Specialized Services

In Grand Erie schools, our priority is building a culture of learning, well-being, and belonging. We strive to create equitable, inclusive, and responsive learning environments that support the success of every student, including those with diverse learning needs.

Our goal is to enhance the knowledge, skills, and capacity of staff to effectively support students with specific educational needs in inclusive classroom settings.

Grand Erie’s model for Special Education service provision has been designed to comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Education Act and Regulations made under the Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and any other relevant legislation.

Guiding Principles

Inclusive First

The first and preferred option for every student is placement in a regular classroom in their community school
Supports and services are designed to promote inclusion and full participation.
Accommodations are provided when barriers remain.

Equity and Accessibility

We embed the principles of equity, equality, and human rights into all learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) ensures curriculum, instruction, and assessment are accessible to all

Respect for Individual Strengths

Every student is unique. Success looks different for each learner.
Placement decisions consider multiple factors and are never based on stereotypes or bias.
Diversity in ability is valued and enriches the learning environment.

Collaborative Support

The classroom teacher is the primary support for all students
Additional staff collaborate through coaching, co-planning, and co-teaching to meet student needs.

Empowering Independence

Resources and supports are provided to help students become as independent as possible in achieving their goals.

Data-Driven Decisions

We use data intentionally to understand student strengths and needs.
This helps us remove barriers and provide precise, effective interventions.

Department Data

Specialized Services Overview

Approximately 16% of Grand Erie students receive special education supports and/or services
4,434 students have IEPs/individualized programming
379 Students access full or partially contained classroom placements

Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)

Specialized services collaborates with Curriculum and Student Achievement to assist school staff in supporting students with disabilities and neurodiversities as they prepare for and complete the EQAO assessments.

Supports are tailored to address the unique learning requirements of students with various exceptionalities, ensuring they have equitable access to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in:

Grade 3 and 6 Reading, Writing, and Mathematics
Grade 9 Mathematics
Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

Learning Resource Teachers work collaboratively with math coaches and are provided with opportunities to learn about learning progressions and responsive instruction to support students with diverse learning needs participating in the EQAO assessments. This learning includes reviews of the Ontario Curriculum, and resources such as Mathology, Knowledgehook, and Grand Erie's Math Long Range Plans.

Key support strategies include:

Individualized accommodations: Aligning the accommodations the student requires as indicated in the IEP with the directions in the EQAO Administration Guide
Assistive technology: Offering access to, and developing skills in, the use of accessibility tools that support reading, writing, and/or mathematical calculations.
Practice sessions: Familiarizing students with test formats and procedures to reduce anxiety and improve confidence.
Collaborative planning: Engaging Learning Resource Teachers, classroom teachers, and support staff to create comprehensive preparation strategies.
Ongoing progress monitoring: Regularly assessing student progress to adjust support strategies as needed.

Funding

Grand Erie's annual budget includes funding for the special education programs and services outlined in the Special Education Plan.

Core Education Funding for special education is made up of four different allocations, which must be used exclusively for special education programs and services:

Per Pupil Allocation
Differentiated Needs Allocation
Complex Supports Allocation
Specialized Equipment Allocation

The prioritized funding for special education programs and services demonstrates Grand Erie's continued commitment to providing effective services to students for their Learning, Well-Being and Belonging.

Special Education funding is primarily dedicated towards staffing in order to develop and deliver programming. Staffing includes classroom-based support staff, school-based support staff and Specialized Services system staff. Details of revenue and expenditures supporting special education programs and services and embedded annually in the budget planning process.

Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)

Supports are tailored to address the unique learning requirements of students with various exceptionalities, ensuring they have equitable access to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in:

Grade 3 and 6 Reading, Writing, and Mathematics
Grade 9 Mathematics
Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

Key support strategies include:

Individualized accommodations: Aligning the accommodations the student requires as indicated in the IEP with the directions in the EQAO Administration Guide
Assistive technology: Offering access to, and developing skills in, the use of accessibility tools that support reading, writing, and/or mathematical calculations.
Practice sessions: Familiarizing students with test formats and procedures to reduce anxiety and improve confidence.
Collaborative planning: Engaging Learning Resource Teachers, classroom teachers, and support staff to create comprehensive preparation strategies.
Ongoing progress monitoring: Regularly assessing student progress to adjust support strategies as needed.

Staff

Students may be supported by professionals in various roles across classroom, school, and system teams. Supports include:

School-Based Staff

Classroom Support Staff

General Education Teacher
Self-Contained Program Teacher
Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE)
School-Based Educational Assistant

School Support Staff

Learning Resource Teacher (LIT)
Skill Building Resource Teacher - Elemetary
Hub Resource Teacher - Secondary

System Support Staff

System Administrators

System Leader or Specialized Services
Specialized Services Supervisor

System Educators

Teacher Consultants (TC)
Itinerant Intervention Planning Teacher (IIPT)
Itinerant Teacher for Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Itinerant Vision Teacher
Virtual T.H.R.I.V.E. Teacher
Program and Inclusion Coordinator
Intensive Support Inclusion Coordinator

System Educational Assistants

Lead Educational Assistant - School Support
Lead Educational Assistant for Special Education Allocation (SEA)

System Transition Support

Specialized Services Transition Navigator

Professional Support Services Personnel

Attendance Counsellors
Behaviour Analysts
Behaviour Counsellors
Communicative Disorders Assistants (CDA)
Psychoeducational Consultants
Speech Language Pathologists (SLP)

Special Education Plan

Grand Erie’s Special Education Plan outlines the services and programs implemented that support students with special education needs. Specialized Services programs are delivered in the most enabling environments for learning so that students can participate fully in their educational program.

Grand Erie Special Education Plan

We regularly review programs and services and value your input into the plan. Any feedback or suggestions can be provided at info@granderie.

Ontario Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum 149