Mary Reid, an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said if the Progressive Conservative government changes the current math curriculum, it should retain at least some of discovery math's problem-solving and conceptual lessons.
Memorization in math class will only get a student so far, children must know the concepts behind mathematics, she added. A year later, when math scores continued to slide, former premier Kathleen Wynne announced the province would look at overhauling its math education program. Meanwhile, the latest EQAO data also shows high school literacy test scores have declined since , leading the testing agency to say that data was also troubling.
Of the over , high school students who took the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, 79 per cent were successful. But that figure was a decrease from 83 per cent in Search Search CP24 X. EQAO math scores fell again in An empty school classroom is pictured. News Tips Report Errors. For more information about the assessments, including frequently asked questions, sample tests and test results, visit www.
Newer: Reminder: Ottawa Street Reconstruction ». This information expires once printed. Given the little evidence of benefits, and all the costs, the province should just end EQAO testing as it currently exists. Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www. Report an error. Journalistic Standards. About The Star. More Opinion. Examples of individualized assessment strategies that may be identified in the IEP include the following:.
Recording Instructional, Environmental, and Assessment Accommodations in the IEP Accommodations described in the IEP should include only those strategies and supports that differ from the ones that are regularly provided during classroom instruction.
All accommodations documented in the IEP must be made readily available to the student. These accommodations must also be available to the student during provincial assessments see section 7 , and must be consistent with the accommodations permitted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office [ EQAO ]. A student who requires accommodations may need the same accommodations in all subjects or courses, or only in some. The student may need only accommodations in some courses and both accommodations and modified or alternative expectations in others.
The accommodations that the student requires in connection with instruction, assessment, and functioning in the physical environment should be categorized as follows:. It is important to make the above distinctions, and to record all necessary accommodations accurately in the IEP , for clarity for all staff involved in the student's education and also to ensure that students will be eligible to receive the permitted accommodations during provincial assessments.
A summary of examples of accommodations are listed in the chart below. In addition to established accommodations, new strategies and assistive devices are constantly emerging as teaching practice is enhanced through new research findings and technological innovations.
The IEP of a student for whom a Special Incidence Portion SIP claim has been made to the ministry should include a record of the board-paid staff reflected in the claim. Teaching Staff Special education teachers provide direct instruction in a regular class, in a resource-withdrawal classroom, or, where required, in a special education class.
Special education teachers also provide consultation services for regular classroom teachers and the Kindergarten team, as well as other school and board staff e.
It is not necessary to list the regular classroom teacher in the human resources section of an IEP. Non—teaching support staff may include, but are not limited to, the following: educational assistants, speech pathologists, audiologists, psychologists, autism program providers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, child and youth workers, social workers, Indigenous support workers, and medical professionals. The types of support services provided by non—board staff should be noted on the IEP , but the recording of specific information, such as frequency and intensity, is not required.
Service plans for non—board staff are drawn up separately and are not included in the IEP. Individualized equipment is intended to maintain, increase, or improve the student's ability to learn and demonstrate learning. The equipment identified in the IEP should not be limited to the equipment for which boards receive additional funding. See the Assessing Student Learning section in Part C, for more information on the integrated process of assessment and instruction and on the various types of assessment.
As discussed in section 5. This ensures that the student is learning, knows the next steps in his or her learning, and can demonstrate learning and achievement in his or her preferred learning style. The IEP must describe the methods by which the student's achievement of the learning expectations will be assessed, including any accommodations to regular classroom assessment procedures that may be required.
See the discussion in section 5. In order for assessment and evaluation to be valid and reliable, educators must identify clear learning goals, and the criteria that describe successful demonstration of the knowledge and skills embedded in the learning goals.
To be fair, transparent, and equitable, assessment must be based on the learning goals and the success criteria that are shared with and understood by the student.
In all evaluations of student learning, it is important that the student demonstrate learning independently , with the provision of appropriate assessment accommodations. Alternative programs and courses: In most cases, it is neither required nor advisable to assign letter grades or percentage marks to represent the student's achievement of alternative expectations.
Student progress should be reported to parents by means of anecdotal comments on an alternative report. This alternative report should accompany the report card at the regular reporting times. Some school boards include a section for reporting on the achievement of alternative expectations in the IEP itself.
A very small number of students who are unable to demonstrate the most basic literacy or numeracy skills may receive only an alternative report. Accommodations must not affect the level or content of the assessment, the performance criteria, or the reliability or validity of the assessment.
Any testing accommodations recommended to facilitate the student's participation in provincial assessments must already be identified in the IEP as accommodations required in the classroom. These accommodations must be:. It is helpful to parents if the IEP indicates whether the student is scheduled to participate in a provincial assessment during the current school year.
Information on permitted accommodations from province-wide assessments can be found in the guides that EQAO publishes annually. When describing accommodations for provincial assessments in the IEP , it is advisable to use wordings that are consistent with the wordings used in these EQAO documents.
It is inappropriate, however, to develop an IEP solely for provincial assessments. An exemption may be considered if, even given the full range of permitted accommodations, the student would not be able to provide evidence of learning under the circumstances of the assessment.
If it is determined that the student will not participate in a particular provincial assessment, the IEP must include documentation to support an exemption. The final decision must be communicated in writing to the parent, or student if 16 years of age or older, as part of the IEP development process. See Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade Policy and Program Requirements , Appendix 3, for details of the policy on exemptions from provincial assessments.
As with permitted accommodations discussed above, information on permitted exemptions from province—wide assessments can be found in the guides that EQAO publishes annually.
When describing exemptions from provincial assessments in the IEP , it is advisable to use wordings that are consistent with the wordings used in these EQAO documents, which can be found on the EQAO website. The transition plan is a detailed and coordinated plan designed to assist the student in making successful educational transitions. As stated there, with PPM No. Detailed information on the key transitions can be found in the Transition Planning section of Part C of this guide.
In some cases, the student may have no particular need of support during transitions; in those cases, the transition plan should state that no actions are required. The specific requirements of PPM No. As with O. The Student's Transition Goals Transition goals will vary depending on the student's needs.
However, for a student who requires support when making the transition between various activities and settings, the goals will be different. They will pertain to improving behaviour or skills in certain situations. The transition goals for all students must be realistic and should reflect the strengths, needs, and interests of the student. The goals should also be consistent with what the students have documented and shared with educators and their parents in their Individual Pathway Plans IPPs in Grades 7 through 12 or may have documented and shared in their All About Me portfolios in Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Where possible, students should assume responsibility for identifying their transition goals and the steps needed to achieve them. For the student making the transition to postsecondary activities, the goals should strike a balance among the following considerations:. For this student, the considerations are long—term. The transition goals for others, however, may involve more short—term considerations that will lead to increased opportunities at school and in the community.
For example, they may involve mastering certain skills, such as language skills, social skills, and motor skills. The Strategies and Actions Necessary for Achieving the Goals At the heart of the transition plan is the description of the actions that are required to enable the student to achieve his or her goals. The strategies and actions should build on the student's identified strengths, needs, and interests.
For example, for students diagnosed with autism, the relevant applied behaviour analysis ABA methods should be listed. In preparation for defining the appropriate actions, it may be helpful to identify the barriers to the achievement of the student's goals.
It may also be helpful to identify the major steps required for the student to achieve his or her goals and then to define specific actions associated with each of the steps. Each action should be described in clear, unambiguous language so that it will be easy to determine whether and when the action has been undertaken and completed. The list of actions identified for the current year should include anything that must be done to enable the student to continue to progress towards his or her goals.
The actions in the transition plan should not limit the student's opportunities to achieve the learning expectations of the Ontario curriculum and to accumulate credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma OSSD.
Some students with special education needs will require more time than other students to achieve the maximum possible learning within the curriculum and also attain their transition plan goals.
The Person or Agency Responsible for Completing Each Action The transition plan should indicate who is responsible for completing, or providing assistance in completing, a given action. Consent should be obtained from those individuals or organizations named as responsible parties. All persons or agencies who are responsible for one or more actions in the transition plan should:.
Timelines for Each Action Each action identified on the plan should have a clear timeline or completion date. Planning for transitions should begin early to ensure that each student can make as smooth a transition as possible. Some actions may list timelines that extend into the next school year. For example, contact with postsecondary institutions a year in advance of a student's transition may help to ensure access for the student to program opportunities and allow time for the institution or department to arrange supports needed by the student with special education needs.
As the date of transition approaches, the special education office of the college or university can assist by providing the student and educators supporting the student with information on the accommodations that are available. Once a student is admitted, it is the responsibility of the special education office of that institution to assist the student in obtaining accommodations appropriate to the student's special education needs. For examples of all the components of a transition plan — specific goals, actions required, person s responsible for actions, and timelines — see the transition plans included in the IEP samples that can be found on the Special Education domain of the EduGAINS website.
A form documenting consultations with a parent and the student if 16 or older must be prepared and attached to the student's IEP. The parent and the student if 16 or older must be asked to sign the form and to indicate whether:.
This form should be reserved for information about parent-student-school interactions relating to the student's IEP , and should not be used to record interactions about other matters. Open communication and cooperation between home and school will help ensure that both the parents and school staff have similar expectations with respect to the student's special education program and services.
It is expected and required, if the student is 16 years of age or older that secondary students will be given the opportunity to provide input in the development of the IEP. However, any student for whom an IEP is being developed should be consulted to the degree possible. In the information—gathering phase, students should be encouraged to share their perceptions of their learning strengths and needs, their learning styles, and their interests.
This information may be gathered through interviews, discussions, and interest inventories. It may also be collected when students share information they have documented in their All About Me portfolios in Kindergarten to Grade 6 or Individual Pathways Plans in Grades 7 through The nature and extent of a student's involvement in the IEP process will vary.
However, members of the in—school team should ensure that students understand, to the extent possible, the purpose of their IEP and how the goals and expectations in the plan are individually tailored, evaluated, reviewed, and updated.
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