Page 2843 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 14 August 2019
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Difficulties to provide recommendations for classroom level intervention, and support for children and young people in ACT public schools who have learning difficulties. The Taskforce provided a final report to the then ACT Minister for Education and Training, Ms Joy Burch in July 2013, identifying fourteen strategies under three key themes:
• A consistent systemic approach to maximise specific learning outcomes of students with Learning Difficulties;
• Building staff capacity to meet the needs of students with Learning Difficulties; and
• Partnerships with Families.
The Education Directorate’s implementation of these strategies throughout 2014 led to the development of a comprehensive suite of professional learning packages and resources for school leadership teams, teachers, learning support assistants, and parents/carers. For teaching staff this included development of a comprehensive online resource, the Learning Difficulties LIFE page, that continues to be accessible to school staff through the ACT Education Digital Backpack. The LIFE page is a repository for video presentations, templates, handouts and training videos to complement the professional learning package delivered at this time.
The Learning Difficulties Teacher Online Resource book continues to be valued by teaching staff, along with the ongoing professional learning package “Understanding Dyslexia and Significant Reading Difficulties”. To further build school capacity to support students with learning difficulties, each school identified a representative teacher to receive specialist training in learning difficulties, supported by school psychologists and field literacy and numeracy officers. A Learning Difficulties Good Practice Guide was also developed for school psychologists outlining a comprehensive psycho-education assessment protocol, available assessment tools, and supporting resources and a Response to Intervention Pilot Study was undertaken in selected schools.
Targeted workshops were delivered to parents and carers and a range of resources were developed for families. A review was also undertaken of the Gifted and Talented Student Policy to include “dual exceptionality” (that is gifted students who also present with one or more specific learning difficulties; physical, emotional or behavioural disabilities; or other factors which may impair performance and mask high potential). All of these resources continue to be available on the Education Directorate’s website.
Senior psychologists will be presenting the “Understanding Learning Difficulties” face to face workshop in terms 3 and 4 this year. It is intended that these workshops will continue to be available each term.
Evidence based literacy instruction in ACT schools
All ACT public schools use evidence-based literacy approaches to support their students’ education needs. Currently in the ACT, the Directorate’s approach is to provide balanced literacy instruction to all students to ensure equity of outcomes, and as such schools focus on a range of strategies to teach reading.
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