of the task without redirection
lThe objective should read:
When student X is given an assignment in class, he will be able to complete it 80% of the time without redirection.
The goal could be:
To increase task completion. (very broad)
lSignatures are NOT required on an IEP.
lMeaningful consultation of the parent IS required and the date should be indicated on the IEP when consultation was offered (in a meeting, by phone, letter, etc.).
The appendixes above are sample forms that teachers can use when conducting a meeting with parents. These forms can be used during the meeting and throughout the action plan. They are from a BC Council of Administrators of Special Education resource titled Supporting Meaningful Consultation with Parents
Reporting Adaptions:
For students whose learning outcomes are the same as the provincial curriculum:
lteaching methods, materials and/or evaluation methods are adapted and identified in the IEP
lstandard reports: structured comments for the primary years and letter grades or percentages after grade 3
lmay be awarded a Dogwood Graduation Diploma or a School Completion Certificate
Reporting Modifications:
For students whose learning outcomes are different from or in addition to the provincial curriculum:
lindividualized, personalized goals are developed and stated in the IEP
reports include structured written comments on individualized goals without letter grades or percentages
l may receive a School Completion Certificate after meeting the goals of their IEP/Student Learning Plans
lThe IEP can be used as a report card. It is included as a regular attachment to the regular report card. It does not replace the regular classroom teacher’s report card.
lWhen used as a report card attachment, Structured Written Comments (what the student is able to do, areas of difficulty and ways of providing support) will be written for each of the goal areas.
lIt is still required to maintain the Ministry mandated reporting schedule of formally reporting progress three times per year.
Questions that Maybe Asked in a SBT Meeting (from SD68 draft SBT document):
● What are the student’s personal strengths and weaknesses?
● How does the student learn best?
● What teaching strategies and styles work best with this student?
● Is there a history of frequent moves and/or absenteeism?
● Is there a family history of learning problems?
● Are there processing issues (such as memory, visual, auditory, symbol, and/or motor
skills), which may be interfering with learning?
● Are there organizational difficulties, which may be interfering with academic
success?
● Are there attention/concentration issues interfering with learning?
● Is there a history of social-emotional issues which may be interfering with successful
learning?
● Are there motivational issues interfering with learning?
● Are there basic skills deficits (in areas such as reading, writing, math) which may be
hindering success?
● Does the student have a learning disability, mental handicap, area of giftedness,
physical disability, or chronic health impairment, which may be interfering with
learning? If so, what are the classroom implications of this?
● Does the student require adaptations and/or modifications to the curriculum?
SBT Support can Include (from SD68 draft SBT document):
- A forum for review of student's progress and challenges
- Consultation and problem-solving
- Assignment of Case Manager
- Development of a plan or strategies.
- Plan may include adaptations or modifications to learning strategies and/or content
- Establishment of review date for IEP
- Recommendation for in-school assessment, district assessment or referral to outside agencies