Each year SEAC will address the development and review of the Special Education Plan, the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and the Special Education Budget.  Each of these activities has a specific deadline and, in order to allow time for adequate planning and review by SEAC members, these items should be scheduled into SEAC Agendas.  PAAC on SEAC recommends that SEAC develop an annual plan to support effective SEAC member participation in the school board planning cycle.  In Table 1, some key dates that will impact SEAC activities are listed.

Table 1: Important Dates or Deadlines

August 31 Year end for School Board Financial Statements
PD Days Typically late August, November, February, April and end of June
September 15 Draft Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement to be submitted to the Ministry of Education Regional office
October 31 Board Improvement Plans for Student Achievement to be submitted to Ministry of Education Regional Offices
October/November EQAO local results for Grade 3 and 6 tests and Grade 9 Mathematics provided to schools and boards
March Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
June EQAO Results for Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
July 31 School Board to submit balanced Budget for following year to Ministry of Education

Special Education Plan Checklist to be submitted to the Ministry of Education Regional Office

Effective Practices to Support Annual Planning by SEAC include:

  • Developing an Annual Calendar for SEAC showing what activities SEAC will focus on at each monthly meeting. (Check the PAAC on SEAC website at paac-seac.ca for PAAC on SEAC Annual Calendar for current year.)
  • Indicating in the SEAC annual calendar a column for the information SEAC members will need prior to each meeting.
  • Using an annual calendar to make sure that the development, or review, of the Special Education Report is considered throughout the year, rather than rushed at the end of the year.
  • Listing SEAC training or professional development activities in the annual calendar.
  • Orientation or information sessions on the special education budget, prior to the meeting when decisions about budgets need to be made.
  • Identifying important deadlines or events, such as the results from Education and Accountability Office (EQAO) and the semi-annual (October and March) Reports of Elementary and Secondary Students, in the calendar.
  • Considering new or special initiatives from the Ministry of Education to make sure information is provided to SEAC members.
  • Identifying the dates of school board Professional Development or Professional Activity Days, especially those that include a focus on special education, to allow SEAC participation in planning and during the activities.

PAAC on SEAC develops and shares an annual calendar of SEAC activities each fall for distribution to SEAC members, and a sample calendar is included in Table 2.   The most recent PAAC on SEAC annual calendar is available on the PAAC on SEAC website at www.paac-seac.ca  or from members of PAAC on SEAC, and is usually distributed each September.

Table 2: PAAC on SEAC Annual SEAC Calendar

ANNUAL CALENDAR OF SEAC ACTIVITIES
Month Annual Activities Activities
SEPTEMBER
  • Review special education component of Draft Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement
  • Review school board Accessibility Plans
  • Develop or review SEAC annual agenda/goals
  • Share information on process for nomination of new SEAC members
Request information on:

  • Board Improvement Plan for student achievement special education goals and performance indicators for past year and public awareness plan
  • Special Education PD Day plans for current year
  • Assessment processes/tools for special education students not participating in EQAO
  • New Ministry initiatives
  • Board Budget Process
OCTOBER
  • Develop process for review/development of Special Education Plan for following school year
  • Request update on last EQAO results: including deferrals, exemptions, participation rates, accommodations provided for special education students and achievement levels
NOVEMBER
  • Presentations on new initiatives or program reviews
  • Start/continue work on review of Special Education Plan
  • Start/continue work on SEAC annual goals
Request information on:

  • Numbers of exceptional students, placement data, suspensions expulsions data as submitted to Ministry on October 31st
  • Confirmation that all first term IEP reviews are completed
DECEMBER
  • If meeting held, finalize goals for SEAC
  • Start discussions on Special Education Program and Services changes being considered for next year
  • Confirm details of training sessions for new SEAC members and review SEAC Orientation Manual Contents
Request presentation on School Effectiveness Framework and Board Improvement planning processes
JANUARY
  • Financial Update: on previous year’s special education revenue, expenditures and reserve fund amount and budget process for following year
  • SEAC participation/report on school board accessibility planning
Check the EduGains website to see all of the IEP Samples.

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/SpecialEducation/index.html

FEBRUARY
  • Review proposed changes to special education programs and services being considered for next school year
  • Update on IEP quality improvement planning
Review parent resources to ensure they are user friendly and easy to understand
MARCH
  • Continue discussion of Special Education Programs and Services
APRIL
  • Request preliminary special education budget forecast for next school year
Monitor and participate in public consultations on Special Education Plan
MAY
  • Information update and discussion on special education plan and budget
JUNE
  • SEAC recommendations regarding special education plan and budget
  • Request Special Education statistics (including IEP and IPRC) for September meeting
  • Develop draft SEAC annual agenda and goals for next school year