Learning Support Action Plan proactive release of papers

These papers relate to the release of the draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan, the engagement process and the outcome of that engagement.

They set out advice to Ministers leading to the agreement by Cabinet of the final Learning Support Action Plan and preparations for its publication and launch.

Learning Support Coordinators proactive release of papers

These papers relate to decisions on the first tranche of Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) roles, including allocation to schools and kura, the final role description and remuneration approach.

The allocation of LSCs has been an iterative process, with refinements and adjustments made in each briefing to the Minister. The LSC role is an integral part of the new approach to how learning support is provided, the Learning Support Delivery Model. For this reason, LSCs have been allocated to clusters of schools that are the most advanced with implementing the delivery model while providing a broad geographical coverage and a wide variety of types of schools and settings. The final allocation model sought to ensure a broad coverage across the country so that LSCs are allocated to a variety of types of schools and kura and settings, including rural and urban, to get a full picture of how the role will work before it is rolled out more widely.

To develop the LSC role description we drew on the findings of the Select Committee Inquiry to improve identification and support for children and young people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism spectrum disorders; feedback and submissions from engagement on the draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan; and key studies on SENCOs in New Zealand schools.

The remuneration approach for LSCs reflects the dedicated, full-time nature of the role and the requirement to be an experienced teacher in order to engage with kaiako | teachers to support the development of their practice in working with children and young people with a range of learning support needs.

Allocating Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) roles

Implementation of the Learning Support Delivery Model (LSDM)

The LSDM brings local early learning services, kōhanga reo, schools and kura together to work together with the Ministry, other agencies, iwi and service providers, to identify local needs and resources, and plan support based on what they know works. It relies on schools working together collaboratively in a cluster.

In November 2016, Cabinet agreed to a pilot in 3 Communities of Learning in the Bay of Plenty - Waiariki region from the start of the 2017 school year to test the appropriateness and practicality of the LSDM for national implementation.

The Ministry began a pilot of the LSDM in the Ōtūmoetai (Tauranga), Whakatane and Taupō Communities of Learning in early 2017. In August 2017, the decision was made to begin implementation by going to another 30 clusters in the ten Ministry of Education regions. Subsequently, the aim was to achieve close to full implementation by the end of 2019.

The LSDM is voluntary. Until 2 August 2019, there was no resource available for schools implementing the LSDM, and schools did so with the understanding that there was no additional funding.

By the end of 2018, 203 clusters comprising 1,659 schools and kura were at different stages of LSDM implementation. The Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs) were allocated to 124 of these clusters at a ratio of 1 LSC for approximately 500 students in a cluster. The allocation of the first tranche of LSCs covers 300,750 children and young people in 1,052 schools.

As at March 2019, there were 225 clusters with 1,863 schools progressing the LSDM. A further 660 schools had not begun to engage with the LSDM.

Of the clusters progressing the LSDM, 101 clusters covering 811 schools did not receive an LSC allocation in this first tranche.

A number of clusters not involved in the LSDM or in early phases at the end of 2018 have made progress since December 2018, and some may have even surpassed the progress of others on the list receiving allocations. However, it was necessary to pick a specific data point from which to base the modelling of various allocation options to inform Ministerial decisions. The complexity of the variables and analysis meant that it was not possible to update data on cluster progress as we carried out this modelling work.

In addition, some individual schools have been actively working to embed the principles of the LSDM in their practice. However, a collective approach was not as visible across the school’s cluster or Kāhui Ako and, as at December 2018, the cluster was not considered to be active in the LSDM.

Planning for the future tranches will be worked through once schools and kura have had time to implement the first tranche. We will be taking into account a variety of insights gained from experience with the first tranche and will be open to considering feedback from sector organisations to inform the allocation process. Any subsequent tranches will be subject to future budget processes.

Progressing the LSDM implementation

Regional implementation of the LSDM is measured using guidance developed by the Ministry known as the BERPI. The BERPI is used internally by the Ministry to provide a view at a point in time of progress at implementing of the LSDM. The letters BERPI stand for the 5 phases of implementation progress:

• Beginning.
• Engagement.
• Refining.
• Pre-implementation.
• Implementation.

The BERPI is not a linear process. Implementation activity is not confined to a particular phase. Local and regional factors and available resources will influence the approaches used by clusters at each phase to implement and work in the LSDM way.

For each of the 5 phases there are a number of indicators that characterise likely engagement and activity by the cluster at that phase.

Each school term, the Ministry’s regional learning support teams provide an update on the clusters in their area, basing their update assessment of where each cluster is at in respect of the 5 phases.

This provides a national view of implementation progress of the LSDM over time and indicates where new clusters have begun engaging in the model.

The December 2018 regional rollout map can be found below. It shows:

• total number of clusters at each BERPI phase by region
• total number of early learning services, schools and kura at each BERPI phase by region
• total number of children and young people involved at each BERPI phase by region
• total number of Māori medium kura and kōhanga reo at each BERPI phase by region.

Allocating the first tranche of Learning Support Coordinators

LSCs have an important role in implementing and strengthening the delivery model. They work with other LSCs in their community to understand local needs and are part of the LSDM to access available supports and services.

For the allocation of the first tranche of LSCs, the level of engagement with the LSDM was determined by Ministry staff working with clusters to implement the model using information from December 2018.

When allocating the Learning Support Coordinator (LSCs) a range of factors have been considered.

To make sure LSCs get the support they need to be effective, we have prioritised allocation to clusters in the three most advanced phases of LSDM implementation – the Refining, Pre-implementation and Implementation phases, based on the BERPI guide as of December 2018.

It was not possible to allocate LSCs to all clusters, particularly, those in the first two phases – Beginning and Engagement. Within these two phases, the allocation has also taken account of specific characteristics, including:

• the proportion of rural schools in a cluster
• proportion of Māori and Pacific students
• the number of Māori medium in a cluster
• the total number of students in a cluster.

In some instances, the distance between schools or the number of small schools in a cluster can mean that adjustments were needed to make sure LSC roles are distributed more equitably. To address this, other factors are taken into account including:

• the schools’ geographic distance from each other
• the number of schools in the community
• the number of LSC that would be allocated.

This ensures that LSCs are allocated to a variety of schools and settings so we can test and refine the allocation model and role before it is rolled out more widely.

The following 3 documents provide more information about the allocation of LSCs.