IAI received an email from the Ministry in response to our letters sent on July 25, 2020.
From: Special Education (EDU) <SpecialEducation@ontario.ca>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 at 07:35
Subject: Return to School
Dear Ms. Boutis,
Thank you for the two letters on behalf of Integration Action for Inclusion about the return to school and Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020. I am pleased to respond on behalf of the Minister of Education.
In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the COVID-19 Command Table and pediatric experts, the government has released its
plan for the safe reopening of schools. The plan prioritizes the health and safety of students and staff and contains additional public health protocols to keep students and staff safe. Student mental health and well-being are also core elements of the re-entry to school plan.
We are proud to lead the nation in COVID-19 school reopening funding by providing almost $1.3 billion to support the safe reopening of schools, which includes $381 million in federal funding. The Province has unlocked additional funding to support physical distancing, additional staffing, remote learning support, and upgrades to improve HVAC systems. New investments include $10 million in one-time funding to support students with special education needs in the classroom, an additional $12.5 million in new one-time federal funding to be used by school boards in the area of mental health and/or special education to provide more supports for students as they return to school, as well as $20 million in new dedicated mental health funding to be used by school boards to proactively support students given the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being.
School boards have been directed to help students with special education needs return to school by:
Remote learning options are available for all students, including students with special education needs, on a full-time enhanced distant/remote learning basis with access to learning materials posted online to support both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities during the day. Students who are engaged in remote learning should be provided with a daily schedule of subjects/courses according to a five-hour instructional day with opportunities for frequent, live contact with a teacher and other educators (e.g., education assistants) and expectations for synchronous learning.
As part of the three mandatory Professional Activity days focusing on school re-entry that were announced on August 12,2020, school boards were expected to cover remote and online learning strategies and tools. This professional learning considered and incorporated the implications for teaching students with special education needs.
To further support students and their families who have opted for remote learning, the ministry issued formal policy direction to school boards on August 13, 2020. Policy/Program Memorandum No. 164, Requirements for Remote Learning, provides direction to school boards on remote learning requirements. This includes direction on how to support students with special education needs, for example, by providing additional synchronous learning time, differentiated support and instruction, adhering to IEPs, and providing access to assistive technology. Where any challenges arise, educators are expected to work with students and parents to determine workable solutions on an individual basis.
As you note, through Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020, the government is eliminating discretionary suspensions for students from kindergarten up to Grade 3, beginning in the 2020-21 school year. To help educators and school boards with the training and supports they need to transition from the use of suspensions in primary grades, the ministry will be supporting human rights and anti-racism training for principals, educators, and trustees, and develop a policy framework to guide boards to prevent and proactively address instances where the default position would have been for a principal to suspend a student. We are looking forward to working with our education partners to develop and implement a new policy framework in the near future.
Please note that the ministry sets out some requirements for documentation of the use of “refusals to admit” under 265(1)(m) of the Education Act
(also known as exclusions). As of 2019-20, the Enrolment Register Instructions for Elementary and Secondary Schools (pages 25-26) direct school boards to retain the following information related to excluded pupils for audit purposes:
Finally, the government has heard from parents, caregivers and students impacted by the closures of the province's demonstration schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak and has put in place amendments to provide the capacity for a second-year option for all 2019-2020 first-year demonstration school students during the 2020-21 school year. This will provide consistency for students in these settings who had experienced a disruption to their program due to the spring school closures.
A key priority of the Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch (PDSB) is to support the health and safety, and well-being of the students, staff, and the broader community while delivering high quality education. These priorities are the foundation upon which PDSB has collaborated to prepare for the reopening of provincial and demonstration schools and residences for the 2020-2021 school year. PDSB has been working collaboratively with public health experts and various partner ministries to make sure that the current best practices are implemented to enhance protective and preventative measures, consistent with the Ministry of Educations Guide to Reopening Schools.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication toward supporting students with special education needs.
Sincerely,
Claudine Munroe
Director
Special Education / Success for All Branch
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 at 07:35
Subject: Return to School
Dear Ms. Boutis,
Thank you for the two letters on behalf of Integration Action for Inclusion about the return to school and Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020. I am pleased to respond on behalf of the Minister of Education.
In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the COVID-19 Command Table and pediatric experts, the government has released its
plan for the safe reopening of schools. The plan prioritizes the health and safety of students and staff and contains additional public health protocols to keep students and staff safe. Student mental health and well-being are also core elements of the re-entry to school plan.
We are proud to lead the nation in COVID-19 school reopening funding by providing almost $1.3 billion to support the safe reopening of schools, which includes $381 million in federal funding. The Province has unlocked additional funding to support physical distancing, additional staffing, remote learning support, and upgrades to improve HVAC systems. New investments include $10 million in one-time funding to support students with special education needs in the classroom, an additional $12.5 million in new one-time federal funding to be used by school boards in the area of mental health and/or special education to provide more supports for students as they return to school, as well as $20 million in new dedicated mental health funding to be used by school boards to proactively support students given the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being.
School boards have been directed to help students with special education needs return to school by:
- Considering additional planning and transition time for students with special education needs to support a smooth transition.
- Updating Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to take into account changes in the school environment and remote learning needs.
- Continuing to provide access to assistive technology.
- Offering daily attendance to students with special education needs for whom adapted timetables or remote learning may be challenging based on student needs. This includes students in secondary schools who are opening under an adapted model.
- Consulting with families of students who have underlying medical conditions and local public health on options for training and personal protective equipment to support students’ safe return and potential continued remote learning where return is not possible.
- Working with partners to develop local protocols for school access by regulated health professionals, regulated social service professionals and paraprofessionals for the purpose of delivering school-based supports and services. Protocols should include support for remote delivery where in-school delivery is not possible.
Remote learning options are available for all students, including students with special education needs, on a full-time enhanced distant/remote learning basis with access to learning materials posted online to support both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities during the day. Students who are engaged in remote learning should be provided with a daily schedule of subjects/courses according to a five-hour instructional day with opportunities for frequent, live contact with a teacher and other educators (e.g., education assistants) and expectations for synchronous learning.
As part of the three mandatory Professional Activity days focusing on school re-entry that were announced on August 12,2020, school boards were expected to cover remote and online learning strategies and tools. This professional learning considered and incorporated the implications for teaching students with special education needs.
To further support students and their families who have opted for remote learning, the ministry issued formal policy direction to school boards on August 13, 2020. Policy/Program Memorandum No. 164, Requirements for Remote Learning, provides direction to school boards on remote learning requirements. This includes direction on how to support students with special education needs, for example, by providing additional synchronous learning time, differentiated support and instruction, adhering to IEPs, and providing access to assistive technology. Where any challenges arise, educators are expected to work with students and parents to determine workable solutions on an individual basis.
As you note, through Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020, the government is eliminating discretionary suspensions for students from kindergarten up to Grade 3, beginning in the 2020-21 school year. To help educators and school boards with the training and supports they need to transition from the use of suspensions in primary grades, the ministry will be supporting human rights and anti-racism training for principals, educators, and trustees, and develop a policy framework to guide boards to prevent and proactively address instances where the default position would have been for a principal to suspend a student. We are looking forward to working with our education partners to develop and implement a new policy framework in the near future.
Please note that the ministry sets out some requirements for documentation of the use of “refusals to admit” under 265(1)(m) of the Education Act
(also known as exclusions). As of 2019-20, the Enrolment Register Instructions for Elementary and Secondary Schools (pages 25-26) direct school boards to retain the following information related to excluded pupils for audit purposes:
- Documentation on the reason for the exclusion;
- Documentation of successful notification between the school board and the pupil (if the pupil is an adult) or the pupil’s parent or guardian;
- The plan, signed by the principal, to re-integrate the pupil into the education system and communication with other parties involved with re-engaging the pupil (e.g., social agencies); and,
- Data on the number of students who have been excluded during the school year (including the name of student, OEN, length of exclusion, and reason for exclusion).
Finally, the government has heard from parents, caregivers and students impacted by the closures of the province's demonstration schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak and has put in place amendments to provide the capacity for a second-year option for all 2019-2020 first-year demonstration school students during the 2020-21 school year. This will provide consistency for students in these settings who had experienced a disruption to their program due to the spring school closures.
A key priority of the Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch (PDSB) is to support the health and safety, and well-being of the students, staff, and the broader community while delivering high quality education. These priorities are the foundation upon which PDSB has collaborated to prepare for the reopening of provincial and demonstration schools and residences for the 2020-2021 school year. PDSB has been working collaboratively with public health experts and various partner ministries to make sure that the current best practices are implemented to enhance protective and preventative measures, consistent with the Ministry of Educations Guide to Reopening Schools.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication toward supporting students with special education needs.
Sincerely,
Claudine Munroe
Director
Special Education / Success for All Branch
