Resources and Links

Alberta Education Special Education Resources

Publications and resources for special education from Alberta Education

BC CASE : BC Council of Administrators of Special Education

The BC CASE website provides news, contact information, resources and professional learning opportunities for educators in BC.  We hope our website will serve as YOUR environment for news, resources and lively discussions on topics relevant to special education in BC.

Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) Courses

BAA courses are offered or developed by Boards of Education or independent school authorities to meet student needs and interests. They are authorized by boards/authorities according to requirements set by the Ministry of Education. See www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/board_authority.htm for information related to Policy Document: Board/Authority Authorized Courses.

BCELC: British Columbia Education Leadership Council

The British Columbia Education Leadership Council develops and improves the leadership skills of our provincial community in education. The organization aims to develop and improve the leadership skills of new and existing principals and vice-principals across British Columbia’s K-12 school system

BCESIS: British Columbia enterprise Student Information System

BCeSIS is the acronym for British Columbia enterprise Student Information System, the common student information system for the Province of British Columbia. This website supports school districts as they implement BCeSIS in their schools, and is for registered users who currently use BCeSIS or are planning to implement the system.

British Columbia Ministry of Education Special Education Resources

A comprehensive collection of publications , guidelines, and resource documents from the BC Ministry of Education pertaining to topics and issues in Special Education  

British Columbia Ministry of Education School District Innovative Practices

This document is created by BC Ministry of Education, Special Education Department, to share and highlight current innovative practices in school districts in British Columbia.   Special education department  Staff Picks are highlighted monthly on the BC CASE website.

CASE: Council of Administrators of Special Education:

CASE is an international professional educational organization that is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The CASE website provides resources and information for leadership and support to members regarding policies and practices which impact the quality of education.

CEC: Council for Exceptional Children:

CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

CYSN: Children and Youth with Special Needs - A Framework for Action

The CYSN Framework for Action is B.C.’s cross-government-initiative strategy to improve access, quality and coordination of services for children and youth with special needs and their families across the ministries of Education, Children and Family Development and Health Services.

For more information, download a copy of Children and Youth with Special Needs – A Framework for Action: Making it work! This publication has been translated and is now available in French.

Every Principal’s Guide to Special Education in British Columbia

Produced by the B.C. School Superintendents’ Association in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Education. Revised August 2002.

Functional Curriculum Resources Review

The Functional Curriculum Resources Review  provides information on resources for instruction in functional, life skills curriculum for BC students in grades 10 through 12. The Functional Curriculum Resources Review is a BC CASE project, funded by the BC Ministry of Education in 2008-2009.

 High Incidence Audit Report Summary pdf

Audit report summary of observations and recommendations. Between 2005/06 and 2007/08, audit teams appointed by the Ministry of Education undertook special education enrolment audits in 16 districts.  Several of these audits focussed on students reported in high incidence categories.

Kids Health:

Information on physical and neurological conditions  

LATA: Learning Assistance Teachers' Association

The Learning Assistance Teachers’ Association is one of the BCTF’s 33 provincial specialists’ associations (PSA's) that advise the BCTF Executive Committee regarding assessment, technology, teacher education, and curriculum/resources. Listen to LATA overview.

PISP: Provincial Integration Support Program:

The Provincial Integration Support Program is an outreach service mandated to assist schools throughout British Columbia, in meeting the educational needs of students with multiple severe/profound physical and cognitive disabilities. The website provides information and resources for people working with students with multiple severe/profound physical and cognitive disabilities. Listen to the PISP overview

PEIRS: PROVINCIAL EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (PDF)

The purpose of the provincial demonstration classroom is to provide a specialized short term program for primary students who have been diagnosed with a learning disability and to provide teachers, schools and school districts with the information and skills necessary to make informed choices about research based practice, guide choices for professional development and to improve early intervention services for at risk students. View the PEIRS presentation.

POPARD: Provincial Outreach Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders:

POPARD provides consultation, training and support services to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).The website provides information and resources for people working with students with  Autism Spectrum Disorder.

POPFASD:Provincial Outreach Program for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder:

POPFASD’s website provides information about the effects of FASD on student learning and behaviour.  POPFASD shares current research, ideas, strategies, training and resources to build capacity in school districts to support students with FASD and their teachers and team members.   Listen to POPFASD overview.

PRCVI: Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired:

The Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired is a Ministry of Education Provincial Resource Program. The mission of the PRCVI is to provide leadership, information, training and consultation to support school districts' goals of equitable access and enhanced learning opportunities for students with visual impairments. The primary function of PRCVI is to provide British Columbia school districts and Group 1 & 2 Independent schools with alternate formats of provincially recommended learning resources and specialized equipment to support the educational needs of students with visual impairments. Listen to PRCVI overview

Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Teacher Assistants:

A BCTF/CUPE Joint Paper

Saskatchewan Education Special Education Resources:

Publications and resources for special education from Saskatchewan Education

SEA: Special Education Association

The SEA is a provincial organization that works through the BCTF to provide quality education opportunities for all students with special learning needs. SEA provides educators with professional learning opportunities and information on current issues in special education. Listen to the SEA overview

SET-BC: Special Education Technology – British Columbia:

SET-BC is a Ministry of Education Provincial Resource Program that provides assistive technology services to BC school districts. SET-BC loans technology and provides technical support, training and resources to meet the educational needs of students with physical disabilities, visual impairments, moderate to profound cognitive challenges, and autism spectrum disorders. Listen to SET-BC overview

Accessible Books Collection: SET-BC (http://www.setbc.org/setbc/accessiblebooks/default.html)
Over 500 popular children’s books that have been converted into electronic form and narrated by live readers.  Most are in PPT form and can be played with PPT Player if you don’t have PPT.  If you live in BC, you can request these books on CD free of charge if you have a hard cover copy of the book in your school library.

ARC-BC : Accessible Resource Centre – British Columbia : a joint project of SET-BC and PRCVI (http://www.arc-bc.org/) ARC-BC is a Ministry of Education funded collection of alternate format materials based on recommended resources for the BC K-12 curriculum. It contains digital resources in a variety of formats created for students with perceptual disabilities.

Special Education Course Guide: pdf

2008 course guide to special education courses at colleges and universities. Compiled by BC CASE for BC Special Education Professional Learning Series (  PLS )

Standards for Special Education:

Links to standards legislation and information for administrators, teachers and teaching assistants

Supporting Meaningful Consultation with Parents pdf

2008 BC CASE resource document for educators and parents

Teaching to Diversity Website:

subsite of BCTF website with information, strategies, and resources related to special education, learning assistance and ESL. See Resource Inventory page

UDL Goes to School pdf

This article describes Universal Design for Learning and the BC UDL Project outcomes for 2007-2008.

Universal Design for Learning and the BC UDL Project:

Information on Universal Design for Learning, the BC UDL Project and contains A comprehensive list of UDL-based resources for educators.