I.N.C.L.U.D.E. Strategy: Roles and responsibilities of school teams and SRPSD Inclusive Education Team
Classroom Teachers
The classroom teacher is key to every student’s educational program and is a member of a collaborative school-based team to support the inclusion of students with higher needs. The classroom teacher, in collaboration with the school-based team and the SRPSD Inclusive Learning Team, is responsible for the planning, implementation, assessment and reporting of each student’s educational program. Collaborative teams include the classroom teacher, education support teacher, parents, consultants, and administrators. To foster student success and achievement, the classroom teacher regularly collaborates with team members, considers the learning needs of the child, and adjusts the learning plan accordingly.
Responsive Instruction: Classroom Level Supports – Multi-level Instruction
Inclusive Education: A Guide for Classroom Teachers
Educational Support Teachers
Educational Support Teachers perform an array of collaborative roles, such as those identified below, in order to assist classroom teachers in building an educational plan in response to student needs.
| A Learning Support Coach | provides indirect support to targeted students through direct consultation with the classroom teacher. |
| A Co-Teacher | co-plans and co-teaches with the classroom teacher in a classroom context. |
| A Peer Collaborator | works together with the classroom teacher to solve a problem or develop a plan of support. |
| A Supportive Teacher | provides direct instruction or support to individual students or groups of students. |
| An Interventionist | Works with school-wide models (e.g. Response to Intervention and/or Instruction; School-Wide Positive Behavioural Supports) to provide support at multiple levels and across multiple settings. |
*** Government of Saskatchewan, Actualizing a Needs-Based Model
Educational Support Teachers play a central role in SRPSD’s collaborative support model that identifies students’ needs, develops and actualizes an Inclusion and Intervention Plan with contributions of various stakeholders in the school, in the Division, at home and in the community. The Educational Support Teacher collaborates with classroom teachers, administrators, the SRPSD Student Support Services Collaborative Team (C-Team), parents and students to focus on individual student growth.
Educational Support Teachers: Forms and Resources
Inclusive Education: A Guide for Educational Support Teachers
Principal
Principals are educational leaders of the school community. They are ultimately responsible for the delivery of quality educational programming tailored to the needs of every student. Accordingly, the principal ensures that students requiring intensive supports have an Inclusion and Intervention Plan (IIIP) and consults regularly with the classroom teacher, the EST and the parents/guardians on the progress of the students with IIPs.
The principal uses their leadership skills to foster a school culture that promotes ongoing collaboration within a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Recognizing the positive impacts of a collaborative PLC on student growth and achievement, the principal ensures that classroom teachers, Educational Support Teachers and support personnel have ongoing, embedded opportunities to collaborate as a school-based inclusion team to design, implement, monitor and assess the multiple educational programs necessary to meet the needs of each individual student.
The school principal also works with the SRPSD Student Support Services team and the superintendent in identifying and providing necessary resources to meet student needs in an inclusive learning environment.
School Support Allocation Plan
- To be completed each September and submitted to Superintendent of Schools responsible for Intensive Supports
Inclusive Education: A Guide for School-Based Leaders
Educational Associates
Under the direct supervision of the principal, a Student Support Services Educational Associate (EA) is assigned to a classroom with students who require intensive supports. In collaboration with the Educational Support Teacher, classroom teacher and other professionals, the EA assists the classroom teacher in supporting students in achieving at their full potential. Daily routines, personal care, academic, behavioural, and social domains are areas of proficiency that an EA assists a student in achieving. It is common that there is more than one student who requires intensive supports in a classroom. Under the direction of professional staff, the Educational Associate may also have a partnership role in collaborating with parents and the community.
The Educational Associate Handbook: General Information and Guidelines provides further information on the duties, expectations and the code of conduct for educational associates.