Smooth Transitions: Reconnecting Students and Families through School Transition Programs
This program offered students and families the opportunity to reconnect with the school community, alleviate concerns about returning to school, and access valuable resources. It included school visits, featuring a tour and the chance to explore additional supports.
The Special Education Liaisons developed and distributed resources to all elementary schools, reaching a total of 522 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. The secondary transition program, running alongside Headstart, focused on helping targeted secondary students return to school, with 174 students participating in the program.
Prioritizing Inclusive Support in Individual Education Plans
Student Services continued to guide the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) while supporting schools in crafting suitable programs for students. A strong focus was placed on employing curriculum modifications only as a last resort, ensuring that all other interventions were explored first. To enhance insights, a comprehensive analysis of IEP data was undertaken, examining the number of IEPs by grade, school, and type of support—whether through accommodations, modifications, alternative expectations, or a combination.
Wherever feasible, staff were encouraged to support students with universal strategies and effective teaching practices, minimizing the need for IEPs. A new procedural step introduced this year requires Superintendent approval before any curriculum modifications are implemented, reinforcing a thoughtful approach to program adjustments.
Enhancing Student Support through Multidisciplinary Teams and Early Intervention
Student Services provides a multidisciplinary team model to support each family of schools. With the implementation of our new referral system, which consolidates all discipline referrals in one platform, we have been able to respond more efficiently to needs across the system. Schools continued to follow the Special Education process to access appropriate support for students. By focusing on early intervention, students received timely professional assessments, along with the necessary resources and support to help them reach their full potential.
In response to the recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read report and the introduction of the new Ontario Language Curriculum, we maintained our emphasis on early screening and intervention for struggling readers. Professional development was designed and delivered in collaboration with Program and Student Services to enhance staff knowledge and awareness of structured, evidence-based reading programs.
Project SEARCH Waterloo Region
Project SEARCH Waterloo Region is a partnership between WCDSB, St. Mary’s General Hospital, and KW Habilitation. This 10-month program provides students with an intellectual developmental disability in their final year of secondary school with valuable work experience, employability, life skills training, and employment planning and support. WCDSB proudly celebrated the graduation of our second group of interns from Project SEARCH Waterloo Region on June 25, 2024.
Summer Boost Program: Targeted Support for Student Success in Math and Literacy
As in previous years, WCDSB delivered Summer Learning Programs aimed at supporting our most vulnerable students, parents, and communities. These programs focused on providing additional help in Mathematics and Literacy to students who required extra support to succeed. Student selection was guided by learning profiles, such as the presence of an IEP, registration date/time, and sibling enrolment, with the primary target being students on IEPs and those approaching provincial standards.
The program employed a team-teaching model, with two Classroom Teachers and one Educational Assistant in each classroom. Additionally, each of the three school sites had a dedicated Special Education Teacher. The program was further supported by a Literacy Resource Teacher, a Numeracy Resource Teacher, and an Assistive Technology Educational Assistant to ensure comprehensive support for all learners.
