LAKELAND - During a Jan. 17 Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) board meeting, Larissa Langevin, Director of Instruction for Inclusive Education, presented the Inclusive Education Accountability Report to the board, detailing key findings.
“It’s really important to understand schools’ unique contacts and how their specific site and demographics may impact their needs,” said Langevin.
She emphasized the collaborative process between school administrators, student advocacy counsellors, educational assistants, and teachers, which are all integral to helping students with disabilities.
According to the report, nearly one-third of NLPS schools have an Individualized Program Plan (IPP) or Individualized Support Plan (ISP).
For the 2023-24 school year, 1,870 students applied for either the IPP or ISP program. There has been an increase in students with severe disabilities. This school year, there are 508 students with severe disabilities, an increase from last year’s 309.
Langevin elaborated that the overall increase in students with disabilities was due to increased assessments made possible because of the Alberta Education Specialized Assessment Grant, which includes speech language, audiology, occupational therapy, psychological, and vision assessments.
Initiatives
One challenge the school board faces is staff shortages, which means educational assistants (EAs) with little to no experience have been hired to fill positions.
“We need to find ways to become more competitive in the recruitment and retention of all staff,” explained Langevin. “These needs are increasingly complex, which calls for innovative and creative approaches.”
The board is working on initiatives and incentives to draw staff from remote areas and wants to see more programming supports and sustainability to address complex needs.
NLPS aims to build capacity by developing training for Educational Assistants through the Classroom Complexity Grant. A program called Mission Possible EA Training will provide EAs with five hours of training.
The division is also partnering with an inclusion consultant who is directly working with five schools. Additionally, the board will launch the Educational Assistant Internship Pilot Program providing 15 EAs the opportunity to train and practice in the community.
