The Program Planning Process: A Guide for Parents

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The Program Planning Process A Guide for Parents
Supporting Student Success
Student Services A document created
by the Nova Scotia Department of Education
Delivered to you by
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Education is more successful when there is a
partnership between home and school. Department
of Education Program Planning Guide for Parents
Committee

• The educational success of individual students is
  best achieved through a team approach to planning
  and programming.
• Proper programming and planning need to be
  carefully and thoughtfully constructed to create
  a specific, individual academic plan for many
  Nova Scotian students.
• This collaboration is called the Program Planning
  Process, and it is vital in ensuring the
  appropriate and successful implementation of the
  Special Education Policy.
• Parents are an integral part of the individual
  program planning team. The information collected
  and discussed can ensure that extremely specific
  and individual programs will be created to
  structure and offer academic success to your
  childour student.

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Supporting Documents

• The program planning process bears its
  foundation from the following documents
• Education Act
• Public School Programs (PSP)
• Special Education Policy
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• If you would like more information regarding
  these documents, please contact your childs
  school, the HRSB or the Student Services Division
  of the Department of Education

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All Students have the right to

• An Appropriate Education
• A Quality Education
• Qualified Teachers
• An Inclusive Education
• An Individual Program Plan if Needed
• Accountability from all Teachers and
  Administration
• These rights are enforced when effective
  collaboration takes place between parents and
  school staff/personnel. Parental involvement in a
  childs education helps the child increase
  his/her self confidence, feelings of self-worth
  and helps create an opportunity for success in
  school.

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The Program Planning Process

• When a program planning team collaborates during
  the creation of a specific educational plan,
  those who have responsibility for the students
  learning need to attend. These participants are
• parent(s)/guardian(s)
• principal and or the vice principal
• all subject teachers, including resource or
  learning centre teacher
• if appropriate, the student
• other professional staff involved ( school board
  and community agencies)
• During the individual program planning process,
  the learning styles, strengths and needs of the
  student at hand will be addressed. Students with
  special needs will be supported through
  programming either via documented adaptations or
  specific individualized outcomes.

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Synopsis of the 8 Stages of the Program Planning
Process

• Stage 1 Some children may come to school
  already having been assessed and or with
  established programming information as derived
  from their involvement with personnel from
  outside agencies or from another school. Some may
  already be in school and are just now being
  observed by their classroom staffs as having
  atypical learning needs.
• Stage 2 The classroom teachers explore a
  myriad of instructional strategies in an attempt
  to facilitate improved student learning. This
  presumes a reciprocating process of
  assessment/instruction, further
  assessment/instruction.
• Stage 3 If classroom teachers require
  further support to meet the needs of a student,
  they may wish to refer the student to the school
  based program planning team.

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• Stage 4 At this stage the individual
  program planning team reviews the current
  information, as well as the students strengths
  and needs. The team now decides on future actions
  that need to be taken in terms of programming for
  the student. Team members should be those who
  have responsibility for the student learning
  including the parents and sometimes, the student.
  An administrator should lead the meeting and act
  as the mediator. It is at this time that the team
  would decide if an Individualized Plan would be
  needed/appropriate. The meeting may also
  highlight the need for change in instructional
  strategies or assessment in a prescribed course.
  The chairperson now designates responsibility to
  team members to develop the new revised program.
• Stages 56 During the fifth and sixth
  stages of the program planning process,
  Individual Program Plans (IPP) are developed and
  implemented in the classroom. This development
  should be contrived through the key members of
  the individual program planning team, including
  the parents/guardians.
• Stages 7 8 These stages are meant for
  the reviewing and monitoring of the
  adaptations/individual program plans. Continuous
  monitoring must take place throughout the year.

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Adaptations vs. Individual Program Plan

• Adaptations are teaching strategies that are
  developed in one or more of the following areas
• Assessment/evaluation
• Class organization
• Environment
• Motivation
• Presentation
• Resources
• Adaptations are not noted on the students report
  card or transcript.
• Adaptations are documented in the students
  cumulative record
• There are no changes to the PSP outcomes
• A copy of the adaptation form will be sent home
  to the parent/guardian
• The adaptations will be constantly monitored and
  evaluated for effectiveness

• An IPP may involve any or all of the following
• Following the same general curriculum outcomes
  but at a significantly different outcome level
  than would be expected for the grade-level in
  which the student is enrolled
• Deleting of a specific curriculum outcome or
  outcomes when the deleted outcome(s) is/are
  necessary to develop an understanding of the
  general curriculum outcome
• Where there is a need, providing programming for
  outcomes that are not part of Nova Scotias
  public school program (e.g., behavior
  programming, life skills)
• Adding new outcomes where students require
  enrichment
• An IPP is indicated on the students report card
  and/transcript. A copy of the IPP is filed in the
  students cumulative record.
• A copy of the final, approved IPP will be given
  to the parent/guardian

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Roles and Responsibilities

• Each member of the program planning team has a
  role and specific responsibilities in terms of
  collaborating and communicating useful and
  specific/pertinent information to the team. After
  collecting this important data, an individualized
  plan can be created for the student.
• Parents
• Should be involved from the beginning in the
  program planning process
• Need to share with the team their childs
  strengths, needs and future aspirations
• Should share information that supports effective
  transitioning
• Should inform the team of any outside
  agencies/professionals that are involved with the
  child
• Pertinent information about family circumstances
  and educational history that could effect
  educational learning, should be communicated
• Need to carry out the specific elements of the
  program plan that is the parents responsibility.
  i.e. structured homework times, parent/child
  reading etc.

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School Administrators

• The school administrators will assume a
  leadership role in the program planning process
• They need to ensure that all parties/team members
  are notified of the time, place and nature of the
  individual program planning team meeting
• The administrative representative will chair the
  program planning meetings and act as a leader and
  positive facilitator
• The administrator will ensure that minutes are
  being taken
• They will also ensure that the program plan
  developed through the individual program planning
  process is implemented, tracked and monitored.

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Teachers and other Professionals

• Participate in the program planning process for
  students for whom they have responsibility
• Implement the program as required
• Track, monitor and report on student progress
• Review student records to support transitioning
  and programming

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Supporting Parents/Guardians as Effective Members
of the Program Planning Team

• As a vital member of the program planning team,
  you as parents should think about how you can
• Prepare for your participation in the program
  planning team meeting
• Support the program plan that has been created
  specifically for your child both in school and at
  home.
• Follow-up on your childs progress

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Prior to Program Planning Meetings

• Share information about your child to the team to
  help support effective programming
• Identify any successes or challenges that you may
  foresee happening throughout the school year
• Consider the main hopes/goals for your child this
  year
• Make notes to bring to the program planning
  meeting so you can communicate all of your
  feelings/thoughts
• Please advise the school before the meeting if
  you want to bring a friend or support person with
  you.
• Please share general/pertinent information e.g.,
  changes in family circumstances such as
  additions, deaths, illnesses, moving etc.

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During Meetings

• Ask for clarification of the roles and
  responsibilities of all meeting participants
• Ask about your childs performance at school
• Consider other points of view during the meeting
• Remember that your child may react differently in
  different circumstances and environments. His/her
  behavior at home may vary from the behaviors
  observed at school.
• Be positive!

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Following Meetings and Monitoring Student Progress

• Talk with your child regularly about what he or
  she is doing in school, both academically and
  socially
• Support your child in becoming a self-advocate
  through an understanding of his /her strengths
  and needs
• Provide, when appropriate, learning opportunities
  at home that are consistent with the learning
  that is taking place in school
• Support the teachers expectations and the
  classroom routines by reinforcing such behaviors
  at home
• Maintain close contact with the classroom
  teachers regarding your childs progress via
  phone, e-mail homework notebooks and journals
• Read your childs report card carefully. If you
  do not understand any part of the report, contact
  your childs school for more information

• KEEP IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH ALL SCHOOL
  PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED WITH YOUR CHILDS PROGRAM!

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Transition Planning

• Transition planning is the planning that should
  be consistently taking place each year in regards
  to setting your child up for success in a time of
  change.
• Transition milestones occur when a student moves
  from home to school, grade to grade, school to
  school, community to school, or from school to
  community.
• As a parent, your help, advice and support in
  dealing with transitions is vital. At the end of
  the day, your loving encouragement, and home
  support is what will help your child through any
  anxieties or worries they may be feeling. Knowing
  that a parent cares and is involved, is sometimes
  the best remedy in relieving academic and social
  related stress
• Transition Planning for Students with Special
  Needs The Early Years through to Adult Life (
  Nova Scotia Department of Education 2005) is a
  resource to support individualized program
  planning at key transition stages

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Minimizing and Resolving Conflict
Nova Scotia Department of Education The Program
Planning Process A Guide for Parents 2006
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Some Questions to Consider

• What is a typical day in school like for my
  child?
• Has my child been attending classes regularly?
• Has my child been completing class assignments?
• How do teachers describe my childs learning
  style?
• Is my child working at or meeting the specific
  curriculum outcomes? If not, why not and what
  would be the best way to proceed?

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Is my child meeting the outcomes outlined in his
or her IPP? If not, why not and what would
support my childs learning? Are there any
potential social issues with peers I need to be
aware of? What can we be doing at home to
support my childs learning? How can we support
my child to move toward greater independence?
Questions created by the DOE Program Planning
Guide for Parents Committee
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Thank-You

• On behalf of the Halifax Regional School Board we
  would like to thank you for taking an active
  interest in your childs well-being and
  education.
• We value your input, sincerity, support
  and collaboration. Teamwork between schools and
  parents is what creates a successful learning and
  social environment for studentsand students and
  their needs come first.