Principles of Fair Schools
The
basis for advocacy in public schools is found in the
principles of the Fair Schools Report published by the
BC
Ombudsman in May 1995.
These principles help us understand what we mean by
"fairness".
The
principles of Fair Schools are
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All children and
youth have the right to be valued and treated
with respect and dignity.
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All children and youth
have the right to a fair and equitable
education.
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All children and youth
have the right to receive appropriate advocacy
supports.
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All children and youth
have the right to participate in decisions that
affect them, to express their views, and to have
them carefully considered.
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All children and youth
have the right to the benefit of the fundamental
human rights provided in the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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All children and youth
have the right to a safe physical and emotional
environment.
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All children and youth
have the right to receive appropriate programs
from appropriately trained and properly
motivated staff.
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All children and youth
should have the opportunity to access publicly
funded services in their home communities or as
close to their home as possible.
The
Fair Schools Report is a reflection on the first two
years (1993/94) of the Ombudsman's work investigating
complaints and inquiries about public school services.
The report, even eight years later, provides inspiration
and information for parents and schools committed to
resolving problems in our public education system.
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Copies can be obtained
free of charge from the
BC
Ombudsman
Call 1-800-567-3247 |
Learning Disabilities
The Learning Disabilities
Association of Canada
The Learning Disabilities
Association of BC
3292 E Broadway, Vancouver,
B.C. V5M 1Z8
tel 604-873-8139 " fax 604-873-8140 "
info@ldav.ca
Learning Disabilities Fact Sheet
Statistics
The term
"learning disability" describes a neurobiological
disorder in which a person’s brain works or is
structured differently. Because their minds process
words and information differently, people with
learning disabilities have trouble learning; this
creates a gap between ability and performance.
Learning
disabilities should not be confused with other
conditions such as autism, developmental delay, or
behavioural problems.
There are
few accurate Canadian statistics; Statistics Canada
is trying to rectify this. These stats are from the
US:
- While
15% of people have learning disabilities, most go
untreated because they have not been diagnosed.
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Reading deficits are the most prevalent condition
associated with learning disabilities. Among Special
Education students, more than 80% are identified
with this condition. (Lerner, 1997)
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Dyslexia affects approximately 20% of children in
first through ninth grades. (Cramer & Ellis, 1996)
- 60% of
adults with severe literacy problems have undetected
or untreated learning disabilities. (NALLDC, 1994)
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Learning disabilities often run in families. (Lyon,
1994)
- 35% of
students with learning disabilities drop out of
school.
- The
rate of unemployment for students with learning
disabilities two years out of school is twice that
of students in the general population.
- Nearly
60% of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse
have learning disabilities. (Hazelton, 1994)
Professional Resources:
As a parent, if you have concerns about your child's
development you should seek help. You should collect
information about your child's performance and meet
with the child's day-care providers, nannies, and
babysitters to discuss these concerns. Ask them to
observe your child's ability and development in
those areas of concern. Gather the information and
contact your family physician or pediatrician
.
The pediatrician is usually the first person to
consult about a young child. Because developing a
standard of what is normal and what is not takes
experience with many babies and children, parents of
young children are wise to have a pediatrician or
family doctor to whom they can turn. Such
health-care professionals recognize normal
development and they are experienced in suggesting
management at different stages of growth
- Pediatrician - provides medical services to
infants, children, and adolescents, trained in
overall growth and development including motor,
sensory, and behavioral development (medical
doctor).
- Family Physician - provides general medical
services to individuals of all ages. (medical
doctor)
- Audiologist - measures hearing ability and
provides services for auditory training; offers
advice about hearing aids.
- Speech and Language Therapist / Pathologist -
helps children with speech and language delays.
- Occupational Therapist - helps improve fine
motor skills. (cutting, holding pencils, etc.)
- Physical Therapist - helps improve motor and
sensory functions to increase the ability to perform
daily tasks (walking, coordination, etc.)
- Neurologist - looks for possible damage to brain
functions (medical doctor).
- Educational Consultant - gives education
evaluations, familiar with school curriculum but may
have a background in special education issues.
- Educational Therapist - develops and runs
programs for learning and behavior problems. (For an
article about tutors, go here).
- Learning Disabilities Specialist - a teacher
with specific training and credentials to provide
educational services to students with learning
disabilities and their teachers.
- Psychiatrist - diagnoses and treats severe
behavioral and emotional problems and may prescribe
medications (medical doctor).
For information about professionals in Vancouver who
specialize in learning disabilities, see our
Referrals page.
3292 E Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V5M 1Z8
tel 604-873-8139 • fax 604-873-8140 • info@ldav.ca
contact • home • info • site map • advocacy •
referrals
Individual Education Plans
When is a child
eligible for an Individual Education Plan?
A: To be eligible the
following must be met:
Assessment
documentation shows at least one of the
following:
- persistent
difficulties in the acquisition of
pre-academic skills such as recognition
of letters and numbers in the early
primary years; or
- persistent
difficulties in the acquisition of
reading, writing, and/or arithmetic
skills; or
- a significant
discrepancy between estimated learning
potential and academic achievement as
measured by norm-referenced achievement
instruments in grades 4-12.
Note: There must be
documentation to support that the student
has been appropriately assessed and
identified by the school district as meeting
the criteria of the special education
category.
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There is
evidence...
of a significant
weakness in one or more of the cognitive
processes relative to overall intellectual
functioning as measured by a norm-referenced
assessment instrument,
that the assessment
process integrates information from more
than two sources (i.e., a number of
sources).
Cognitive
processes:
- Perception
- Memory
- Attention
- Receptive or
Expressive Language Deficit
- Visual-Spatial
abilities
There is
evidence that...
A current IEP is in
place, dated after September 30, 2001
- The goals
correspond to the category in which the
student is identified.
- The services
outlined in the IEP relate to the
identified needs of the student.
Note:
Reduction in class size is not by itself a
sufficient service.
- The student is
being offered learning activities in
accordance with the IEP.
- The IEP
outlines methods for measuring progress
in relation to the IEP goals.
- A parent was
offered the opportunity to be consulted
about preparation of the IEP.
Cathie Camley
Chair, Education Committee
LDABC
What is Orton-Gillingham
Tutoring?
A: The
Orton-Gillingham Approach grew out of the
work of Dr. Samuel Orton (1879-1948) and
Anna Gillingham (1878-1963). Dr. Orton, a
professor atColumbiaUniversity, was a
pioneer in focusing attention on language
differences. As early as 1925, he had
identified the syndrome of developmental
reading disability, and offered a
physiological explanation with a favourable
prognosis.
Anna Gillingham was
an educator and psychologist who trained
teachers in this remedial approach to
teaching students with dyslexia and compiled
and published instructional materials.
Specifically,
letters which represent the single sounds of
familiar speech are presented to the
student, then immediately synthesized into
words that carry meaning. By introducing the
letters simultaneously through hearing,
seeing, and feeling, the student's
weaknesses are lessened by integrating all
of his learning pathways. This multi-sensory
approach helps to ensure automatic memory
which is difficult for those who lack
natural facility in language learning.
Careful pacing, structured but not
programmed procedures, and a sequential
presentation combining reading, writing, and
spelling will help the student succeed.
This approach can
be used effectively in general education,
special education, learning resource,
tutoring and home-school programs by
educators, tutors, and parents who are
extensively trained in the approach.
What are
Accountability Contracts?
A: Accountability
contracts are school boards' public
commitment to improving student achievement.
They are based on thoughtful consideration
of student performance information and
reflect the unique characteristics,
priorities and needs of each district.
- Boards set
their goals based on data from:
- Results from
classroom, school and district
assessments.
- Foundation
Skills Assessments, provincial exam
results, school completion rates and
graduation rates.
- Grade-to-grade
transition rates.
- The
achievement of aboriginal students.
- The achievement of special education students.
- Human and social development issues/safety issues.
- The results of the parent, staff and student satisfaction surveys
School districts were asked to complete accountability contracts for the first time in 2001. The contracts are part of an annual accountability cycle for schools, school districts, and for the Ministry of Education.
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