Learning Support Policy

Transcription

1 Learning Support Policy 1

2 School and student profile Learning support philosophy The ISUtrecht has a personalised approach to learning, and this is achieved through our communicative and proactive staff and well designed support structure. Admission to the International School Utrecht is dependant upon the school programme being appropriate to the applicant's needs, and where the student is able to benefit from the curriculum. Once a student is accepted to the school, the staff are committed to guide and assist the student with learning difficulties, to have equal access to the curriculum. The ISUtrecht has an inclusive environment, where teachers work with each students unique strengths and weaknesses, including those students with certain recognised learning support and medical needs. However, while the school has an inclusive policy on admission, it is at the same time a mainstream school, offering facilities to students with learning support needs within a mainstream environment. Support Structure The support structure is designed to provide good supervision to students with learning support needs. Teachers, mentors, and the learning support coordinator meet frequently and ensure the school has a responsive approach to learning provision, appropriate to the needs of our students. Learning difficulty and learning disability defined A learning difficulty is when a student is having difficulty in one or more area of learning. A difficulty is usually temporary but can take several years to improve. However, the difficulty will eventually go away over time, with appropriate and intensive classroom support. Learning difficulties can be caused by physical, educational, emotional, or environmental factors. A learning disability is an unconditional definition based on diagnosis. This means a student is having difficulties within the classroom because these difficulties are caused by a disability, which is lifelong and persistent, and does not respond easily to intensive educational intervention. Usually mild disabilities begin to appear during late primary and early secondary school. In late primary and secondary, the curriculum becomes more abstract, making learning less concrete, and with abstract materials the curriculum is more difficult for the student who has a learning disability. N.B. Learning disabilities of an intermediate to severe nature become apparent already in the earlier years. The teachers at the school cannot diagnose a learning disability. External specialists (psychologists) need to conduct testing and diagnosis. Students with a diagnosed disability ISUtrecht is able to provide support and expertise to students with a number of diagnosed learning disabilities, assisting access to the curriculum. These learning disabilities can include: Dyslexia Dyspraxia Dyscalcula Mild autism ADD and ADHD Parents are required to provide full details of the student s disability. These details could be in the form of psychological education testing and/or previous IEP (individual educational plans). For students with diagnosed disabilities, it may be necessary for the students to have further testing and/or changes in their IEP, once they begin at ISUtrecht. Refer to the concerns procedure below. Students in the MYP and DP programmes are required to undertake external summative assessments. Should extra time be needed for these assessments, the school follows International Baccalaureate guidelines (see Assessment Policy). 2

3 Students without a diagnosed disability Teachers work with the concerns procedure. This procedure can be found at the end of this document. If a teacher has a student of concern, s/he should make the student support counsellor ( interne begeleider), ELA specialist and divisional leaders aware of the issue. Please note: When a student s mother tongue is not English (the academic language of the school), language acquisition does have an effect on the student s learning. For students with English Language Acquisition (ELA), it can mirror traits of various learning disabilities. However, since acquiring a language is only a temporary process these traits will go away. Therefore, these traits are not disabilities. (Please refer to language policy and concerns procedure.) Testing for a learning disability If the student needs testing for a learning disability, the school counsellor will guide the parents and students through the procedure. The psychological education assessment report must be provided in either Dutch or English. If the report is not in Dutch or English, then it is the parent(s) responsibility to have the report translated to English by either the psychologist who completed the testing or a certified translator. Only officially translated documentation is acceptable. Test and translation costs are the financial responsibility of the parents. When a student is diagnosed with a learning disability. As stated above (students with a diagnosed learning disability), should the school continue to be appropriate to the student s needs, the ISUtrecht is able to provide support and expertise with a number of diagnosed learning disabilities. However, depending on the level of guidance the student requires, the school may make a referral to a Dutch school within the neighbourhood, a larger international school with more services or to Lighthouse Special Education in Den Haag. Reporting and assessing of students with a learning disability Students with learning disabilities should receive achievement scores. Assessments may be differentiated but not modified. Students need to show the full understanding of the learner outcomes/objectives, but they may do this through different types of assessments, such as a voice recording. Modification means to change the learner outcomes/objectives so the students can pass the work. In other words, to modify or make the content easier for the students to pass. The ISUtrecht will not modify assessments. (Refer to the assessment policy for more information.) The school follows official IB guidelines on assessment. 3

4 Key roles in student support Primary Class teachers: Observe students, signal and communicate issues arising with students to the student support coordinator. Discuss student in student progress meetings and place student in extra attention area in group educational plan (GEP) or write an individual educational/action plan (IEP) when needed. Contact parents about the issues, and seek parental consent and approval. Record keeping. Secondary Subject teachers: Observe students, signal and communicate issues arising with students to the mentor. Plan learning accommodation when needed. The mentor : Signals and solves smaller issues with students themselves, working with parents and students on an action plan to support the student. With more complex matters, works with the student support coordinator, parents and students to support the student. Signals and communicates issues arising with students to the student support coordinator. Discusses students in student progress meetings. Ensures appropriate record keeping. Whole school The student support coordinator/interne begeleider: oversees all learning support within the school supports mentors and teachers in helping students with more complex issues. o communicates with parents, external professionals and teachers o ensures that agreements are being carried out ensures the expectations of the school are communicated clearly to parents and students ensures good record keeping The school counsellor The school counsellor is Marleen Schulte. She is the school s specialist advisor. She can where necessary: advise the student support coordinator. advise on testing procedure, and guides process. prepare the recommendations of support. 4

5 Concerns Procedure This procedure is comparable with the Dutch cycle of Handelingsgericht Werken. It is a whole school process, which includes the teachers, interne begeleider (student support coordinator), ELA specialist, administration, and parents. Notes: Move on to the next step if accommodations are not working. Accommodations can be found in The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner: Teaching/Learning Companion (which is available on One Drive). Definition of an ELA student: Any student whose mother tongue is not English, no matter how long they have been learning English. (This applies for anyone under the age of 19.) This is not for beginning ELA students, see Language Policy. Step 1: Please use concern form (in One Drive) Teacher (or mentor) collects data on student s past language experiences to find out whether the student s mother tongue is English or not (ELA student). What is the student s mother tongue? What languages has the student been schooled in? Teacher (or mentor) brings the concern forward with this data. ELA STUDENT Step 2 ELA: Data Collection (ELA specialist, teacher(s), divisional leader, parents): Revisit student s file Clarify student s past language experiences, include early years language development. Document the student s English language abilities: reading assessment, writing samples, listening/speaking assessment. Observe student in classroom Contact student s teachers to collect more data on student and to make all teachers aware of the issue. Develop an age-appropriate classroom IEP for classroom and specialist teachers to implement. Allow for multilingual/multicultural projects. Increase use of mother tongue and use materials in mother tongue. Get support of parents (families) for example use of Mother Tongue when helping with homework. ELA support Other accommodations Step 3 ELA: Give time with these accommodations and monitor consistently. The amount of time will vary from case to case but no more than 6 weeks of school until revisited. Continue onto the next step if there are still issues ENGLISH MOTHER TONGUE STUDENT Step 2: Data Collection (teacher(s), interne begeleider, divisional leader, parents): Revisit student s file Clarify with student s past and current learning experiences, include early years language development Document the student s language abilities: reading assessment, writing samples, listening/speaking assessment. Observe student in classroom Contact all student s teachers to collect more data on student and to make all teachers aware of the issue. Develop an age appropriate classroom IEP for classroom and specialist teachers to implement. Step 3: Give time with these accommodations and monitor consistently. The amount of time will vary from case to case but no more than 8 weeks of school until revisited. Revisit a second time and discuss accommodations, making changes where necessary, give another 8 weeks. And depending on the case, it maybe be necessary to repeat the cycle a third time. If no improvement continue onto the next step. Step 4 ELA: Data Collection SST Meeting (Student Study Team): teacher(s), ELA specialist, divisional leader, parents. Performance assessments Collect any standardized language proficiency tests/achievement measures Analyse data collection from previous accommodations Personal/family factors Physical and psychological factors Previous schooling First and second language development (social and academic) Learning environment factors (social and academic) Discuss mother tongue exposure and whether mother tongue tuition could be helpful to improve language acquisition. Intervention: Professional Mother Tongue tutoring at least 2 hours per week. Previous accommodations from Step 2, including new interventions. Step 4: Data Collection SST Meeting (Student Study Team): parent(s), teacher(s), interne begeleider and divisional leader to set goals to enhance student s learning: Performance assessments Collect any standardized language proficiency tests/achievement measures Analyse data collection from previous accommodations Personal/family factors Physical and psychological factors Previous schooling Learning environment factors (social and academic) Investigate various testing for student to diagnose issue. Continue accommodations from Step 2, including new accommodations until diagnosed. 5

6 Step 5 ELA: Give time with these accommodations and monitor consistently. The amount of time will vary from case to case but no more than 6 weeks of school until revisiting. If there is consistent growth in the mother tongue, there is NO learning disability. This would mean there is no need to continue to the next step. A continuation of classroom accommodations, mother tongue and ELA support lessons, along with revisiting these accommodations at least every two months to provide best practice to help the student achieve, will be sufficient. Therefore, it is vital to keep up the mother tongue lessons, ELA support and accommodations. Step 6 ELA: Data Collection: ELA Student Study Team Meeting (SST): parent(s), teacher(s), ELA specialist, mother tongue tutor and divisional leader to set goals to enhance student s learning. (May need interne begeleider at this step.) Testing of student s mother tongue: reading, writing, listening, speaking, cognitive. Step 7 ELA: Analysis data from Step 6 ELA provide further accommodations depending on information collected or continue same interventions until analysis is made. The amount of time will vary from case to case but no more than 2 weeks. Step 8 ELA: ELA SST Meeting: parent(s), teacher(s), ELA department, Mother Tongue tutor, interne begeleider and divisional leader this is to investigate various testing to diagnose issue. Testing in the student s strongest language. Step 5: Student is tested by a professional. Assessments could include: IQ Achievement Behavioural Language, Motor and Processing Skills Reading, Writing, Mathematics Etc. Step 6: Issue is diagnosed and results are presented. An issue is found A Learning Disability Develop IEP (Individualised Education Programme) with parent(s), teacher(s), interne begeleider and divisional leader, obtains support from Ambulant Begleider or recommend an appropriate school (see step 7). No issue is found A Learning Difficulty Continue classroom accommodation and revisit these accommodations at least every two months, so to provide the best practice to help the student achieve. Step 7: When we cannot support the student in an appropriate manner and our assistance is no longer effective, ISUtrecht has the right to recommend another school. If a new school is needed, interne begeleider will support parents through this process to finding a variety of appropriate schools. However, parents have the freedom of choice for placement and in the end, they will make the final decisions on which school their child will attend. Continue accommodations until diagnosed. Step 9 ELA: Issue is diagnosed and results are presented. Issue is found A Learning Disability Diagnosed issue, develop IEP (Individualised Education Programme) with parent(s), teacher(s), interne begeleider, ELA specialist, Mother Tongue tutor and divisional leader or recommend an appropriate school. No issue is found Continue classroom accommodations, mother tongue and ELA support, and revisit these accommodations/lessons at least every two months, so to provide best practice to help the student achieve. NOTE: When testing a bilingual student many psychological education reports will return with a disclaimer, which will state results are not conclusive because of the participant s weak language skills. Language Acquisition Grid 6

7 To get an idea of the learning process of a language the following Language Acquisition Grid, below, can be helpful (Dr. Catherine Collier (2008). This grid shows how long it takes for a student to acquire a new academic language (English). This research is based on state school students in the USA. On average, to reach fluency it takes about five years to seven years. Please remember, if a student s mother tongue is weak and/or the student is having difficulties adjusting to the culture than the final stage can take up to 10 years (Thomas and Collier 1997, 2002). 0-6 months 6 months - 1 year 1 2 years 2-3 years 3 5 years 5 7 years Depends on context Has minimal receptive Comprehends key words only Points, draws, or gesture responses May not produce speech Adjusting to local culture receptive word Able to observe, locate, label, match, show, classify, sort. Depends heavily on context Produces words in isolation Verbalizes key words Responds with one/two word answers or short phrases Points, draws, or gesture responses Mispronunciation Grammar errors receptive word Able to name, recall, draw, record, point out, underline, categorize, list. Uses simple words, gestures, & drawings. Short phrases Many mistakes in grammar Responds orally Hears smaller elements of speech Functions on social level Uses limited between receptive Able to share, retell, follow, associate, organize, compare, restate, role play. Reads & writes basic sight words. Monolingual Language Vocabulary Development Ages (in years) Vocabulary (values are approximate) Simple sentences Produces whole sentences Makes some pronunciation & basic grammatical errors but is understood Responds orally and in written form Uses limited Initiates conversation and questions Shows good comprehension Up to 7000 receptive word Able to tell, describe, restate, contrast, question, map, dramatize, demonstrate, give instructions. Uses short sentences to inform & explain. Reads & writes simple words/ sentences. Can communicate thoughts Engage in and produce connected narrative Shows good comprehension Uses expanded Makes complex grammatical errors Functions somewhat on an academic level Up to 12,000 receptive & active word Able to imagine, create, appraise, contrast, predict, express, report, estimate, evaluate, explain, model. Uses descriptive sentences and initiates conversations. Reads & writes descriptive sentences. Functions on academic level with peers Maintains two way conversation Demonstrates decontextualized comprehension Uses enriched Beyond 12,000 word Able to relate, infer, hypothesize, outline, revise, suppose, verify, rewrite, justify, critique, summarize, illustrate, judge. Native like proficiency with social conversations. Reads & writes complex sentences. 1 to 1 ½ 20 words words ,000 words 4 1,500 1,600 words 5 2,100-2,200 words 6 2,600 word expressive (words said) and a receptive (words understands) 20,000 24,000 words ,000 words (words understands) (Super Duper Publications, 2008) Staff Development 7

8 Various classroom accommodations can be found in the concerns procedure document. Also, the Teaching/Learning Companion from Ontario Ministry of Education can be found in the appendix. Both documents provide accommodations, which are considered best teaching practice and can be used for all students. The descriptions are written so the booklet can be used without support. However, in-house staff development will be provided on: the procedure. teacher and parent expectations. how to use the accommodations. learning difficulties v learning disabilities. the staff development will be on going. Revision of this Policy It is the responsibility of the divisional coordinators to develop and maintain a policy review cycle, updating the information. Members of the community will be asked to take part in this review. Communication of this Policy The divisional leader will be responsible for providing copies of this policy to the school community through staff meetings, parent meetings and school newsletter and website. Links to Other Documents This document should be read in conjunction with the follow documents. Admissions Policy Language Policy Assessment Policy Other documents: Academic Honesty Policy 8