February 2005. Overview of Procedures Identification / Parent Permission Diagnosis Verification...

February 2005

Overview of Procedures

Identification / Parent Permission

Diagnosis

Verification

Registration on Database

EAP Profile

Resource Distribution & Allocation

Setting the EAP context

Setting the EAP context

The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) is part of the systemic response to the Ministerial Taskforce on Inclusive Education for Students for Disabilities. The program contributes to promoting inclusive and accountable curriculum for students with disabilities and the resourcing processes that reflect this endeavour.

Setting the EAP context - cont.

The Ministerial Taskforce Report recommends:– support for inclusive education – renewed commitment to the place of parents/caregivers in

education– a simpler, less time-consuming and more flexible resourcing

process to replace ascertainment.


The EAP has a legislative basis e.g. Anti-discrimination – Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), Education (General Provisions) Act (EGPA) and the Disability Standards (Draft).

It is part of national and international trends seeking to develop inclusive education practices within an adjustment approach.


The EAP is consistent with development of an Inclusive Education context:

– e.g. EQ 2010 statement – review of EQ policies to reflect inclusive practices– move to an adjustment approach from one that focuses on

disability.


Development of the EAP represents a point in EQ history that sees a transition from the current Ascertainment system for students with disabilities. Past processes have focused on knowledge of the impact of disability on learning (essentially a deficit model).


The EAP on the other hand focuses on the education adjustments being made by a school to support a student in accessing curriculum, achieving curriculum outcomes and participating in the life of the school.


The EAP will commence operation in Term One, 2005 and be phased in over three years.

Students with an existing ascertainment will be moved to the new EAP as part of a scheduled review process.


In the move from Ascertainment to the EAP, a concerted effort has been made to retain those aspects of ascertainment that are valued by the education community including parents and caregivers, particularly:

– the professional practices that give teachers additional information with which to provide inclusive education

– the processes around diagnosis and verification of a disability, including maintenance of the six disability categories recognised by EQ

– the centralised database for corporate management of information on students with disabilities.


Aspects of inclusive education that the EAP seeks to enhance include:

– strengthening of collaborative partnerships with parents and caregivers in the education process

– recognition of the inclusive educational decisions that teachers make within their classrooms on a regular basis

– respect for the adjustments that teachers are already making in facilitating inclusive education, by providing access to additional resources in ways that are less demanding of teacher time than the current system.

Key milestones – Education Adjustment Program 2005

Key milestones – Education Adjustment Program 2005

EAP Guidelines and Procedures available on the Web http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning/ students/disabilities/

February

EAP report by the University of Queensland due for release. February

Professional development materials regarding the orientation to the EAP available for district implementation.

February

Interim SCOLR – Professional development for key district administrators.

February

Information regarding authorised Verifiers across different disability groups available for schools.

February

Work commencing on the development of the EAP Beginning School Profile.

February

http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning/students/disabilities/






Key milestones – Education Adjustment Program 2005 – cont.

EAP Profile available for download from the web. March

Interim SCOLR activated. March

Validation training for EAP Transition Coordinators. March


Completion of review schedule for currently ascertained students to EAP. April

Commence trials of the new EAP Beginning School Profile. April–May

EAP Transition Coordinators develop validation schedule. April

Validation process commences. May– November


Professional development materials and implementation of the EAP Beginning School Profile available for key personnel.

June–July

EAP Beginning School Profile available for download from the web. July


Deadline for EAP Profiles – including the EAP Beginning School Profile.

1. Deadline for Verifiers to receive request for verification.

2. Deadline for Verifiers to receive verification support documents

3. Deadline for EAP Profiles (including the EAP Beginning School Profile)

to be submitted to Central Office.

4. Indicative staffing allocations for projected growth provided to districts.

Monday August 29

Week 9 Term 3

Friday Sep 9

Week 10 Term 3

Friday Oct 7

Week 2 Term 4

Friday Nov 4

Week 6 Term 4


New Adjustment Information Management System (AIMS) finalised and professional development for key administrators made available for school community.

October–December

Identification

Identification

There are professional and legislative obligations to respond to the learning needs of ALL students.

Identification – cont.

Teachers make adjustments as part of their regular teaching practice. Educational adjustments are typically made as early as possible after identification of the student’s need.

These adjustments are refined as teachers become more familiar with the student and his/her learning.


Data-gathering processes need to be in place to check that the educational adjustments are targeting barriers to learning.

Within the data-gathering process, parents need to be recognised as a key source of information and be included as an integral part of the collaborative process.


For some education adjustments, teachers may need to consult with a variety of specialists to identify the most appropriate suite of adjustments available to support a student in accessing curriculum, achieving core-learning outcomes and participating in the life of the school.


For maximum impact, school-based resource management teams will need to constantly monitor and modify the allocation of resources to support teaching adjustment needs.


Based on information gained through the process of refining adjustments, a student’s education team, which includes the parents/caregivers, may conclude that a diagnosis of disability needs to be investigated.


At this point, a parent/caregiver permission form (EAP 01) must be signed (and held in the student’s file) as the student becomes part of the processes involved in the Education Adjustment Program.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis

All students are expected to engage in a curriculum that is inclusive. Education Queensland acknowledges that, in some cases, schools require additional resources to assist with the implementation of inclusive education practices.

Diagnosis – cont.

Education Queensland recognises six categories of disability for additional resourcing through a verification process:

– Autistic Spectrum Disorder– Hearing Impairment– Intellectual Impairment– Physical Impairment– Speech–Language Impairment– Vision Impairment

Diagnosis – cont.

Specific EQ personnel are authorised to diagnose two categories of disability. These are:

– Intellectual Impairment– Speech–Language Impairment.

Diagnosis – cont.

In the categories of VI, HI, PI and ASD the expectations of diagnosis by specialists remains the same as for the ascertainment process (see EAP Guidelines and Procedures for clarification).

Diagnosis – cont.

The IAS as a single category has been removed – students previously ascertained under this category will instead be considered to have multiple impairments in the areas of II and ASD.

Diagnosis – cont.

The EAP system for reporting a disability diagnosis is basically the same as under ascertainment and relevant forms are available in the EAP Guidelines and Procedures document.

Diagnostic reports must meet EQ disability requirements through the process of verification.

Verification

Verification

Verification is a process that confirms that diagnostic information:

– meets EQ criteria– supports the student’s eligibility to be supported through

additional resources allocated to the district (in the areas of HI, PI and VI).

Verification – cont.

As in ascertainment, the verifying officer is not the specialist involved in diagnosis.


Existing verification processes and criteria for entry to Early Special Education (ESE) programs and/or services will continue.


Verification of diagnostic criteria involves approved EQ specialists and must meet the EQ criteria for the categories of:

– Autistic Spectrum Disorder– Hearing Impairment– Intellectual Impairment– Physical Impairment– Speech-Language Impairment– Vision Impairment.


Education Queensland recognises the following diagnoses from the following specialists for additional resourcing purposes

Diagnosis of Recognised Specialist/s

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Psychiatrist, paediatrician, neurologist

Hearing Impairment (HI) Otolaryngologist, audiologist

Intellectual Impairment (II) Guidance officer, paediatrician, neurologist, psychiatrist, geneticist

Physical Impairment (PI) Paediatrician, neurologist, orthopaedic surgeon or other medical specialist e.g. geneticist

Speech-Language Impairment (SLI)

EQ speech-language pathologist

Vision Impairment (VI) Ophthalmologist, paediatrician, neurologist


For a student to continue to be considered for the pool of additional resources, verification of the diagnostic criteria MUST be reviewed, at least once during each of the following periods of schooling:

– P–3– 4–7– 8–10


Review of verification MAY require review of diagnosis

Verification Review Process

School-based person assigned to student

Checks initial and or most recent diagnosis

Diagnosis meets criteria (Currency)

Diagnosis does not meet criteria (Currency)

Verifier waives need for new diagnosis Review of diagnosis 0

Verification

Profile submitted


A revised EAP Profile must be submitted in the event that a diagnosis has changed.


EQ verifying officers: – have relevant disability expertise – are district approved– are centrally recognised. recognised.


EQ Verifying Officers are allocated to districts from a centrally generated list which is maintained by the Disability Services Support Unit (DSSU).

Verifying Officers have been selected from both state and non-state sectors.


If the Verifying Officer does not confirm that the diagnosis meets EQ criteria, the MES is the point of clarification.

The MES in the district where the student is based is responsible for responding to any concerns regarding Education Queensland policies on diagnosis and verification criteria.


Confirmation of eligibility for additional resourcing – In the disability categories of HI, PI and VI, additional verification

criteria are required for students to be considered eligible for submission of an EAP Profile and therefore be considered for additional resources to the school. This is the same process as Ascertainment used for discriminating between levels 2–3 and levels 4–6.

– For ASD, II and SLI, verification that the diagnosis meets EQ criteria is the only requirement for the submission of an EAP Profile.


Verification and review of diagnosis in Early Special Education

– Verification of a suspected diagnosis occurs on an annual basis following district procedures.

– Formal diagnosis and verification of that diagnosis for children in Early Special Education must occur prior to schooling.


Verification and review of diagnosis in Early Special Education – cont.

– It is expected that a diagnosis for ESE children with a suspected diagnosis will be confirmed in the year before the child begins formal schooling, if they are to be considered eligible for additional resourcing in that first year.

– If confirmation for eligibility is not approved by the district’s verifying officer/s, clarification can be sought from the Manager (Education Services).

The EAP Profile

A rationale for the EAP Profile

History: – Review of other instruments over two years by a Working Group

with rotating membership across Education Queensland, Queensland Catholic Education Commission, and Association of Independent Schools, Queensland

– Ministerial Taskforce on Inclusive Education.– Selection of philosophy – Steering Committee

A rationale for the EAP Profile – cont.

Process of development: – Selection of questionnaire items. (Two-day workshop with

working group)– Refinement of items, clarification of focus areas and sub-areas– Six focus areas emerged – First round feedback to members of working group, some others– Incorporation of feedback


Pilot, using working group contacts About 150 cases across all sectors Focus groups of students with disabilities and their parent/s


Incorporation of feedback Development of consistent method for people to respond to

questions. ‘Smoothing out’ items Editing/presentation


Trial of the Profile – Included >1500cases, from EQ, Catholic and Independent

Sectors– Facilitated through PEO (SS) in each district– Covered metropolitan, provincial cities, rural and remote areas– Sample was selected to represent the distribution of students

with disabilities on SCOLR


Some interesting facts about the Profile – It can be scored, and the scores are normally distributed – Scores are consistently related to Ascertainment levels– It is a valid and reliable instrument.


Scores on the Profile are normally distributed.


Scores on the Profile are consistently related to Ascertainment levels.

The EAP Profile

The EA Triple P is: – the Education Adjustment Program– the Education Adjustment Program Process (EAP Process)– the Education Adjustment Program Profile (EAP Profile)

The EAP Profile – cont.

The Education Adjustment Program consists of:– guidelines and procedures– research program– professional development– SCOLR re-development– Profile.


The Education Adjustment Process is: – Outlined in the EAP Guidelines and Procedures


What is it?– The EAP profile is a questionnaire focusing on what school

personnel do to support a student with disabilities in school.


What does it do?– It records the education adjustments being made to support a

student in accessing curriculum, achieving curriculum outcomes and participating in the life of the school.


The EAP Profile: – reflects current education adjustments being made by teachers

for a student– involves teachers and parents directly– involves the individual student (whenever possible)– Records the frequency of education adjustments.


What does the Profile look like? How is it laid out? – It has 74 questions.– Most questions have examples attached to them.– It has six focus areas: Curriculum, Communication, Social

participation-/ emotional well-being, Health and personal care, Safety, and Learning environment/access.


There are different numbers of questions for each focus area: – Curriculum (15 questions)– Communication (19 questions)– Social participation/emotional well-being (13 questions)– Health and personal care (8 questions)– Safety (11 questions)– Learning environment/access (8 questions)


Curriculum – The largest focus area– Looks at the adjustments made in:

consultation and planning curriculum content teaching strategies (pedagogy) use of teaching materials (resources) assessment.


Communication – Looks at adjustments made in:

consultation and planning use of assistive technology curriculum content and teaching strategies.


Social participation/ emotional well-being – Looks at adjustments made in:

consultation and planning school-wide student management curriculum content and teaching strategies.


Health and personal care – Looks at adjustments made in:

consultation and planning curriculum content and teaching strategies monitoring specific health care procedures.


Safety– Looks at adjustments made in:

consultation and planning school-wide student management curriculum content and teaching strategies specific safety procedures.


Learning environment/access – Looks at adjustments made in:

consultation and planning teaching strategies use of assistive technology.


When completing the Profile all focus areas are to be considered for all students based on what happens in the delivery of the educational program (use the last six months as a guide).


How does it work? – The education team completing the Profile is asked to report on

the frequency of education adjustments.


Frequency: – Respondents should indicate how often adjustments are made

by ticking the closest alternative listed for each item.– Varies from once per semester to every day to continuous.– Some adjustments may be made with fluctuating frequency.


Respondents should make one response for each question..


So, how do you complete the profile?


Who uses the Profile? – Class teachers, teacher aides, specialist teachers, parents,

administrators, guidance officers, speech–language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, school nurses

– Whoever is part of the student’s educational team may all contribute to the Profile.

At least one person at each Profile meeting should be trained in using the Profile.


What do you need to know about? – Observe the student for a few days before the Profile meeting,

just to refresh yourself with what you are doing.– Be familiar with the curriculum documents for your year level.– Be familiar with the student’s IEP, or any other management

plans that have been developed.– Contact other teachers who work with the student, such as the

PE or music teacher. Some of them may not be able to come to the Profile meeting. Find out about the adjustments they make in their lessons.

– If you are in a high school, find out what other subjectteachers are doing.

The EAP Profile – The Profile meeting

Preparation– Hold a preliminary meeting with teachers to determine the

adjustments that are being made.– Contact parents and teachers and make a convenient meeting

time.– Give parents a copy of the Parents’ Frequently Asked Questions

Sheet, plus a copy of the Profile.– Give class teachers a copy of the Profile, and perhaps the

Parent FAQ.– Read relevant curriculum documents, e.g. the IEP and syllabus

documents.

The EAP Profile – The Profile meeting – cont.

During the Profile meeting: – Welcome all members.– Indicate the approximate time it will take.– Have enough copies of the Profile available so each person can see the

items as they are discussed.– If people have used check-lists to record adjustments in the past few

days, have these available for reference, as well as any work samples or curriculum notes that might be useful.

– Work through each item, going for a general consensus on what adjustments are being made at the present time for the student.

– After the Profile has been completed, thank the educational team for their time.

The EAP Profile – The Profile meeting – cont.

After the Profile meeting – Ensure all documentation is complete and accurate.– Ensure SCOLR data is up-to-date.– Pass to principal to obtain sign-off.– Make a copy of the documents.– Post the copy of the Profile to Central Office.– Place the original document in the student’s school file.

Data Entry to SCOLR (2005)

Data Entry to SCOLR (2005)

The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) replaces Ascertainment as of January 2005.

SCOLR will continue to be the database for the management of students with disabilities until the end of 2005.

Data Entry to SCOLR (2005) – cont.

SCOLR will be modified to support the EAP process in 2005, after Day 8 and the end of February census collection (expected mid March).

This will ensure the continued support of administration of students with disabilities while the new Adjustment Information Management System (AIMS) is being built and implemented.


It is intended that AIMS will replace SCOLR for the commencement of the 2006 school year.


Prior to the implementation of SCOLR modifications in March 2005 there will be some changes to entry of data into SCOLR.


Modifications to SCOLR designed to support the transition from Ascertainment to the EAP process will be implemented in March 2005.


SCOLR data will be converted to AIMS. The EAP profile data received by Central Office by Friday of week two of term 4 2005 will be available when AIMS goes live.


PD will be available to users through Central Office processes.

Resource Distribution and Allocation

Resource Distribution and Allocation

Central Office is responsible for analysing submitted student profiles, and existing current ascertainment data (2006–2007) to:

– make equitable distributions of resources to districts– provide information to districts to assist them in the further

equitable allocation of resources to schools.

Resource Distribution and Allocation – cont.

Central Office is also responsible for providing guidelines to enable districts to equitably allocate resources to schools.


District Offices are responsible for managing the equitable allocation of resources across the district.


Schools are responsible for managing their allocated resources.

Validation

Validation

Replaces the Moderation process under Ascertainment. The processes used in the EAP ensure that reliable and valid

data is obtained through the Profile process. Transition Coordinators work with personnel in each district

to develop and implement a validation plan for the district. The EDS is responsible for quality assurance and validation

in each district.

Validation – cont.

Validation will involve:– approximately 10% of Profiles– the use of established school procedures and documentation.

Validation Process

Validation seeks to ensure that reliable data is obtained through the Profile/s. The process has four levels: 1. The first level is internal to the school, and involves that at least one

person in the education team is trained in the EAP Profile.2. The second level is the Verification process which ensures that only

those students who are eligible for additional resourcing submit an EAP Profile.

3. The third is also at the school level and involves the principal signing off on the Profile.

4. The fourth is at district level, and will involve a series of light samplings by Transition Coordinators, Education Adjustment Program (TC-EAP) that support schools in complying with EAP expectation.

Validation Process – cont.

Specific details regarding the implementation of the first three levels of validation can be found in the EAP Guidelines and Procedures. The rest of this document refers to the fourth level of validation.


1. Executive Director informs principal that a nominated student has been selected as part of the state-wide EAP external validation process.


2. Attached to the letter to the Principal will be the following: i. overview of the Validation process

ii. checklist that will be completed by the TC-EAP.


3. Principal to inform parent that their child’s EAP Profile has been selected as part of the state-wide external validation process.


4. Attached to the letter to the parent will be the following: i. overview of the Validation process

ii. checklist that will be completed by the TC-EAP.


5. Contact from TC-EAP to principal – negotiating date/time.


6. Principal to organise for case manager and others to be available.


7. TC-EAP will use any of the following processes to complete a check list: i. sight documents

ii. interview relevant people.


8. TC-EAP provides feedback to principal, District and Central Office in relation to the validation outcomes


What Validation IS

– A process that validates that a school has followed the EAP procedures.

What Validation is NOT

– Taking over the principal’s role in assuring the quality of the process.


What Validation IS

– A process that validates that a school is able to demonstrate that they are making the adjustments recorded in an EAP profile.

What Validation is NOT

– A process that takes away the principal’s role in assuring the quality of the adjustments being made.


Specialist teachers should be consulted, but appropriateness of adjustments is the responsibility of the principal.

Overview of Procedures

Identification

Obtain & record parent permission to start process

Diagnosis

Verification of diagnostic criteria

Register student on database (SCOLR)

EAP Profile/s completed and submitted

Central Office – Distribution of resources

District Office – Allocation of resources

School – Application of resources

Step 1Quality Assurance Points

Approved Diagnosis Providers

Approved EQ Verifiers

Principal sign off

Validation process

Confirmation that student is eligible to be considered for additional

resources under the EAP

Though diagnosis is verified, the student is not eligible for additional

resourcing through EAP

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6&7

Step 8

Adju

stments

February 2005. Overview of Procedures Identification / Parent Permission Diagnosis Verification...

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