Ministry of Education Documents

The following documents will be of interest to families of children with special needs who are entering or enrolled in the publicly funded school system. This is not a comprehensive list but a selection of resources that the Ministry of Education has available for families on the Website at: www.edu.gov.on.ca

Regulations of the Education Act:

Regulation 181/98 of The Education Act, for Identification And Placement of
Exceptional Pupils – This Regulation provides the legal definitions of the terms and expressions used in the Identification and Placement Review Committee (IPRC) Process.  The Regulation lays out the timelines for the IPRC and Appeal Process.

Regulation 464/97 of the Education Act, for the Establishment of Special Education
Advisory Committees – This regulation provides the legal definitions for the membership and activities of the Special Education Advisory Committees (SEAC).  Every school
board must have a SEAC and members provide advice to the Trustees and Administration regarding Special Education Programs and Services and associated budget.

Resource Guides:

Special Education in Ontario: Policy and Resource Guide (2017)

This document brings together regulations and resource guides that form the policy basis for special education in Ontario.  It includes:

  • Individual Education Plans Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation (2000)
    – This document describes the province-wide standards that school boards must meet when developing, implementing, and monitoring Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for exceptional students, in accordance with Regulation 181/98 of the Education Act, and for
    students not identified as exceptional who are receiving a special education program
    and services.
  • Standards for School Boards’ Special Education Plans (2000) – This document describes the province-wide standards that school boards must meet when developing their special education plans.  Each board is required to maintain a special education plan, to review it annually, to amend it from time to time to meet the current needs of its exceptional students, and to submit any amendment(s) to the Minister for review.
  • Information about Early Identification and Intervention
  • Information about Transition Plans in and out of school, between grades and for the transition out of High School

The Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline (2000) – The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is the
record of a student’s educational progress through schools in Ontario. The Education Act requires that the principal of a school collect information “for inclusion in a record in respect
of each pupil enrolled in the school and to establish, maintain, retain, transfer and dispose of the record”.

Planning Entry to School, A Resource Guide (2005) – This document is designed for use by school staff, parents and community agencies to plan successful transition into school.

Shared Solutions, A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students With Special Education Needs (2007) – This document provides information on special education, Understanding Conflict, Preventing Conflicts, Resolving Conflicts, and Collaborative approaches to Resolving Conflicts. The Guide emphasizes the importance of communication in preventing and resolving conflicts

Education for All, The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6 (2005)  – The Ministry of Education established the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With
Special Education Needs to recommend practices, based on research, that would allow Ontario’s teachers to improve and reinforce effective instruction of reading, writing, oral communication, and mathematics to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 who have special education needs.

Learning for All, A guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 (2013) – Resource guide outlining an integrated process of assessment and instruction for elementary and secondary school educators across Ontario that is designed to help raise the bar and close the gap in achievement for all students.

Making a Difference For Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ontario Schools, From
Evidence to Action, Report of the Ministers’ Reference Group on Autism Spectrum Disorders
to: Minister of Education and Minister of Children and Youth Services, (2007)  – This document provides an overview of Ministry efforts to address the needs of students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and developed a Vision and Guiding Principals that are reflected in the Recommendations they made to both Ministries.

Helping Your Child Learn to Read, A Parent’s Guide (2001) – This guide contains tips that parents (and caregivers) can use to encourage their young children to read and to love reading. It will be most useful for parents of young children who are just beginning to read.

Helping Your Child Learn Math, A Parent’s Guide (2002) – This guide suggests simple activities that you, as a parent,* can do with your young child to explore math at home. It will be most useful for parents of children in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 3.

Me Read? No Way! A practical guide to improving boys’ literacy skills (2004) –
This guide offers a rich source of practices and strategies that are being used in
successful literacy programs for boys around the world and that educators in Ontario can draw  on to create a stimulating and engaging learning environment for both boys and girls.