Documentation

When a student is identified as exceptional by an educational psychologist, a medical professional, or a mental health professional, the Learning Strategies Teacher will request a copy of the psycho-educational report or a medical letter that provides an identification/ diagnosis, explains how the diagnosis interferes with learning and makes recommendations for accommodations to support the student while in school. From this documentation, an individual Student Learning Plan (SLP) is developed. It is important to note that professional documentation is required before an SLP is written.

When a student is identified as exceptional by an educational psychologist, a medical professional, or a mental health professional, the Learning Strategies Teacher will request a copy of the psycho-educational report or a medical letter that provides an identification/ diagnosis, explains how the diagnosis interferes with learning and makes recommendations for accommodations to support the student while in school. From this documentation, an individual Student Learning Plan (SLP) is developed. It is important to note that professional documentation is required before an SLP is written.

Partnering with parents and students

Designing an SLP is a collaborative process. The Learning Strategies Teacher will draft the plan based on the professional documentation. Then a formal meeting will be held with the parents and the student (if age-appropriate) to discuss and edit the plan to ensure it makes sense for the student. The meeting may also include the Principal of the division, the homeroom teacher, the Counsellor or the Social Worker. While a psycho-educational report often provides many recommendations, it is important that the plan focuses on three or four of the most important needs so the student is not overwhelmed by the support and the teacher is able to deliver the accommodations.

Addressing the exceptionality, strengths, needs and accommodations

A SLP will include the following: 

• The identified exceptionality, the name of the professional making the diagnosis and the date of the assessment

• The assessment accommodations as identified in the documentation

• The student’s strengths as identified by the psycho-educational report 

• The student’s needs, as identified in the documentation, along with instructional strategies the teacher can implement to support his/her needs. Where possible, these strategies will build on the student’s strengths.

Sign off by principal and parent/student

The SLP is not placed into effect until it is signed off by parents and the exceptional student (if age appropriate. ) The divisional Principal is required to sign off on all SLPs. Once the SLP is signed, it will be shared with the student’s teachers and all of the necessary accommodations will begin. 

Annual reviews

All SLPs are formally reviewed and updated annually with the parents and older exceptional students. Parents and older students are asked to sign off on the updated plan.

Sharing of Learning Support Plans

All SLP’s are shared and discussed with teachers prior to the start of the school year. SLPs are also uploaded to a confidential teacher file in YorkNet so that teachers can review them and access them as needed. To maintain confidentiality, hard copies are not printed for the teachers.

Re-evaluation

Psycho-educational assessments are considered valid for three years. In order to ensure that the SLP reflects the student’s growth and current needs, parents will be asked for an updated assessment every three years. If the student has documentation from a medical or mental health professional, documentation should be updated annually.

Storage of Documentation and SLPs

The Ontario Ministry of Education requires that all psycho-educational reports or medical documentation that identifies a student as exceptional be placed in the document file of the student’s Ontario Student Record (OSR). It also requires that the signed hard copy of the current SLP be placed in the OSR.