News Release

Improved quality and accountability in special education

TORONTO – (January 27, 2000)  Greater accountability, province-wide standards, and an increase in funding for special education are key parts of Ontario’s three-year plan for quality special education, Education Minister Janet Ecker announced today.

“Parents of students with special needs want to know that their children will receive the right support and services,” said Ecker. “They’ve told us that we need to do a better job of making sure their children get the support they need to receive a quality education. They have also told us that they were often frustrated by their lack of voice and role in making decisions about special education for their children.”

Ecker outlined Ontario’s plan for greater accountability and quality standards. Working with the education community, the province will:

• set standards for individual education plans and school boards’ overall special education programs, and start monitoring individual education plans in the Fall of 2000;
• develop program standards that will set province-wide criteria for special education programs. The first program standards will be ready in 2001;
• make it easier for parents to access co-ordinated services such as social, health, educational, speech-language, and psychological services for children with special needs. The Ministry of Education will work with parents, other Ontario government ministries and education partners to achieve better coordination of these services.

Ecker said that Ontario is also keeping its commitment to protect and increase funding for special education as needs grow.

“We are already providing more than $1.2 billion in protected funding for special education each year, more than ever before in Ontario’s history,” Ecker said. “In 1998-99, the government invested an additional $127 million in special education. Last March, we announced additional annual funding of $2.5 million for students who have extraordinarily high needs for intensive supports. We also increased special education funding by $30 million for the current (1999-2000) school year. I am pleased to confirm today that this $30 million will now be permanently added to the special education grant.”

“We will also provide additional resources, starting in the 2000-2001 school year, to ensure that boards maintain services for students with special needs and provide services for students who are new or whose needs have increased. This will mean an estimated $40 million in additional funding.”

“Ontario is putting the focus where it should be – on providing the programs and services to meet children’s needs,” Ecker said. “The best place to get this done is at the local level, with teachers, principals, and parents working together to prepare individual education plans. Setting standards for individual education plans will give parents a clear picture of what services boards will be providing their sons and daughters. Better information for parents means they will have a stronger voice in planning their child’s education.”

“All special education funding continues to be protected, which means that school boards are required to use this funding only for special education. An additional improvement is that boards will be given more flexibility to use the resources in the most effective way to meet the objectives of a student’s individual education plan.”

“Increased accountability and province-wide standards are key parts of Ontario’s plan for quality in education. We are now using the same approach to help our schools give special education students the opportunity to learn and grow to their full potential – the same opportunity we want for all Ontario’s children. We want to make sure supports are in place to give students with special needs the opportunity to learn.”