Essay: Saint Bernadette’s Modifications to Classroom, Teaching Styles and Classroom Organisation

Rationale
Saint  Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is a Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 double stream school comprised of approximately 480 students. Our school motto is Kindness, Honesty and Respect. We strive to emulate and encapsulate these virtues in all we do at the school. We encourage all members of our school community to reflect on the meaning of these virtues and to ‘live’ them in our day and our interactions with each other. Our school is a warm, friendly, faith filled environment where we strive to develop young men and women of Christian conscience and we are committed to not only the best learning outcomes for our students but the ongoing learning and development of our staff.
Saint Bernadettes Obligations to Students With Disabilities
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require education and training service providers to support the rights of students with disability to access the curriculum on the same basis as students without disability.   (k10outline – Student Diversity”, 2018). The primary purpose of the Standards is to clarify, and make more explicit, the obligations of education and training service providers under the DDA and the rights of people with disabilities in relation to education and training. (Disability Discrimination Act 1992, 2018)
Students with disabilities refers to those children who have conditions, or behaviours that interfere with, or impede, school progress to such an extent that special educational arrangements and provisions are required. The school recognises the uniqueness and innate dignity of each individual, and acknowledges its responsibility to those children in need of special education provision and support within its community.
In accordance with the selection criteria, such children will be welcomed as an integral part of the student community, provided that after a full independent assessment, it is judged that the school can adequately meet the needs of the child. Within the context of the school environment, every effort will be made to further the academic and social development of the children accepted on this basis. All applications for enrolment of students with disabilities at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School will follow the same procedures as those for students  without a disability. Acceptance of enrolment will be subject to normal school enrolment selection criteria and is dependent on: the availability of places in the age-appropriate grade, the best interests of the student, the school’s ability to meet the student’s individual needs by providing: adequate access to school facilities and activities, the requisite level of resources and equipment and  a quality education program.
The annual Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) collects information about Australian school students who receive an adjustment to address disability. If a staff member have a concern about a student, please refer to the flow chart titled ‘Managing Student Concerns’ ( Appendix A) which details ideas for data collection. After gathering the  data, complete a Student Referral Form and consult with your year level Pastoral Care Team Member (PCT)  for clarity and guidance if required.  A member of the Pastoral Care Team will then be appointed to liaise with the staff member who has completed the referral. Recommendations and follow up information will be recorded by a member of the PCT.  If it is recommended that a student be referred to a specialist Clinician,  the teacher will be asked to assist in writing a Referral Letter.
Students will be referred to the  Learning support team in the school and the Students with Disabilities  Coordinator will contact the Catholic Education consultant for further support. An initial meeting will take place and medical and health records will be obtained  eg Vision, Hearing, Speech , OT, Physiotherapy, Psychologists and Medical specialists. It is essential current or previous information from other  educational settings has been collected. This includes, tests, work samples, observation notes and behaviour intervention needs.
Students identified will require a plan to assist with their individual needs. I.E.P (Individual Education Plan) articulates significant teaching and learning adjustments that affect most learning areas. An I.E.P is a collaborative process, it is reflected in the class program and a way of planning to meet the individual needs of students. It is  realistic, practical and ongoing. It will  establish goals and outcomes, and is a statement of accountability and  responsibility. Most Disability Funded students must have an I.E.P. The point of contact and support for teachers writing an I.E.P. is the Disability Support Coordinator. The plan will ensure that all teachers are aware of the child’s specific strengths and difficulties.
L.A.P. (Learning Adjustment Plan) articulates adjustments required (primarily environmental and instructional) to ensure that appropriate modifications and strategies are implemented to create the most conducive learning environment for the student. It is a documented statement of accountability and responsibility. NCCD identified students will require a L.A.P. (ie: Auditory Processing- without curriculum adjustment, ADHD, sensory disorder).
A C.A.P (Curriculum Adjustment Plan) articulates teaching and learning adjustments for an identified specific need in one or two learning areas. Curriculum Adjustment Plans is a collaborative process, it is reflected in the class program, it  is a way of planning to meet the individual needs of students, a realistic, practical plan which may have short-term and/or longer term goals/objective. It is   a documented statement of skills, knowledge & tasks that are measurable a statement of accountability and responsibility. Students who require a C.A.P will be decided in collaboration with the Principal, Learning Support Team Member and the student’s teacher.
The following data will help to determine which students require a C.A.P. (Generally no one point will stand alone but collectively with other results in the same Learning Area. Diagnosis of a Specific Learning Difficulty e.g. Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Dyslexia, Results of Standardised Tests, PLD Data,  Lexile levels, NAPLAN results from previous year and students who are receiving E Grades on their Semester Report.
All non-funded students at risk must have a Curriculum Adjustment Plan (C.A.P) formulated, written and implemented. The point of contact and support for teachers writing C.A.P’s for both Literacy and Numeracy is the designated Learning Support Team Member for your year level.
The SWD Coordinator and PTC decide whether an Individual Education Plan ( IEP), Curriculum adjustment plan (CAP) or Learning adjustment plan  (LAP) is appropriate for the student.  The class teacher will assist with the development of the IEP or CAP through the support of the schools SWD Coordinator.
Modifications to Classroom, Teaching Styles and Classroom Organisation.
St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School does not have access to a Special Education Support facility therefore support will take place in the regular classroom. Options in the classroom will be dependent on individual student needs ranging from: Full inclusion in the regular program with some initial consideration or adjustment, full participation in the regular program with on-going minor modifications or adjustment, full participation in the regular curriculum with some assistance provided, Partial participation in the regular program with reduced curriculum and assessment requirements, Modified curriculum provisions with different content and volume of work with little if any additional assistance and parallel participation with an individualised program with varying levels of adult assistance.
The students have an opportunity to participate in the Story Dog Program, the  goal is to improve children’s reading skills, writing skills and communication skills in a comfortable environment.   A Sensory Room has been built for the school. The Sensory Room has been specially designed which combines a range of stimuli to help students develop and engage their senses. It includes lights, colours, sounds, sensory soft play objects, aromas all within a safe environment that allows the student using it to explore and interact without risk.
To provide maximum educational opportunities for students with disabilities, the school will endeavour to assess to what extent a student’s disabling condition affects education access, participation, engagement and attainment. To minimise disabling effects and maximise independence as much as possible, the school will work towards providing a ‘barrier-free’ environment. Teachers will use The School Curriculum and Standards Authority inclusive of students’ individual strengths and needs. The Abilities Based Learning Education, Western Australia (ABLEWA) resources support the teaching and learning of students with disability and additional needs who are unable to access the P-10 curriculum. https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/principles/guiding-principles/student-diversity/ablewa
In Western Australia, including students with disability is now a component of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, which requires teachers (including graduate teachers) to identify and use strategies which differentiate learning for students with disability (Standard 1.5), to understand the legislation in regards to students with disability (Standard 1.6), and to support the inclusive participation and engagement of students with disability (Standard 4.1) (Australian Institute for Teaching and School leadership, 2012).
Differentiation allows teachers to plan and carry out varied approaches to content (what a student learns); process (how the student learns and how you teach); and product (how the student demonstrates  what they’ve learned) in anticipation of an in response to student readiness (Visible Learning for Teachers, 2014). If planning a unit of work teachers should find it helpful to ask: Do I need to make any adjustments at all, would Digital technology be helpful, do some students need material presented differently, should some students present their work differently, will all students be assessed in the same way, will some students need additional or different grades. Schools are accountable for the learning of all students. The individualized  Education Planning (IEP)process is the most efficient and effective way to demonstrate educational accountability for students who receive special education service. Individual education plans must include goals, curriculum outcomes, instructional adjustment and environmental adjustments.
activities.
Attention to be given to classroom organisation and layout to facilitate socialisation, peer interaction and  exploration.   Physical  barriers,  which  limit  a  student’s  involvement  with  classroom  activities,  or separate  the student from others in the class, are to be minimised.
Procedures for evaluation of student progress.
Schools are accountable for the learning of all students.  The   Assessment and report writing must be specifically directed to the learning outcomes identified in the IEP not to general class outcomes. Student portfolios may be used for assessing and recording student progress and attainment  for formative, diagnostic assessment and summative evaluation. Each student’s education program must be regularly monitored, evaluated and reviewed to determine the student’s degree of progress, to evaluate planning effectiveness and to report to parents.
Reporting to parents will be carried out: Biannually using regular school reporting procedures – adapted to cater for individualised student programs. IEP meetings to be held at least once each semester. The format of these are to keep parents informed of student progress and program outcomes and for two way communication and collaboration in establishing future goals and outcomes
Conflict Resolution Procedures
The Commonwealth’s Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (the DDA) makes it against the law to treat a person unfairly because of their disability. It is also against the law for a person to contravene a Disability Standard (DDA Section 32). The Disability Standards for Education require that people with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as people without disability. The Standards also require that education providers make reasonable adjustments to enable participation and that students with disability should not be victimised or harassed.
The staff of St. Bernadette’s School is committed to working harmoniously together in order to build community through respecting the rights and responsibilities of each other. In the instance when a parent believes ‘ accomodations’ provided are not efficient, or effective in supporting and achieving outcomes then the following actions will take place.
At an individual school level you can make a complaint to teachers or the principal. If possible it is best to try and resolve the issue early at the local level. If the  issue cannot be resolved at the school level you may decide to complain to the relevant education authority.
Where there is a difficulty or concern, parents are encouraged to make an appointment to   discuss the issue with the class teacher, if the issue is not able to be resolved at this level, an appointment is to be made with the SWD coordinator and the teacher, in consultation with the principal. If  the  issue  remains  unresolved,  a  further  appointment  will  be  made  with  the  principal  as well as a mediator, such as a consultant from the Special Learning Needs Team. If  this  is  not  successful,  the  matter  must  then  be  referred  to  the  appropriate  person  at  the  Catholic Education Office who will then instigate CEO procedures for solving complex issues and will refer to the Conflict and Dispute Policy (Appendix 2).
Parents who wish to lodge a complaint about disability discrimination can choose to complain under the Western Australia  legislation. Alternatively, complaints can be made under the Commonwealth’s DDA to the Australian Human Rights Commission.  Federal anti-discrimination law says that people can make complaints to the Commission about disability discrimination. The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent body that investigates and resolves complaints about unlawful discrimination.
k10outline Student Diversity. (2018). Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/curriculum-browser/technologies/technologies-overview/student-diversity
Western Australian Legislation – School Education Act 1999. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_878_homepage.html
Disability Discrimination Act 1992. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2010C00023
Equal Opportunity, Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures – Policies – The Department of Education. (2018). Retrieved from http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-framework/policies/equal-opportunity-discrimination-and-harassment.en?cat-id=3457096
Corwin Pr. (2014). Visible Learning + Visible Learning for Teachers.