Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Author: Ministry of Education (British Columbia)
Date: 2013-09-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Guidelines,Special Education,Educational Policy,Guides,Delivery Systems,Public Schools,Educational Legislation,Special Needs Students,Related Services (Special Education),State Policy,Responsibility,Leadership Responsibility,Administrator Responsibility,Parent Responsibility,Student Responsibility,Teacher Responsibility,Boards of Education,Board of Education Role,School Districts,Program Development,Program Implementation,Disability Identification,Individualized Education Programs,Individualized Family Service Plans,Program Evaluation,Progress Monitoring,Student Characteristics,Eligibility,Funding Formulas,Educational Resources,Minority Group Students,School Counseling,School Psychology,Speech Language Pathology,Occupational Therapy,Home Programs,Electronic Libraries,Accessibility (for Disabled),Foreign Countries,Elementary Secondary Education

This resource conveys policies, procedures, and guidelines that support the delivery of special education services in British Columbia's (Canada) public schools. It was originally published in 1995 (ED414703), following an extensive provincial Special Education Review (1993-94). The purpose of this manual is to provide a single point of reference regarding legislation, ministry policy and guidelines to assist school boards in developing programs and services that enable students with special needs to meet the goals of education. The manual also contains procedural information to assist in accessing programs and services provided at the provincial level. It is intended primarily for the use of principals, school-based teams and special educational professionals, but may also prove of interest to other professionals within the education, social service or health care communities, to parents and to members of the public at large. The manual is divided into six sections that address: (1) policy for the delivery of special education programs and services in British Columbia; (2) roles and responsibilities of the ministry, school boards, district and school-based personnel, parents and students in the development and implementation of special education services; (3) the process of identifying students who have special needs, planning and implementing individual programs for them, and evaluating and reporting on their progress; (4) the generic services that should be available in school districts to support service delivery; (5) the various kinds of students who have special needs and the essential elements that should be included in programs for them and the criteria that must be met for supplemental funding; (6) what provincial resource programs are and lists those currently designated across the province. A quick reference guide listing online resources for more information and appendices including information about facilities planning; access to equipment, technology and services; resolution of conflicts; classification of psychological tests; distributed learning; full-day K; graduation requirements; in-school nursing support services; use of student records; transition planning; and transportation and work experience are also provided.