Recent Developments in Special Education/Inclusion, January 2013. BCTF Research Report. RR2013-01

Overview & Synopsis

Several recent documents and presentations, most but not all from the British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Education, suggest that considerable changes are being floated as options for redesigning inclusive educational approaches in the BC K-12 public education system. The documents include: (1) "The BC Education Plan"; (2) "Global Education Leaders' Program (GELP) Case Study: Developing an Education System for the 21st Century--British Columbia, Canada"; (3) "Considerations for the Future of Special Education in BC" (BC Ministry of Education Powerpoint presentation to the Family Focus conference, October 2012); and (4) "Future Directions for Support Services: Pilots and Other Projects that Flow out of 'The Plan.'" In addition, one legal decision (the Jeffrey Moore case) may impact the provision of Special Education Services, and the disbursement of the Learning Improvement Fund (LIF) will impact staffing and, in some districts, professional development spending and provision. This paper looks at each of the above documents in turn, while also considering the Moore case and the LIF funding.