School District 59
Inclusive Education Guide
Section Two
School Staff, Roles and Services
The Learning Services Team
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Learning Services and Inclusive Education Team
The Learning Services model is grounded in the principles of collaborative teamwork and shared responsibility for supporting student achievement. Members of the District Learning Services Team work in close partnership with school-based teams, which may include classroom teachers, Learning Assistance Teachers (LATs), administrators, counsellors, Education Assistants, and others.
Together, these teams coordinate their skills and expertise to assess, identify, plan, and provide instruction tailored to the diverse learning needs of students.
Tiered Levels of Support
Support for students is responsive and flexible, depending on individual needs:
- Universal Supports: Many students thrive with minor adjustments in the classroom, such as differentiated instruction, flexible grouping, or access to varied learning materials.
- Targeted Supports: Some students may benefit from small group instruction, assistive technology, or specific teaching strategies designed to address areas of need or stretches.
- Intensive Supports: For students with more complex needs, individualized services such as one-on-one support or specialized interventions may be necessary.
Collaboration with Community Services
To provide well-rounded support, school and district teams may collaborate with community-based services, including:
- Healthcare professionals
- Social workers
- Mental health counsellors
- Outside therapists
These partnerships help address students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs, ensuring they receive comprehensive support that extends beyond the school setting.
Family-Centered Approach
Schools work closely with families and professionals to determine the appropriate level of support for each student. Ongoing communication and collaboration are key to ensuring students receive what they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated Instruction (DI) is a foundational approach in supporting diverse learners. It involves adapting content, process, products, and the learning environment to suit students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles. Differentiation works hand-in-hand with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which promotes flexible approaches that remove barriers to learning and provide all students with equal opportunities to succeed. Effective differentiation is guided by a deep understanding of student needs and is supported through a variety of instructional and classroom management strategies.
Flexible Models of Service Delivery
Each school organizes its Learning Services delivery model based on the needs of its student population. While models may vary, all are expected to align with promising practices and aim to meet the educational goals of students. Schools are encouraged to thoughtfully plan their services, considering existing supports and the nature of student needs.
District Learning Services May Include (Depending on Needs):
- District Learning Resource Teachers (Literacy and Numeracy)
- Inclusion Helping Teachers
- Licensed School Psychologist
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists
- Licensed School Psychologist
- District Counsellors
- Vision and Hearing Support Services
- Indigenous Education Support
School-Based Learning Services May Include (Depending on School and Student Needs):
- Classroom Teachers
- Learning Assistance Teachers (LATs)
- Middle and Secondary School Counsellors
- Education Assistants
- Principals and Vice-Principals
- School-Based Teams
- Learning Resource Teachers for Literacy and Numeracy
The Classroom Teacher
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The Classroom Teacher
Each classroom teacher has overall responsibility for all students in their class. They have the responsibility to provide appropriate programs for all students in their class. Classroom teachers will:
- Plan, Implement and assess the educational program for all students including those with diverse learning needs and Individual Education Plans.
- Provide direction in collaboration with the school-based team for the Education Assistant if applicable
- Collaborate with the Learning Assistance Teacher to ensure appropriate programs and support
- Plan, implement and assess interventions for targeted groups of students identified through assessment and collaborative dialogue
- Plan, implement and assess interventions for individual students and groups of students who need intensive intervention through assessment and collaborative dialogue
- Collaborate with the School-Based Team and the District Learning Services Teams
- Consult and communicate with parents/guardians
The Education Assistant and
The Education Assistant Significant Needs
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Education Assistant
The Education Assistants work under the direction of the classroom teacher in collaboration with the school-based team and district learning services team. They will provide assistance and support to the classroom teacher in the implementation of individual programs for students in the areas of: academic/intellectual, social/emotional, behavioral, self-determination/independence, and physical in an inclusive environment.
Education Assistants will:
- Provide an inclusive experience for the student
- Implement programs and provide feedback to classroom teachers and school-based team/district learning services team as needed
- Implement interventions and provide feedback to classroom teachers nd school-based team/district learning services team as needed
- Collect data to inform teacher assessment of the student
- Communicate regularly with school-based team
Education Assistant Significant Needs
The Education Assistants Significant Needs work under the direction of the classroom teacher in collaboration with the school-based team and district learning services team. They will provide assistance and support to the classroom teacher in the implementation of individual programs for students in the areas of: academic/intellectual, social/emotional, behavioral, self-determination/independence, and physical in an inclusive environment.
Education Assistants Significant Needs will:
- Provide an inclusive experience for the student
- Implement programs and provide feedback to classroom teachers and school-based team/district learning services team as needed
- Implement interventions and provide feedback to classroom teachers nd school-based team/district learning services team as needed
- Collect data to inform teacher assessment of the student
- Communicate regularly with school-based team
- Help with a range of complex needs, including but not limited to toileting, medical care, mobility, communication, behavior support, feeding, and equipment use.
The Learning Assistance Teacher
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The Learning Assistance Teacher
The Learning Assistance teacher works with classroom teachers, school-based team and the district learning services team to provide support for students who are in the high and low incidence categories according to the Ministry of Education and Childcare criteria, students who have mild learning difficulties, struggling students and students who are English language learners. The Learning Assistance Teacher will typically provide services that include:
- Consultation, collaborative planning and program placement
- Facilitating planning and meetings for Individual Education Plans
- Collaboration that extends to meaningful parental/guardian and student involvement as well as consultation with district and community personnel
- Assessment and evaluation to Level B.
- Ongoing documentation (including request for ministry designation)
- Direct instruction (one on one, small groups, whole class) and team teaching
- Support development of programs for English Language Learners
- Support development of programs for students with diverse learning needs that require additional supports including:
- English Language Learners
- Students who are struggling
- High Functioning LOW Incidence Diverse learning needs.
- Low Incidence Diverse learning needs (ministry codes)
- A – Physically Dependent – Multiple Needs
- B – Deaf and Blind
- C – Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabilities
- D – Physical Disability or Chronic Health Impairment
- E – Visual Impairment
- F – Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- G – Autism Spectrum Disorder
- H – Intensive Behaviour Intervention or Serious Mental Illness
- High Incidence Diverse learning needs (ministry codes)
- K – Mild Intellectual Disabilities
- P – Gifted
- Q – Learning Disabilities
- R – Moderate Behaviour Support of Mental Illness
Secondary School Counsellor
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Secondary School Counsellor
In School District 59 middle and secondary schools have school-based counsellors who are part of each school’s learning services team. Elementary counsellors, on the other hand, are part of the district’s learning services team and provide support to all elementary schools across the district.
The school counsellor, under the direction of the principal, supports students in many areas including education, mental health, personal development, and career planning. Their focus is on prevention, early support, and responding to crisis situations. They use research-based strategies and work closely with students, families, school staff, and outside agencies.
In education, the counsellor helps students choose the right courses, plan for graduation, and transition between schools. They also support students with learning challenges and make sure new students feel welcomed and supported.
For personal counseling, the counsellor helps students understand themselves and build healthy relationships. They teach problem-solving, communication, and decision-making skills. They also help students deal with social issues like bullying, social media, and peer conflict, and work with families to support students at home and school.
In career and post-secondary planning, the counsellor helps students explore job options, apply to colleges or trades programs, and access financial aid or scholarships. They also connect students with work experience and dual credit opportunities.
The counsellor is part of the school’s crisis response team and helps students and staff during difficult situations. They are trained to respond to things like suicidal thoughts or child protection concerns and may also support other schools in the district during emergencies.
The counsellor also keeps records, joins team meetings, and stays up to date on graduation and post-secondary requirements. Overall, they play a key role in helping students succeed both in and out of school.
The Principal and Vice-Principal
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The Principal and Vice-Principal
The Principal and Vice-Principal are the leader for inclusive education in their buildings. They will facilitate the school-based team and work with the classroom teacher(s), learning assistance teachers, education assistants, and the district learning services team and will ensure:
- That structures and processes are in place to support the programs for all students.
- That paperwork and documentation is complete and accurate
- That IEPs are implemented, monitored and followed
- Teachers receive the information they need to work with students with diverse learning needs who are in their classrooms
- That the school-based team is operational in the school and will facilitate the collaborative efforts of the team members in meeting the diverse learning needs of students
The School-Based Team
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The School-Based Team
A school-based team is an on-going team of school-based personnel which has a formal role to play as a problem-solving unit in assisting classroom teachers to develop and implement instructional and/or management strategies and to co-ordinate support resources for students with diverse abilities within the school.
The process for School Based Team will be developed in each school in a model that supports the learning culture of the school. The intention of the SBT is to develop support strategies and facilitate services to students. With that in mind Principals will, on an annual basis:
- identify who will participate on the SBT;
- determine a schedule for meetings of the SBT;
- communicate how students will be referred or have access to the services of the SBT;
- maintain minutes/notes of each meeting;
- articulate and promote the purpose of the SBT.
The school-based team can provide:
- extended consultation on possible classroom strategies;
- planning for and co-ordination of services for the student;
- access to additional school, district, community or regional services; and
- planning for and co-ordination of services in the school.
The school-based team includes a small group of regular members, usually including a school principal, a learning assistance or resource teacher, a classroom teacher and a counsellor. On a case-by-case basis as needed to plan for individual students, the team should also include the student’s referring teacher, and involve the parent, the student, and, as appropriate, district learning services staff, and representatives from community services, regional authorities, or from other ministries.
Upon the request of the referring teacher or parent, it provides support through extended consultation on possible classroom strategies, and may become a central focus for case management, referrals and resource decisions. It should appoint a case manager, identify the need for additional services and/or initiate referrals to access other school, district, community or regional services. The school-based team can also initiate or facilitate inter-ministerial planning and service delivery. For additional information, see the School-Based Team Flow Chart in the appendix.
Additional Support Resources
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Literacy Resource Teacher (LRT)
Some schools have a Literacy Resource Teacher who works with students, teachers, and school teams to support the development of reading and writing skills. They may provide targeted instruction to small groups or individual students. They help assess literacy needs and collaborate with classroom teachers to implement effective literacy strategies and interventions.
Numeracy Resource Teacher (NRT)
Some schools have a Numeracy Resource Teacher who supports the development of mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills. They work with students who need extra help in math and collaborate with teachers to plan and deliver differentiated instruction, using data and best practices to support student growth in numeracy.