Inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools

Please note: This policy refers to Districts. Schools are no longer organised by Districts. The Department has moved to a Learning Service unit model. References to Districts should be interpreted in terms of the current organisational model.
Category A Register has been replaced by the Register of Students with Severe Disabilities. Category B funding/students is now called 'Additional Needs' funding or 'Students with additional needs'.

Policy Statement

Placement of students with disabilities in regular schools is the preferred educational option in Tasmania. To the fullest extent possible, students with disabilities should be educated in the company of their age peers while also being provided with curriculum and support that effectively meet their needs.

Definitions

Inclusive schooling

The outcome of attempting to provide for all students, including students who have disabilities, in regular schools. Inclusion implies providing for all students within the educational program of the regular school. The emphasis is on how schools can change to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Integration

The process of introducing students with disabilities into regular schools from a setting in which they have previously been excluded. Integration implies that students who have been excluded can be introduced into a regular school. The emphasis is on how the student can fit into the existing school structure.

Students with disabilities

They have a degree of physical, sensory, intellectual or psychological impairment which causes a serious restriction in the way that the student is able to function at school.

Rationale and Background

The rationale and philosophical basis for this policy is contained in the wider policy document Equity in Schooling.

Goals

It is intended that:

students with disabilities will attend a school setting which is as close as possible to the norms and patterns of schooling experienced by other students and one that provides the least possible restriction on their right to lead a normal life, while adequately catering for their special needs;
students with a wide range of abilities and needs will be supported in compulsory as well as pre and post compulsory education, with the effective provision and use of human and material resources;
educational services provided for students with disabilities will reflect the diverse needs and varying preferences of these students, with a variety of models of provision being utilised; and
educational services to students with disabilities will be provided in accordance with the principles and objectives of the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and the State Disability Services Act (1992).

Requirements

The following strategies are necessary to achieve Goal 1:

Students with disabilities will have the opportunity to attend their neighbourhood school if this school is able to provide the curriculum and support that the student requires, or otherwise the nearest school that is able to reasonably provide for the student's needs.
When the local school is unable to provide for a student's needs, there will be access to a centre for specialist services catering for students with a particular sensory or physical disability, to a regular school which has a specialist unit or facility, or to a special school.
The Support Services based in each district will provide information, advice and assistance to schools on the needs of students with disabilities.

The following strategies are necessary to achieve Goal 2:

All special education funding, at both central and district level, will be openly detailed and documented to promote a clear process of accountability.
Funding allocations will be moderated by the central (Category A) and district (Category B) special education committees to ensure that central and district priorities are adhered to and that resources are allocated fairly and consistently.
Special education resources will be prioritised according to the level of need of students, with those who have the most severe level of need having highest priority.
Resources will be rationalised, where appropriate, so there can be a concentration of specialist facilities and expertise in a nominated school(s) which caters for a small group of students who have a similar need.
The available resources and any specialist assistance requirements will be considered prior to a placement decision.
All funding decisions will be in accordance with the agreement between the Commonwealth and States in relation to the National Equity Program for Schools.
There will be a central Government schools special education co-ordinating committee consisting of:
- the Senior Superintendent (Equity);
- the manager from each District Support Service;
- a representative of the State Council of Parents and Friends Associations;
- a representative of the Australian Education Union;
- specialist support staff as appropriate;
- a representative of the Australian Association of Special Education; and
- the Manager, State Support Service.
Each district will have a district based special education committee with a core membership of:
- the District Superintendent or nominee;
- a representative of the State Council of Parents and Friends Associations;
- the manager of the District Support Service;
- principal representatives of regular schools;
- a representative of the Australian Education Union; and
- specialist support staff or district representatives, as appropriate.
Decision making processes in relation to resources will occur according to a timeline that is published and distributed to districts early in third term of the prior funding year.

The following strategies are necessary to achieve Goal 3:

The model of special education services will be based on the curriculum and support needs of students rather than on a categorical description of their disability.
Special education at provision in each district will reflect the planning, preferences and priorities of the district community, which includes school staff and parents.
The government school system will continue to have a range of school and special school settings and services.
Parent(s) of students with disabilities will be provided with information on alternative school options for their child and they will participate in choosing the most appropriate placement, with options being canvassed, detailed and discussed.
School placements will be negotiated between the student (where appropriate), the student's parent(s), the District Superintendent or nominee, and school principals of the schools being proposed as options.
Any proposed changes to a special school or special unit model will follow:
- discussion and consultation with parents of students involved;
- discussion with the District Superintendent and the wider school community;
- discussion with the District Support Service Manager, in consultation with state coordinators of services for hearing impairment, visual impairment and early special education;
- discussion with other service providers such as therapists; and
- consideration of the educational and resource implications, including the learning environment, travel, therapy, relocation, minor works and equipment costs.
Final proposals for changes to special schools and special units will be submitted to the Minister, through the Secretary, for approval before changes are implemented.

The following strategies are necessary to achieve Goal 4:

The needs and rights of students with disabilities will be considered and provided for in all departmental policies, guidelines, and planning documents.
Members of central, district and school special education funding committees will be required to become familiar with the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act and the State Disabilities Services Act.

Responsibilities

1. The central special education committee is responsible for:

the allocation of funding for state wide services and initiatives; and staff and funding to students with specialist needs (Category A);
considering requests for specialist funding and staffing from each district and the state coordinators for specialist services;
working in conjunction with the state coordinators of services for hearing impairment, visual impairment and early special education;
determining resource allocations on the basis of needs identified in the individual educational program for each Category A student in regular and special schools.

2. The district special education committees are responsible for:

consulting with the district community to determine priorities for special education staffing and for resources to special schools and regular schools in the district; allocation of all special education generalist staffing and funding (Category B);
nominating students with specialist needs (Category A) to the central special education committee;
ensuring that all schools in the district are kept informed and consulted on the allocation of special education resources and staffing;
providing information to, and consulting with, parents of students with special needs in the district; and
providing a forum for debate on the use of special education resources in the district, and a mechanism for resolving conflicts about the use of resources.

3. The superintendent of the district is responsible for:

becoming familiar with and promoting this policy in the context of the district, with particular regard to the professional development needs of principals and teachers;
ensuring that the district provides as adequately as possible for students with disabilities within the district, or for those in cross district facilities where necessary;
ensuring that students with disabilities in the district are provided with appropriate special education support and assistance, within the limits of available staff and resources, in accordance with the principles of this policy;
ensuring that parents are actively involved in decisions about the placement and provision for their child, and have their preferences for placement fully considered;
seeking the Minister's approval, through the Secretary, for any proposal to close or establish a special school, special unit or new special education facility;
ensuring that students are placed in special schools and units in accordance with a well documented district placement process which involves consideration of relevant, documented educational information on the student from the current classroom teacher, any specialist support staff, the principal of the current school, parents and outside agencies;
providing a mechanism for resolution of any disagreement or conflict about school placement which cannot be resolved at the school level or involves more than one school, by convening a case conference involving the student's parents and their advocate (if requested), the principals of the schools involved and relevant support staff;
referring any unresolved conflict at district level to the Deputy Secretary (Education) for advice; and
attempting to resolve difficulties or dissatisfactions with the use of special education provision within the district.

4. The principals of all schools will be responsible for:

becoming familiar with and promoting this policy in the context of their school;
supporting and ensuring professional development activities that are consistent with the policy;
ensuring that the rights of students with disabilities to attend their local school as a first preference are the same as they are for other students;
ensuring that there is consultation and negotiation with those teachers responsible for teaching students with disabilities;
negotiating with the District Support Service on the advice, support and resources believed to be required to cater appropriately for a student with a disability within their school;
notifying district office if it is believed that the school is unable to provide an appropriate curriculum or to cater for the needs of a student already enrolled or a student requesting enrolment;
initiating the development of an individual educational program (I.E.P.), for all students with specialist needs (Category A), that is reviewed and updated at least annually, and which forms the basis for the student's program and identification of resource needs;
ensuring the organization of a case conference which involves the student (where appropriate), the student's parent(s), school staff involved with the student, specialist support staff and staff from any outside agencies (such as therapists) to develop the individual educational program;
ensuring that, where the establishment of or modifications to special education provision is planned, parents of affected students and the wider school community are consulted; and
providing a mechanism at the school level to deal with issues related to the education of students with special needs.

5. Teachers will be responsible for:

becoming familiar with and promoting the goals and requirements of this policy;
undertaking appropriate professional development that enhances understanding and implementation of the policy; and
adopting teaching strategies which support the inclusion of a range of students in their classrooms, where possible.

6. Parents of students with disabilities will be responsible for:

contacting their local district office for all general enquires about placement and provision for students with disabilities;
seeking information on the resources and curriculum provision that are available to support their child in a particular school;
visiting any schools being proposed as suitable for their child before placement is confirmed; and
being involved in the development of individual educational programs for their children with specialist needs (Category A).

Time line for Special Education Funding Processes

Decision making processes in relation to resources will occur according to the following time line.

end of Term I Update of all Category A registers by appropriate committees.
beginning of Term III Update of all Category A registers by appropriate committees and state coordinators for vision and hearing impairment.
October (first week) Districts and state coordinators complete submissions for Category A funding and staffing.
October (third week) Central State Co-ordinating Committee meeting to make decisions on Category A staffing and funding allocations, and to determine allocation of staff and funds to districts for Category B. Districts to be informed by letter of Category A staffing for each school or centre and their overall number of staff for Category B.
October (fourth week) District Special Education Committees to determine staffing and funding allocations for Category B. Districts to inform schools of special education staffing allocations (Categories A and B).
November (second week) All advice on funding allocations to be provided to Grants and Assistance.
November (last week) Grants and Assistance to notify all schools of funding allocations.

Special Education Services and Resource Model

Special education services in Tasmania have been divided into those which are "specialist" (Category A) and those which are more "generalist" (Category B). This distinction forms the basis for the current services and the funding model, which is detailed in the Equity in Schooling Policy and the Support Materials for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

Specialist Services (Category A) are provided to students with low incidence disabilities (e.g. hearing impairment, visual impairment). Early special education services are also included in this category as the number of students is small and the type of service provision is significantly different from other areas. Students requiring specialist services:

are relatively easy to identify, i.e. there is usually no argument about their disability;
are usually known to have needs at an early age, i.e. prior to school;
occur in numbers that can be statistically predicted on a State wide basis, according to known prevalence rates;
occur in small numbers, i.e. the numbers are too small to accurately predict numbers in each district;
are randomly distributed throughout the State;
often have specialised teaching needs, such as interpreters, braillers, therapy input, specialist seating and equipment, building modifications and so on;
will often require on going intensive support throughout their school career; and
should have first priority for special education funding.

Generalist Services (Category B) are required for students who have 'problems with schooling' in a more general sense. These are students with 'mild' and 'borderline, intellectual disability, learning difficulties, social and emotional difficulties, and behavioural difficulties.

Students requiring generalist services:

have needs which are not very different in kind from those of other children;
are usually not identified until they begin school, and experience problems with schooling;
are difficult to identify, in that they do not have obvious disabilities and are the subject of assessment debates;
occur in numbers which expand to fit the funding available and the vacancies available in special schools;
occur in large numbers across the State too many for them all to attract special education funding; and
occur in all schools, but in numbers which are related to the general level of needs of a school, and which can be predicted from indices of socio-economic disadvantage.