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Transitions 1:
Academic:
- Basic letter/number identifications
- Developing and emerging literary skills
- Literary/numeracy skills pre-K to 2
- Developing printing and typing skills
- Requires frequent body and movement breaks
- Requires constant SEA 1-1 support
- Needs a home room classroom and personal visual schedule
- May have difficulties with self-regulation
- May have difficulties following routine
- Requires support with “hands-on” activities
- Difficulty with extended work periods
- Requires timer to indicate work/break times
- May Need 1-1 support for communication skills (AAC devices)
Social:
- Developing turn taking skills
- Difficulties understanding social roles
- Difficulties understanding social cues
- Developing understanding of personal space
- Difficulty following directions
- Modeling needed for expressive language skills
Independence:
- Needs 1-1 assistance for printing/keyboarding
- Needs 1-1 support for subject activities
- Needs assistance/prompts for subject transitions
- Needs assistance/prompts to follow visual schedule
- Needs assistance/prompts to self regulate
- Needs personal care assistance
- Needs help processing instructions
Transitions:
- Cannot Transition on own
Transitions 2:
Academic/Cognitive:
- Developing and emerging literary skills
- Developing and emerging numeracy skills
- Literacy and numeracy skills are between grades 1 – 3
- Developing printing and typing skills
- Requires frequent body and movement breaks
- Can sometimes answer WH comprehension questions
- Requires 1-1 SEA support to complete most tasks
- May have difficulties with self-regulation
- May have difficulties following routine
- Can sometimes follow teacher’s and SEA’s instructions
- Requires support to answer questions and complete worksheets
- Requires support when working on crafts and other hands on activities
- Has difficulties focusing for an extended period of time
- May have challenges with retaining previous information
- Is able to participate in all activities set by the teachers and SEAs
Social:
- Requires some assistance to facilitate friendships and social interactions
- Can take turns in games
- Able to follow some rules
- May not be able to compromise
- Has difficulties identifying social cues
- Difficulties understanding social roles
- Has difficulties identifying appropriate choices and behaviour
Independence:
- Can print letters independently
- Needs assistance to transition from subject/teachers to the next
- Can follow a visual schedule in order to anticipate what is coming up
- Some independence with self help skills, such as opening water bottles
- Has difficulties self regulating
- Has difficulties processing instructions
- Can participate in non preferred activities and games
Transitions:
- Has difficulties moving from block to block
- May have challenges with moving from one activity to another
Transitions 3:
Academic:
- Is able to work independently on a variety of activities and topics
- Able to answer questions with minimal support
- Can answer more than WH questions
- Able to write paragraphs with little SEA support
- Has a good grasp of grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- Literacy and numeracy skills are between grades 4 – 7
- Can read novels or nonfiction articles independently
- Able to complete multi-step activities and projects
Social:
- Can independently form friendships
- Can positively engage with peers
- Can compromise and play interactive games with peers
- Able to determine social cues from others based on behaviour, body language, and facial expressions
Independence:
- Transition from class to class independently
- Work independently
- Does not require many breaks throughout the day
- Can self-regulate appropriately in the class
- Able to sustain focus for duration of lesson and during teacher led instructions
- Can complete research projects independently
- Requires little 1-1 support
- Can keep track of own school supplies
Transitions:
- Can follow class schedule
- Able to move from class to class independently
- Able to follow different routines throughout the day
- Can independently follow different classroom rules and routines
Counseling and Transition Support/classes:
The school assists in the following ways with Transition support:
- Counseling about career options (counseling)
- Visits to preferred colleges/programs of interest and Career Fair (counseling)
- Community Based work experience (Transition teacher)
- Resume writing (Transition teacher)
- Sky train/bus training (Transition teacher)
- Strategic Planning for future employment if possible (Transition teacher)
- Work on Independence (Transition teacher and OT Staff)
Notes on Adaptations and Modifications:
Secondary Students may be pursuing the requirements for a Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) or they may be working towards a School Completion Certificate. It is important that students and parents understand the difference, and consider the effects that this decision will have on the students’ postsecondary options and choices.
The decision to place a student on an “adapted” or a “modified” program affects whether a student will graduate with a Certificate of Graduation, or leave school with a School Completion Certificate.
The following definitions are from the Ministry of Education’s “Special Education Services: a Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines”
Adaptations: An education program with adaptations retains the learning outcomes of the regular curriculum, and is provided so the student can participate in the program. Adaptations are teaching and assessment strategies made to accommodate a student’s special needs, and may include alternate formats (e.g., Braille, books-on-tape), instructional strategies (e.g., use of interpreters, visual cues and aids) and assessment procedures (e.g., oral exams, additional time, assistive technologies). Students with education programs that include adaptations are assessed using the standards for the course/program and can receive credit toward a Dogwood certificate for their work.
Modifications: A modified education program has learning outcomes that are substantially different from the regular curriculum, and specifically selected to meet the student’s special needs. For example, a Grade 9 student in a modified math program could be focusing on functional computational skills in the context of handling money and personal budgeting. Or, in language arts, a Grade 5 student could be working on recognizing common signs and using the phone. In these examples the learning outcomes are substantially different from those of the curriculum for most other students. To enable achievement, program may include some courses that are modified and others that have adaptations. Students in a modified program may come back for a Grade 13 and continue working on their goals if deemed suitable.
Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) Requirements:
BC’s secondary school students begin working on their graduation requirements in Grade 10. In order to graduate, they must complete specified courses and write three graduation assessments (Numeracy and Literacy in grade 10, and a second Literacy in grade 12). Students have choice and flexibility in how they meet the remaining requirements. Career Education 10 and 12 with a final capstone project are part of the mandatory requirements for graduation. It replaces the Graduation Portfolio Assessment.
For detailed information on Graduation Requirements, visit www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/
School Completion Certificate Program (Evergreen):
The School Completion Certificate Program supports students who are working towards meeting the goals of their individualized educational program other than graduation. The following is an excerpt from a Ministry of Education communication regarding process and procedures for the School Completion Certificate Program that was issued to school districts in January 2007: “In the spring of 2006, the Minister of Education made a commitment to maintain the Ministry of Education’s role in issuing School Completion Certificates. Along with this was the pledge to produce transcripts for students who are issued School Completion Certificates. A School Completion Certificate does not mark a ‘true graduation’, but is intended to recognize the accomplishments of students, including students with special needs, who have succeeded in meeting the goals of their educational program. All students, including those with special needs, in receipt of School Completion Certificates will now also receive a transcript of successfully completed work in Grades 10 to 12. Completed work may include both Graduation Program courses and locally developed courses.”
For more information on School Completion Certificates Program, visit www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/completion/
B.C Adult Graduation Diploma Program (Adult Dogwood):
An Adult Dogwood gives learners aged 18 and older an opportunity to go back to school part time and complete a high school diploma. This is offered through UpgradeBC and is free for residents of British Columbia. The courses necessary for the degree can be taken at many recognized institutions such as Douglas College, and most school districts have resources dedicated to adult education. To graduate with an Adult Dogwood, students must have completed:
- A required Language Arts 12 course
- A Math 11 or 12 course
- At least three additional Grade 12 electives, or a Grade 11 Socials Studies course and two additional Grade 12 electives
For students who have already completed some of these courses, and either dropped out or transitioned in to a modified programming, the credits acquired still count towards the Adult Dogwood. However, at least three of the courses on the above list must be completed after they have entered the Adult Graduation Program. Students may also complete Prior Learning Assessments (PLA) which are assessments of various types designed to gauge whether or not a student may qualify for credits without taking the course.
For more information on the B.C Adult Graduation Diploma Program, visit
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/adult-education/graduate-high-school/bc-adult-graduation-diploma-program and https://upgradebc.ca/
In Summary:
Adaptations:
An educational program with adaptations retains the learning outcomes of the regular program, and is provided so the student can participate in the regular program.
Students receiving adaptations will be evaluated based on the regular standards (i.e., extent to which learning outcomes are attained.
Examples of Adaptations:
- Use of reader/text reader software
- Use of scribe/voice recognition software
- Novels on tape
- Shortened assignments
- Provision of photocopied notes
- Use of checklists
- Use of spell-checker
- Enlarged print
- Provision of additional time
- Word recognition software
- Use of word processor
Students with educational programs that include adaptations can receive credit toward a Dogwood Diploma.
Note: To enable achievement, a student’s program may include some courses/subjects that are modified and others that have adaptations. If ANY courses are modified, then they will no longer be part of the Dogwood Program.
Modifications:
A modified educational program has learning outcomes that are substantially different from the regular program, and are specifically selected to meet the student’s special needs.
On a modified program, evaluation will be based on the degree to which the individualized outcomes are achieved (i.e., as established in the IEP).
Examples of Modifications:
- Functional literacy skills (e.g., print name, recite address, recognize signs)
- Functional math skills (e.g., money skills, use of calendar, telling time)
- Communication skills (e.g., use of PECS system, use of voice output devices)
- Self-care skills (e.g., brushing teeth, toileting, dressing)
- Life skills (e.g., food preparation, doing laundry, use of public transit system)
- Work experience for low incidence students (i.e., at secondary level)
A modified program does not meet the standards required for a Dogwood Diploma, but may lead to an Evergreen Certificate (School Completion), or an Adult Dogwood in the future.