The implementation of the 10 Point Action Plan is ongoing. As more strategies are implemented this webpage will be updated.
10 Point Action Plan (pdf)
Building Inclusive Schools 10 Point Action Plan poster (146kb pdf)
Detailed responses to the Plan are shown below.
- Additional targeted support for students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- New designs for facilities to support a range of students
- Improved information and support materials for parents and teachers
- Improved technology support for students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- Enhanced skills and improved values education for teachers and education assistants
- More effective Statewide Specialist Services for students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- Fairer and efficient allocation of resources for students with disabilities
- Clearly defined standards of inclusive practice for schools and support services
- Clear policies and procedures in schools
- Processes established to monitor the implementation of Review recommendations
1. Additional targeted support for students with
disabilities and learning difficulties
- Students with disabilities and learning difficulties to benefit from improved in school support, up to 200 FTE
- Better design and delivery of educational programs for students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- More help and advice on hand for classroom teachers at the local school level
The Building Inclusive Classrooms (BIC) professional learning framework is a strategy to support schools in the development of inclusive school cultures and practices. BIC supports existing structures and good practice in schools. The BIC professional learning framework aims to provide adequate and appropriate support to teachers in meeting the needs of students requiring teaching and learning adjustments. The BIC strategy, along with the allocation of additional funding for Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs), is being rolled out over a four-year period. Schools demonstrating the highest need have been targeted for additional teacher time for the LSC role in the initial rollout. BIC includes a professional learning framework to support the role of the Learning Support Coordinator. This involves up to 8 days of fully-funded action learning based professional learning in the first year and 4 days in the following year with continued support, networking and professional learning in subsequent years.
It is planned that by 2008, each school will have access to a Learning Support Coordinator who will facilitate a school-based Learning Support Team. Their experience and specialised training will help other teachers and education assistants in the classroom by providing information about the latest research and practices in teaching students with disabilities or difficulties with learning.
2. New designs for facilities to support a range
of students
- New specialist facilities in schools for students with high educational needs
- Improved designs for local schools to provide better access for students with disabilities
- Continued provision of education support facilities and language development centres
Societal expectations for more inclusive learning environments require the Department to evaluate its current range of facilities and services for students with disabilities. Services, programs and facilities, including specialist facilities for students requiring significant teaching and learning adjustments, are provided within the principles of inclusive education.
A Consultant Principal has been working since October 2004 on this project with a reference group providing background information to develop future planning for Education Support Schools. The major outcome of the project will be the development of a capital works program that will form the basis for the continuing provision of education support facilities for students with high support needs. Improved school facilities including bathrooms and classrooms will provide better access for students with disabilities.
A project officer (Inclusive Education) has been appointed to Facilities and Services to ensure continuity of planning for schools and facilities.
3. Improved information and support materials for
parents and teachers
- Better information for parents about schools and services available to students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- Information about disabilities and professional learning for teachers available online
A parent information brochure is to be distributed through schools, district offices and related agencies both government and non government. The brochure will highlight the changes and increased support options available for students with disabilities and diverse learning needs.
The Department of Education and Training website is being upgraded with a new structure providing information in a format that will be easier to navigate and search for specific information on the Department’s services etc.
The Greenhouse Learning Difficulties Literacy Project is a Department of Education Science and Training funded joint initiative with the Association of Independent Schools of WA and the Catholic Education Office. It is web-based and provides an online forum for teachers of students experiencing difficulties with learning to engage in professional discourse in order to share experiences and strategies. With the backing of advisory research from 3 universities, the Greenhouse Learning Difficulties Literacy Project utilises evidence-based information to support its research, strategies and online professional learning modules that are currently being developed. The website is currently accessible only through registered member login.
Regular updates of new initiatives are published in School Matters.
Parent forums are run jointly by Department of Education and Training, Disability Services Commission and People With Disabilities (WA) Inc.
4. Improved technology support for students with
disabilities and learning difficulties
- Increased budget allocation for direct provision of computer based technology for use by students
- An expanded technology team to support schools
- Evaluation of software and information to schools on new technology
An established assistive technology team based at the Centre for Inclusive Schooling (CIS) has been expanded with the appointment of a team leader and additional visiting teachers to provide increased specialist support to district teams, schools and individual students. The team provides professional learning opportunities for teachers and education assistants to use technology more effectively in the classroom to enhance the learning outcomes of students with disabilities and difficulties with learning. The support available provides visiting teacher services, consultancy, specialised equipment and computer software addressing the needs of individual students.
A Captioning Centre established at the WA Institute for Deaf Education during 2005 will offer schools and families both technical and advisory support on captioning. An extensive library of captioned videos and DVDs will be made available to schools and families through a statewide borrowing service. Over 1200 students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, their families and schools will be able to access the Captioning Centre.
5. Enhanced skills and improved values education
for teachers and education assistants
- A focus on supporting teachers and education assistants through professional
learning
opportunities - A comprehensive framework for professional learning, Building Inclusive Classrooms, for teachers and education assistants focusing on building skills in the local school
- Recognition and planning for diversity within Government schools as part of the Building Inclusive Schools strategy
Building Inclusive Classrooms
– see content Point 1
Building Inclusive Schools
The Building Inclusive Schools initiative is the first major strategy associated with the review, offering a foundation for more inclusive learning environments by providing for:
- professional learning to support an organisational culture that values and recognises personal and professional growth in the context of inclusive educational practices
- an understanding of legislative frameworks and policies that enable the development of inclusive educational practices in all public schools
- a cultural shift that enables the development of inclusive educational practices in all public schools and
- an acknowledgement and acceptance of the diversity of students, employees, parents, caregivers and community members in environments that are free of discrimination, abuse or exploitation
The aim of the Building Inclusive Schools strategy is to raise awareness of the changing societal expectation and legal obligations that now impact on schools across all levels of the education system.
As part of this strategy, the Building Inclusive Schools professional learning package has been developed to support professional learning and to assist educators and school communities to build on their capacity to provide flexible, inclusive school environments which meet the learning needs of all students. The published package consists of four modules with a fifth module (Working in Harmony) completed and being implemented at the end of 2005. The Building Inclusive Schools package is available for purchase through Westone Services 1800 155 508.
6. More effective Statewide Specialist Services
for students with disabilities and learning difficulties
- Increased access for students to specialist services
- Agreed protocols across agencies to provide coordinated services
- Improved speech and language services to students
Increased access for students to specialist services
The Disabilities Review confirmed the value of the Statewide Specialist Services but indicated services needed to be located closer to schools where possible and better coordinated across the Centre for Inclusive Schooling (CIS), Vision Impairment Service (VIS), Western Australian Institute for Deaf Education (WAIDE) and Hospital School Services (HSS). Schools, teachers and students will have improved access to Statewide Specialist Services through a realignment of CIS, VIS, WAIDE and HSS.
Overview of Statewide Specialist Services
Agreed protocols across agencies to provide coordinated services
Agreed protocols across agencies are being developed and improved to support the delivery of coordinated services. A major achievement is the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Education and Training to improve coordinated sectoral services.
The identification and provision of services for students with psychiatric disorders is a growing concern for the Department. In addition to its existing statewide services, a new HSS program is being trialled in the South West Metropolitan corridor and Fremantle Peel DEO commenced in Second Semester 2005 The mental health community coordinator team consists of two Mental Health Community Coordinator teacher positions and a part-time clinical psychologist seconded from the Department of Health. Positions are attached to, and line managed, by Hospital School Services. The team will provide high level consultation and liaison with the Principal and other members of the administrative team within schools through District Education Office (DEO) and in partnership with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The Mental Health Community Team will provide consultancy to CAMHS clinicians and managers regarding educational matters; will liaise with schools regarding individual students; link with Student Service personnel; provide professional development with Department of Health officers to schools and district offices; and support rural and remote schools with the home school maintaining the student management role The establishment of the position was part of a six month trial program which is currently being evaluated and outcomes could lead to a possible extension of the program. The key outcomes of the program are:
- Development of professional learning programs designed to develop inclusive practices for students with mental health problems
- Collaboration with school and district personnel to provide effective support for students with mental health problems
- Quality service delivery in accordance with agreed delivery standards is maintained and evaluated
Improved speech and language services to students
Speech and Language intervention is an ongoing priority. Four newly funded Consultant Principal (Speech and Language) positions have been created in 2005 and appointed personnel are located in each of the four metropolitan service areas. A collaborative plan has been developed for the future delivery of services for students with speech and language impairments/difficulties. The Consultant Principals will have a key role in the establishment of district change management groups to coordinate service provisions.
7. Fairer and efficient allocation of resources for students with disabilities
- Allocation of targeted resources to students with disabilities will
be made according to educational
needs - Help for teachers in carrying out educational needs assessments for students with disabilities
Schools Plus
A number of changes to are planned to improve the fairness and efficiency of the allocation process across the system. The introduction of an educational needs profile signals a move from using disability as a measure of resource allocation to a set of criteria that will focus on the level of curriculum intervention required for the student to access, participate and achieve the desired learning outcomes. Schools Plus has been adopted as a working title to cover the initiative. The title reflects a move to supporting our schools through supplementary funding for an increased range of students.
Schools Plus will provide an assessment of both teacher time and education assistant time for each student through one process. The more efficient process will enable schools to provide greater flexibility across a range teaching and learning adjustments. Changes to the current system will be made incrementally. The aim of the staged implementation process is to ensure that schools benefit from the improvements introduced and that individual students will not be disadvantaged.
Four positions of Senior Consultant (Schools Plus), located centrally, have been established to support workloads within districts in resource allocation to schools. They will support schools in the processing of all applications for additional support through Schools Plus for the 2006 school year.
These consultants will assist schools in the processing of all requests for additional support and will be able to consider the local context. They will also provide consultancy and professional learning to school teams during the transition process. Close links with District Education Office teams, School Psychologists, Principal Consultants (Inclusive Education) and Learning Support Coordinators will ensure closer consideration of the local school context as part of the process.
Processes will be streamlined progressively and it is anticipated that,
in time, most transactions schools are required to make will be done online.
For 2006, all education support schools and centres will be able to enter
new applications and track their progress online. The Schools Plus website
will support the process and information will also be available to parents
to support their children.
www.schoolsplus.det.wa.edu.au/splus
- Standards for schools and services to follow to ensure best practice in government schools
A range of tools is currently being developed and refined
9. Clear policies and procedures in schools
- Guidelines will be provided to support school communities in relation
to the inclusion of students
with disabilities and learning difficulties
Disability Standards for Education 2005
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 were formulated under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The primary purpose of the Standards is to clarify and make more explicit the obligations of education and training providers under the DDA to ensure that students with disabilities are able to access and participate in education without experiencing discrimination.
The Standards cover 5 areas:
- Enrolment
- Participation
- Curriculum development, accreditation and delivery
- Student support services
- Elimination of harassment and victimisation
Information sessions are to be held in districts across the state and central policies to be audited to determine compliance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005.
10. Processes established to monitor the implementation of Review recommendations
- Monitoring, review and appeal processes to ensure good management
practices and evaluation of
the outcomes of the Review
An evaluation of the key initiatives of the Review Implementation is currently being developed. A process is also being developed to audit schools’ application and understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act and Standards for Education.