Administrative Procedure

AP-875 — Levels Program

Section Eight: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Effective Date: August 29, 2017 Last Reviewed: August 29, 2017

Program Purpose

The Grasslands District Levels Program is designed to meet the needs of students with intellectual or complex medical disabilities.

Program Description

Functional and adaptive skills including independent living, life, social and employment skills are emphasized through a variety of activities within the school and the community. Assessment techniques reflect the classroom learning experiences which are based on modified expectations of the Alberta Education Programs of Studies. Assessments may include: samples of daily work or portfolio; checklists, observation (formal and informal); specific task performance or group work; professional judgment; tests (formal, informal, oral and written); self and peer assessments. Students in our program may spend time in a specialized setting, the regular classroom setting, community settings or, in most cases, a combination based on individual learning goals and objectives. An emphasis is placed on the development of skills required for the highest level of independent functioning the student is capable of, to facilitate the transition to adult life.

Eligible Students

Grasslands students from throughout the division who meet the eligibility guidelines may be placed in the Levels Program. Occasionally students from neighboring divisions may be accepted on the basis of an agreement between Grasslands and the neighboring division.

Locations

Levels students are placed based on age appropriateness and individual needs in one of: Griffin Park School (grades 4 - 6), Brooks Junior High School (grades 7 - 9) and Brooks Composite High School (grades 10 - 12)

Procedures

1. Placement

Admission to the program is made through consultation with parents and district staff after assessment and achievement data are obtained. Students being referred for one of the Division Levels Program must first meet the criteria. Please contact the Director of Student Support Services for information regarding criteria. If a student meets the criteria and placement in the Division Levels Program is recommended, the following steps must be followed:

1. An application for Program Placement (Appendix A) must be completed and forwarded to the Grasslands Director of Student Support Services with documentation including current assessment data and program recommendations.
2. If program placement is approved by Student Support Services in consultation with the school, the application will be signed and returned to the school. Once this is done, written parent permission for placement must be obtained. The signed permission form (Appendix B) must be returned to Student Support Services with a copy placed on each student's record.
3. If the parent signs the agreement recommending the placement, the student will be placed in the Levels Program.
4. The student will remain in the Levels Program until school completion unless a formal exit process has been enacted. (See Appendix C).

2. Graduation

Students in this program work toward a Certificate of Program Completion or a Certificate of Achievement. Students are recognized during graduation ceremonies.

3. Budget
   1. A funding allocation will be determined by Grasslands Central Office based on grants for base instruction, funding due to differential factors, and targeted grants. An amount of revenue will be determined for each site considering the number of Levels students at that site and discussed with the principals at those sites and provided as information to other in-school administrators after Board approval.
   2. Staffing levels will be determined as part of the determination of allocation; salary and benefit expenditures will be from the Levels budget.
   3. An amount for supplies for students in the Levels Program will be transferred to the school budgets to be administered at each site.
4. Staffing
   1. Given that the Levels program is specialized; teachers will be placed or hired specifically for those positions. They might be transferring within the school but it will not simply be an internal principal-determined reassignment.
   2. Teacher assistants in the Levels Program will also be hired or reassigned with input from the superintendent or designate.
   3. The superintendent or designate will look at teacher schedules and discuss with the principal any situations where there appears to be a discrepancy between the Levels staffing allocation and the actual teacher assignments.

Appendix A

Application for Program Placement

DIVISION SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM

Student ______________________ Date of Birth ______________________

Home Address ______________________ Phone ______________________

Referring School ______________________

School student is being referred to ______________________

Program student is being referred to ______________________

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

_____________________________ __________________ Teacher Signature Date

_____________________________ __________________ Principal Signature Date

NOTE: SIGNED PARENT PERMISSION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PLACEMENT FORM IS REQUIRED FOLLOWING A PLACEMENT DECISION

Placement ____________________________ Date __________________

Appendix B

Parent Permission for Program Placement (Page One)

Student ____________________________ Date of Birth ________________ Month Day Year

Last Name ____________ First Name ____________

School ______________________ Grade ______________________

Program ______________________ School ______________________

PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN INFORMATION

Mother: Last Name ____________ First Name ____________

Father: Last Name ____________ First Name ____________

Address: ______________________ Phone: ____________

Program Description:

1. The Grasslands District Levels Program is designed to meet the needs of students with intellectual or complex medical disabilities and is located at three schools: Griffin Park School (grades 4 - 6), BJHS (grades 7 - 9) and BCHS (grades 10 - 12).

2. Students from Grasslands are eligible and placement is made through consultation with parents and district staff after assessment and achievement data are obtained.

3. The program is staffed by teachers and a number of assistants based on student and program needs.

4. Functional and adaptive skills including independent living, life, social and employment skills are emphasized through a variety of activities within the school and the community.

5. Assessment techniques reflect the classroom learning experiences which are based on modified expectations of the Alberta Education Program of Studies. Assessments may include: samples of daily work or portfolio; checklists, observation (formal and informal); specific task performance or group work; professional judgment; tests (formal, informal, oral and written); self and peer assessments.

6. Students in our program may spend time in a specialized setting, the regular classroom setting, community settings or, in most cases, a combination based on individual learning goals and objectives. An emphasis is placed on the development of skills required for the highest level of independent functioning the student is capable of, to facilitate the transition to adult life.

7. Students in this program work toward a Certificate of Program Completion which is awarded during high school graduation ceremonies.

Parent Permission for Program Placement (Page Two)

Parent/Legal Guardian Consent

PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN CONSENT

** When a court order or custody agreement stipulates that both parents must be involved in the decision making for a child, both parents must consent for placement.

I ____________________________ the parent and/or legal guardian of ____________________________ (Student Name)

PLEASE CHECK ONE:

☐ Give my consent

☐ Do not give my consent

to Grasslands Public Schools for placement of the above named student in the Grasslands Levels Program.

_____________________________ __________________ Parent/Legal Guardian Signature Date

☐ By signing this form and consenting to this service, I declare to be the legal guardian of this child, as defined in the Family Law Act.

YOUR CONSENT IS VOLUNTARY AND MAY BE WITHDRAWN AT ANY TIME BY NOTIFYING GRASSLANDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN WRITING.

_____________________________ __________________ Teacher Signature Date

_____________________________ __________________ Principal Signature Date

Copies to: Parent/Guardian/School - Student Record Portfolio

Appendix C

Special Program Placement Exit Form

Student ______________________ Exit Date __________________

Program Placement ______________________ School __________________

Has the parent/guardian been consulted? Please check one: ☐ Yes ☐ No

In consultation with those teachers providing direct services to the above named student, it was agreed to recommend that this student exit from this Special Needs Program Placement for the following reason(s):

☐ Student has successfully met the criteria of the I.P.P. (Individual Program Plan)

☐ Student has moved to another program. (Program Name): __________________

☐ Student has moved (specify where) __________________

☐ Parent/Guardian requested student exit program

☐ Other: ____________________________________

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: (Attach page if necessary)

_____________________________ __________________ Parent/Legal Guardian Signature Date

_____________________________ __________________ Special Needs Teacher Signature Date

_____________________________ __________________ Principal Signature Date

Please forward the exit form along with the Special Needs Enrolment Form to Central Office when completed (with the exception of Speech/Language exits)