What is an IPRC? What is Inclusion?
How Special Education meets "Regular" Education
Dear Family Members,
From a teacher's perspective (at least in my mind), inclusion is a balancing act. The three core values to me are:
- Welcoming everyone of diverse abilities to learn from each other and with each other in the same classroom.
- Fostering a lively and positive learning environment for all – Making learning challenging enough for all so that each individual student's potential will blossom fully.
- Protecting the health (both mental and physical) and safety of all students.
Sometimes, we cannot have all three and we may have to prioritize one over the other as we do our very best to meet the needs of all students.
Some of the strategies we use are as follows:
- We often create a few different problems based on the same concept but of differing difficulties so that students can chose which problem to tackle depending on their confidence level and depending on their level of understanding.
- We may give options to students so that some of the students can write down their thinking process and other students can make a video recording to show their thinking process so that they can play to their strengths.
- We encourage our students to use manipulatives or other hands-on materials to show their learning.
When we think of meeting the different needs of all students, we often use the word EQUITY to describe what we aspire to achieve, which is a bit different from Equality.
What does EQUITY look like?
Equality • Equity • Justice
What is Special Education?
- Students can be identified with what we formally call exceptionalities (at least that is the term used in Ontario).
- This identification by a committee of 3 teachers (including a principal, usually) can result in a recommendation to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the student in question.
- In a nutshell, when we say Special Education, it encompasses the whole procedure of how we can identify the special needs of students, how we can assess their needs, and how we can develop a specialized education plan to meet their needs through accommodation (you may be thinking about assistive technology and that is one way but not the only way) or modification to the curriculum expectations.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education. (2017). Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/onschools_2017e.pdf
The whole process is a bit complicated. It makes my head spin as a new teacher. Here, please allow me to share a rough picture so that we can all wrap our heads around the process!
IPRC = The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee
A Path to Identification & Placement:
- A written request is received from a student's parent(s) or guardian(s).
- The principal MUST refer the student to an IPRC. (Neither the principal nor the school board can ignore or deny the request.)
- The IPRC decides whether the student is exceptional or not and what type of placement is appropriate. [The parent(s) or guardian(s) and students themselves who are over the age of 16 have the right to attend the IPRC meeting.]
An Alternative Path:
- The principal refers a student to an IPRC with a written notice to the student's parent(s) or guardian(s).
- The IPRC decides whether the student is exceptional or not and what type of placement is appropriate. [The parent(s) or guardian(s) and students themselves who are over the age of 16 have the right to attend the IPRC meeting.]
*The parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student can disagree with the decision of the IPRC within a specified timeline and they may file a notice of appeal.
*The parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student can also request a review after three months by sending a written notice to the principal. [Perhaps to revise the original IPRC decision.]
Sources:
Ontario Ministry of Education. (n.d.). The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/identifi.html
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2017). Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/onschools_2017e.pdf
Placement Options
- A regular class with indirect support: The student is in a "regular" classroom for the entire day. The classroom teacher receives specialized consultation.
- A regular class with resource assistance: The student is placed primarily in a "regular" classroom. The student receives specialized instruction from a special education teacher either in a small group or individually within the "regular" classroom set up.
- A regular class with withdrawal assistance: The student receives specialized instruction from a special education teacher for less than 50% of the school day.
- A special education class with partial integration: The student receives specialized instruction from a special education teacher for 50% or more of the school day. The student is integrated into a "regular" classroom at least one instructional period every day.
- A full-time special education class: The student is in a special education classroom for the entire day.
Sources:
Ontario Ministry of Education. (n.d.). The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/identifi.html
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2017). Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/policy/os/onschools_2017e.pdf
1. An IPRC identifies exceptionalities of students.
2. When an IPRC identifies a student with an exceptionality, an IEP must be developed for the student.
Who are the Committee members & What else do they do?
- An IPRC is consisted of at least 3 individuals: One of them must be a principal or a supervisory officer of the school board.
- The IPRC will record students' strengths and needs on the statement of decision.
- The IPRC will refer to relevant medical, psycho-educational assessment as part of their decision-making processes.
Exceptionalities
- Behaviour
- Communication – [Examples]: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Deaf & Hard of Hearing; Language Disorder; Speech Impairment; Learning Disabilities
- Intellectual – [Examples]: Giftedness; Mild Intellectual Disability; Developmental Disability
- Multiple
- Physical – [Examples]: Physical Disabilities (Gross or Fine Motor Functions, etc.); Blind & Low Vision
- Non-identified
Sources:
EduGAINS. (n.d.). Sample Individual Education Plans. http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/SpecialEducation/transitions.html
Ontario Teacher's Federation. (n.d.). Exceptionalities Determined by Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). http://www.teachspeced.ca/iprc
