The Minister has announced there will be an extra $39.9 million spent over the next 4 years on the education of students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Some common questions and answers:
- How will this money be spent?
- What additional resources will be provided to schools?
- What is a Learning Support Team?
- How will students with disabilities and learning difficulties be supported?
- How will school leaders, teachers and education assistants further develop their skills?
- What additional support will be provided to school communities?
- What improvements will be made to services overall?
- Will education support centres, schools and Language Development Centres continue to be an option?
- How will these services and programs be monitored?
Q. How will this money be spent?
The money will be spent on providing in-school support to teachers and education assistants working with students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Q. What additional resources will be provided to schools?
Additional teacher time will be provided to schools to set up Learning Support Teams. These teams will support teachers and education assistants to plan effective teaching strategies, to assist each other and to talk with parents and other professionals regarding students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
There will be a focus on further developing the skills of teachers and education assistants through professional learning at the local school level.
Q. What is a Learning Support Team?
A Learning Support Team is made up of school staff who will assist their colleagues to further develop their teaching skills in relation to students with disabilities and learning difficulties. The Learning Support Teams will build on the current expertise that exists in schools such as the Students at Educational Risk coordinator , Getting it Right teachers and Early Literacy and Numeracy teachers.
Q. How will students with disabilities and learning difficulties be supported?
There will be a greater focus on school staff working together to assess, plan, monitor and report on students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Q. How will school leaders, teachers and education assistants further develop their skills?
A team of Principal Consultants (Inclusive Education) will develop a targeted professional learning program for Learning Support Teams and will provide consultancy support to schools.
Q. What additional support will be provided to school communities?
Information about contemporary teaching methods and current research on teaching students with disabilities and learning difficulties will be available to schools online.
The provision of better information to parents about services for students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
More effective use of new technologies and computer software to support students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Fairer and efficient allocation of resources through the establishment of Resource Manager positions within each service area.
An improved design brief for all new schools will include additional classroom space or collaborative learning area and the provision of toilets and bathrooms for students with disabilities.
Q. What improvements will be made to services overall?
Improved coordination between the Centre for Inclusive Schooling, Vision Impairment Services and WA Institute for Deaf Education to provide better service to schools with a greater emphasis on early intervention.
Speech and language programs will be extended to provide better outreach services to schools.
Q. Will education support centres, schools and Language Development Centres continue to be an option?
A full range of specialist services will continue to operate with education support schools and centres providing on going support to students with high support needs.
They may also provide support to teachers of students with high support needs attending regular schools.
In future facilities such as education support schools will be co-located on the sites of new schools as part of the local school community.
A ten year capital works plan will be implemented.
Q. How will these services and programs be monitored?
District Directors will ensure improvement in standards of inclusive practice in schools through the School Review process.