Special Education

Introduction

In addition to funding and staffing provided to all students, there are a range of programmes, funding and staffing for those with special educational needs. These are provided directly to schools, through a fundholder or by application. The Ministry of Education website has information about these provisions.
Your local Ministry of Education (Special Education) District Office can also provide information. District Offices also have a variety of ways of collaboratively working with schools and other stakeholders. Contact details.

Special Education Grant

The special education grant is paid to schools as part of the operations grant. The intention is that it should be spent specifically to assist children with moderate special education needs. The grant is paid on a per capita basis according to the total roll of the school and varies according to decile rating. The funding levels can be found in the Funding, Staffing and Allowances Handbook in schools, accessible through the MoE website.

Parents should be consulted on the work to be done with their children.
The board must have policy guidelines on how the grant is to be used.
The Education Review Office includes the use made of the grant in its regular reviews of schools.
The ministry requires an annual report of how the grant has been used. Therefore, particular care needs to be taken on:

• the use of the grant
• accurate record keeping
• regular reporting.

More information may be found on the TKI website or in Leadspace.

Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme (ORRS)

The ongoing and reviewable resourcing schemes provide resources for students with very high, high or combined moderate needs that are likely to be ongoing through their school years.
Early childhood centres and schools apply to the chief verifier at the Ministry of Education for students to be verified onto the schemes. Parents or caregivers must be involved in the application process.
Students verified into the schemes generate funding at two levels. This is calculated as an average amount and is pooled by the fundholder to provide services to meet a student's specific needs. This is intended to provide any specialist and therapy support and teacher aide time. This is determined through the individual education plan (IEP).
Cases of students not verified or who are verified high rather than very high, may be the subject of review or mediation.
A school may request a further review. The request may be for reconsideration of the original application, or additional evidence, or a completely new application, as determined by the school and parents.
Appeals against the decision may only be lodged by parents (not schools, although they may assist) and may lead to independent arbitration. Requests for information about appeals should be directed to your local Ministry of Education office.
Schools with ORRS students also receive an administration and material grant for each verified student.
In addition to funding, ORRS students generate 0.1/0.2 FTTE entitlement staffing for their school. It should be used specifically to provide additional teaching for the students generating it.

Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)

RTLB are employed by a designated host school and are administered by a cluster of schools. A small number of RTLB are employed as RTLB (Maori). They have the same role as other RTLB but focus on the education of Maori students and often work across clusters.
The RTLB works with individual and/or groups of students, teachers and schools to enhance learning and modify the behaviour of referred students. Some work with homes/caregivers will be important.
Severe and Challenging Behaviour Initiative
Most Special Education teams provide advice and specialist support for students with severe and challenging behaviour. These specialist teams work with students, staff, homes and community agencies as appropriate.

Communication Initiative

This initiative is designed to:

• remedy severe communication difficulties of some students (not ESOL)
• improve the awareness and skill level of teachers, particularly of students in years 0-3, to deal with students who have a communication difficulty.

Students are referred to GSE speech language therapists for assessment and treatment. GSE may provide communication support workers to assist the student between sessions with the therapist.

School High Health Needs Fund

This initiative provides funding for teacher aides for students who because of their high health needs require help to attend school safely. They have no special education needs. It is expected that over time the student will be able to self-manage this high health need.
Schools should refer to the ministry's publication School High Health Needs Fund for information on criteria and how to make an application. Applications are made to the chief verifier. Schools and early childhood centres make the application and must involve the parent and caregiver.

Enhanced Programme Fund

Schools that have a disproportionate number of students with moderate special education needs can apply for this supplementary grant from the Ministry of Education.

Supplementary Learning Support

Supplementary Learning Support is a special education initiative designed to provide additional support to students with ongoing, significant education aneeds who have “just missed out” or who have significant learning needs similar to those that “just missed out” on verification for the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme (ORRS). Contact the Ministry of Education for further information.

***Other Sources of Information

Your local Ministry of Education (Special Education) office

• Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) Clusters. Effective Governance, Management and Behaviour Ministry of Education, October 2001 (under review, 2006)
• Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Schemes, Guidelines and Application Form for School Students Ministry of Education, December 2000
• School High Health Needs Fund, Guidelinese and Application Form for School Students Ministry of Education June 2001
• Assistive Equipment, Supporting Students with Special Education Needs Ministry of Education, January 2000
• ***Meeting Special Education Needs at School, Information for Boards of Trustees Ministry of Education, January 2002
• Ministry of Education website