Getting to know your Inclusive Education Policy

The Chilliwack School District (SD33) recently published our new “Inclusive Education” document in 2022 as part of our district’s 2021-2025 strategic plan. Most of the language and ideas around inclusion go beyond students with special needs and include discussions of diversity with a focus on Indigenous students as well. 

Alignment #1: The first area that SD33’s Inclusive Education document aligns with the Ministry of Education’s document through their shared vision and definition of what inclusive education means! This shared language of “equity” is incredibly important to focus on so that all students are given what they need to be able to succeed in an inclusive environment. SD33, “promotes an inclusive education system in which every learner is welcomed, given opportunities to participate and achieve, and has equitable access to a rich and authentic educational experience.” In comparison, the Ministry of Education writes that “inclusion describes the principle that all students are entitled to equitable access to learning, achievement and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their educational programs.”

Alignment #2: The second area that SD33’s Inclusive Education document aligns with the Ministry of Education’s document is through their discussion of IEPs. In particular, the SD33 document focuses on the development and creation of competency-based IEP goals go heavily into detail. In the document itself, the district regularly mentions the provincial ministry of education policies and how the district itself is addressing them (see below). SD33 defines the purpose of the competency-based IEP as, “learner-focused, strength-based, and intricately linked to the classroom and curriculum. Each section of the CBIEP contributes to an understanding of the learner’s strengths and stretches and fosters a shared understanding of how best to meet their unique needs.” Similarly, the ministry states that, “an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a documented plan developed for a student with special needs that describes individualized goals, adaptations, modifications, the services to be provided, and includes measures for tracking achievement”, thus focusing and making the student the centre of learning. 

An area that could be strengthened: Overall, as this document is relatively new, it’s up to date with current policies, and discussions around inclusion and diversity, and is incredibly detailed/rigorous. Therefore, it's hard to find a fault. However, my biggest issue with this document is that it is not readily accessible! I had to search within our district’s SharePoint to find the document. This is not something that we have been presented with at school or even referenced in parent IEP consultations. This document has a lot of good information about the role of parents and the community in the inclusive classroom, meaning it should really be available for everyone to see it.