Special Education Update – modernising learning support

• Special Education Update
• Update Action Plan
• Progress since January 2016
• 22 local improvement projects
• Linkages across the education sector and wider social services
• 2015 engagement findings2015 engagement findings
• Next steps
• Contact us
• Further information

Special Education Update

Over recent years, we’ve made significant progress towards inclusivity in the education system. About 95% of children who need additional learning support are now in mainstream education. However it is clear much more needs to be done. We’re building on improved inclusivity to ensure all learners receive the learning support they need to achieve their best throughout their education. The Special Education Update is looking at the whole education system, including our Ministry responsibilities, from early childhood through to tertiary education.

Update Action Plan

The Update action plan was released on 3 December 2015 along with the findings of significant engagement during 2015 about proposed improvements (see more about the engagement below).

The plan outlines a significant redesign of the education system for students who need learning support. This means:

• Designing a recognisable, simple system of learning support
• Redesigning and implementing a service delivery model that removes fragmentation, inflexibility and other barriers, and
• Ensuring the best use of funds and looking at the return on investment of all parts of the system

Progress since January 2016

Since the start of 2016 we’ve been working with others to design a simpler and more inclusive education system, including looking at the Ministry’s own special education responsibilities.

Currently we’re consolidating high level system and service design feedback and input from a great many people over recent months, including from:

• On the ground learning reported by the 22 local improvement projects started last year
• A broad range of national and local stakeholder meetings, including the Minister’s National Cross Sector Forum in March
• Regional workshops with Ministry and education sector leaders in 11 locations during March and April

Many of the March/April regional workshops involved Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), special school, ECE and school leaders working alongside our own managers. Participants fleshed out emerging system design concepts including how we improve the support our own Ministry provides.

22 local improvement projects

The 22 local projects are making immediate improvements to our current system and building readiness for change with the aim of making a difference right now.

Most projects are focusing on transitions or the earlier identification of support needs and we are working with sector partners including RTLB, special schools and communities of learning.

We are already seeing early results from some of the projects, for example:

• Better transitions from ECE to school:  in Canterbury 37 early childhood learners are participating with educators and parents in the We Are Ready transition programme and in Otago/Cromwell a similar project has seen an increase of six referrals in just the last month – around a 50% increase

• Simpler processes for parents and educators: the Porirua Early Access Project targets Māori and Pasifika early learners who might otherwise miss out – we’re expecting a 10% increase in these ECE referrals and to help improve participation in early learning too

• Earlier and better support for early childhood learners, their educators and parents: in Gisborne we’re working with 19 teachers to build their early language skills in eight early learning centres and two schools and also helping the teachers to run courses for their parents

• Supporting communities of learning: in the Hawkes Bay we’re partnering with two communities of learning to agree and tailor a bespoke local service mix, giving schools and ECE a real and ongoing say on how best to directly and indirectly support learners, parents and teachers

Linkages across the education sector and wider social services

To achieve the big shifts needed for a fully inclusive education system, we are actively aligning the Update with the Ministry’s other strategic priorities, in particular the:

• Education Act Update
• Investing in Educational Success and communities of learning
• the Funding Review
• quality teaching and learning
• and easier access to more inclusive education resources .

We are also aligning the Update with the other social supports a child and their whānau may receive, including significantly contributing in Children’s Teams and working with the Office of Disability Issues on the 2001 New Zealand Disability Strategy refresh. You can help – go to Join the conversation to help build a new disability strategy.

The Child Youth and Family ( CYF) modernisation changes outlined recently will make a real difference for thousands of children and their whānau. We’ll continue to work closely with other agencies in the months ahead to make this happen.

The new disability strategy will provide clear direction for government over the next 10 years, helping make informed decisions on issues that impact disabled people.

Next steps

We will provide high level information to Ministers in July to seek their endorsement of the future approach. Detailed work to test this will continue with our education sector partners and others through to the end of 2016. We are working toward starting national implementation from January 2017.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the Special Education Update please email  special.education@education.govt.nz or phone 0800 622 222.