The Department for Education, Children and Young People supports the rights of children and young people with a disability to access education on the same basis as their peers.

There are two documents that tell us about the rights of people with a disability in education. They are called The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education (DSE) 2005. These documents tell us about what schools must do to make sure that students with a disability have the same opportunities as everyone else. The documents say that schools must make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning.

Educational Adjustment Disability Funding

The Educational Adjustment Disability Funding model is based on student needs and is guided by key principles. The model delivers resources to Tasmanian Government schools to support educational adjustments that they provide for students with disability. Educational adjustments are all the things that schools do to help a student with disability. We use adjustments to make sure that everyone can access, participate and engage on the same basis as their peers.

Structure of the Model

The Educational Adjustments funding model is based on a simple, structured approach to funding and resourcing. It takes into consideration the additional and changing needs of students with disability.

In the model, students who are provided with more intense support and adjustments receive more resources than those with a lower level of support and adjustments.

The model links with the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) levels of educational adjustment:

• Extensive
• Substantial
• Supplementary
• Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice.

Moderation and Educational Adjustment Descriptor Tool

Each year a Disability Educational Adjustment Moderator works with each Tasmanian Government school to talk about all students with disability who need educational adjustments. This is called the moderation process.

During the moderation process, moderators and school staff identify the level of adjustment using the Educational Adjustment Descriptor Tool. The tool helps us to understand each of the levels of adjustment, especially the extra levels in the Extensive and Substantial range. The Tool helps school staff to make decisions about educational adjustments that they make for students. These decisions are written in the student’s Learning Plan.

How does it work in government schools?

The Model gives a base allocation to every school (which includes Support Teacher staffing and money) for every student in the NCCD from Supplementary to Extensive.

At MHPS ...

All students for whom we have evidence of a disability diagnosed by a psychologist or paediatrician, and permission from parents are on the NCCD.  All of these students who require extensive, substantial or supplementary adjustments, have a Learning Plan.  Some students with disability are supported by Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice and may or may not have a Learning Plan. 

This month, the Disability Educational Adjustment Moderator will be reviewing our Learning Plans to ensure the adjustments we are making for students are aligned with the appropriate level of funding.

If you have any questions in relation to this process please make a time to talk to  your child's class teacher, or Mrs Julia Ayers and Mrs Claire Chalmers (Support Teachers), or a member of the Leadership Team. 

Sharon