Workbook final

In Section 6, the policy lays out in detail the standards that are to be met, which include requirements:

for the whole school personnel to ensure that each student can participate fully in a "common learning

environment", by applying student-centered learning principles and providing accommodations (6.1);

for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) and school districts to establish

and maintain systemic supports that include personnel, as well as policy, funding and capacity-building

strategies (6.2), comprising in particular eleven responsibilities for school principals to achieve an inclusive

school (6.2.1), for instance, the principal must provide professional learning opportunities for teachers, as

well as hiring any other school personnel as appropriate; support professionals and paraprofessionals in the

use of flexible instructional strategies including Universal Design for Learning, differentiation and multi-level

strategies; monitor and communicate to the Office of the Superintendent the current and future needs

regarding the provision of accessible physical environments. The section also includes the explicit

prohibition of 1. segregated, self-contained programs or classes for students with learning or behavioural

challenges, either in school or in community-based learning opportunities, and 2. alternative education

programs for students enrolled in kindergarten to grade eight (6.2.2);

for school principal to ensure that for certain students a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) is designed by a

team consisting of the school administration, teacher(s), relevant members of the Education Support

Services (ESS) Team, as well as parents, the student, and educational assistants as appropriate, and support

people from community organizations as required (6.3.2) and for classroom teachers to develop,

implement, update, review, monitor and evaluate the PLP (6.3.3);

The policy also specifies in the Section when a variation of the common learning environment may be

implemented to address the needs of a student. These conditions are individualized and strictly limited to

the demonstration that “the school’s capacity to meet the needs of the student, even when supported by

the school district and EECD, is not sufficient to achieve the learning outcomes” and have to be reviewed

regularly (6.4). They ensure that the system has flexibility to meet the needs of individual students.

Section 6.5 specifies what needs to be done in case a behaviour crisis occurs and that any removal from the

common learning environment is not used as a punishment and temporary.

Meanwhile Section 6.6 deals with suspensions - use of which has to be minimized -, and 6.7 with grade

retention – that should not be a standard educational practice -, Section 6.8 establishes that a single version

of the New Brunswick High School Diploma must be granted, including those completing an individual PLP,

and that the ceremony of graduation should be held in respect of equity and inclusion.

Each superintendent must establish a district-based Education Support Services (ESS) Team to support the

school-based ESS Team to ensure the capacity-building and skill development, to assist school-based staff to

develop programs and strategies that facilitate student success in learning; to focus activities and work

plans on strengthening the capacity of the school-based team to solve problems, etc. (6.9).

The principal must establish and operationalize a School-Based Education Support Services (ESS) Team to

provide systemic support (e.g., coordination) to classroom teachers, to meet on a regular basis, preferably