School Learning Team

The role of the administrative team is to provide leadership, direction and coordination within the school.  The main focus of the principal and assistant principal is to develop and maintain effective faith-based educational programs within the school, and to promote the improvement of teaching and learning with parents as partners.  As leaders of the school team, administrators build positive relationships with all members of the school community and collaborate with all stakeholders to foster the development of the whole child.

Useful Links

• School Directory
• Administrative Procedure 213

Learning Coaches work together with classroom teachers, multi-disciplinary team members, students and parents to remove barriers and create opportunities to enhance student learning and create learning experiences that are accessible, effective and engaging for all students. All schools in ECSD have a teacher with some dedicated learning coach time as part of their role within the school. As leaders on a school learning team, learning coaches develop capacity and strengthen collaborative practices in supporting the diverse learning needs of students.

An Instructional Coach:

• Supports programming for diversity in a school – is a master teacher in differentiation and personalization of learning and practices the Principles of Inclusive Education
• Works within a continuum of supports model. This means that they work with a whole class, and/ or with targeted intervention in either small groups or individually with students as needed 
• Can teach a class, so that additional time can be provided for a classroom teacher and EA and/or MDT to collaborate and/ or communicate with parents 
• Supports and collaborates with teachers as they develop strength-based individual program plans for students
• Supports teachers in developing understanding of assistive technology and augmentative and alternate communication tools. 
• Collaborates with the MDT and Inclusive Consultant to coordinate specialized services within a school • Supports the documentation process for meeting Alberta Education special educational coding criteria 
• Meets with parents to support the home school partnership in learning 
• Builds capacity with the teacher • models best practices together with the teacher, based on new research and instructional materials and strategies 
• Enables Professional learning that is built into the school day 
• • provides site based Professional Learning for teachers and EAs 
  • familiar with Inclusive Education SharePoint resources to support all learners 
• Participates in regular callbacks for their ongoing professional learning 
• Supports transitions between grades and schools – i.e. Pre-K to Kindergarten, Elementary to JH, JH to HS, Community school to Inclusive Education Programs 
• Is a leader in developing and using a collaborative response model to meet the diverse learning needs of students 
• Is a leader in the development of a trauma-informed approach in supporting mental health within the school community  

Accessing support from your consultant usually begins with the school's learning coach. A school team can access the services of their consultant in a variety of ways. Their role is to provide support and assistance to teachers programming for students with diverse learning needs. Support may include consultation with regard to the Individualized Program Plan, Inclusive Education Programs, and access to multi-disciplinary team services.  Edmonton Catholic School Division provides programming for students with diverse learning needs according to the Alberta Education Standards for Special Education.

The Learning Team is committed to collaborating, identifying, applying and monitoring practices enabling all students to reach their potential, spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically and academically within the Programs of Study alongside their peers.

Useful Links

• Principles of Inclusive Education
• Individual Program Plan
• Alberta Education Standards for Special Education

Emotional Behavioural Specialists have received a degree from a recognized institution in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies or related area, in addition to three years of directly related experience. They may also have knowledge in the areas of Science of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Therapeutic Play, Attachment, data collection methods, and various psychological diagnoses and their impact on an individual's development.  The EBS will build a strong relationship with the students which will help the EBS build a strength-based plan for your learner. 

An Emotional Behavioural Specialist is a member of the multi-disciplinary team and provides school-based intervention services for students who display severe emotional and/or behavioural challenges, as well as create skill building plans.  The EBS will provide coaching and consulting to the teacher in order to help create the best learning environment for your student.

Edmonton Catholic Schools employs Therapeutic Assistants to support the specialist and school teams in implementing strategies for students identified with different learning needs. These students require targeted intervention and often one to one support. Therapeutic Assistants support the disciplines of Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology and Emotional Behavioural Specialists.

Requirements: Therapeutic Assistants for Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Pathology have a 2-year diploma in Rehabilitation or Occupational Therapy / Speech and Language Pathology from an accredited program and are registered members of the Therapy Assistant Association of Alberta (THAAA).

The Therapist/Specialist identifies evidence-based strategies that will support the student’s learning goals. Under the guidance of the Therapist/Specialist, the Therapeutic Assistant focuses on targeted goals, develops activities for the child, models strategies for the teacher to help students develop essential skills and documents progress.

Family School Liaison Workers (FSLW) facilitate the relationship between the home, school environment and community organizations supporting student achievement by acting as a communication liaison and helping all students feel welcome in the school. FSLW’s assess the needs of the child and family and offer support including home visits, referral to community organizations, and counselling to positively manage challenging issues and events. Family School Liaison Workers play an important role in the school and provide support to other staff members to understand a variety of topics including trauma, equity, grief and loss and anti-racism through consultation and presentations.

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) plays a critical part in supporting school attendance for children with ongoing medical needs. Licensed Practical Nurses are regulated health professionals who have a 2-year diploma and are registered with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA). 

An LPN is trained to provide medical care for a student by following a Student Care Plan drafted by a Registered Nurse, or the student’s family in certain medical circumstances.  The LPN also supports the educational programming for the assigned student, as well as general classroom support as needed. They are an integral part of the school team. 

Sign language interpreters help students access their learning by interpreting the language heard into language seen.  In many countries around the world there are different types of sign languages unique to that country and the deaf community.  Sign Languages are full and complete languages just like English, Spanish or French.  In our Division, Sign Language Interpreters  communicate with and interpret for deaf and hard of hearing students that sign using either American Sign Language or Signed Exact English.  

For more information about American Sign Language or ASL Interpreters please visit https://deafandhearalberta.ca/asl-123/.

School staff and Mental Health Therapists (MHT) work collaboratively to identify students that require support. The following indicators may help to identify students who struggle with mental health concerns.

This child/student: 

• Exhibits emotions that are not typical in a given situation or context. For example, they show anger or withdraw in situations that would not distress most students. 
• Shows emotions for a longer time than peers. This child is not able to shift his or her attention away from the event, person, or situation when he or she cannot handle the situation that has occurred. This student may not try to distract himself or if he does distract himself, it does not help. 
• Becomes upset and has significant difficulty calming down or recovering even when adults are sympathetic and trying to help. In Edmonton Catholic Schools we have access to Mental Health Therapists through Alberta Health Services (AHS) who can provide mental health support on-site at school. 

If a child is deemed to struggle with emotion regulation, and mental health concerns are indicated, schools can request services through the AHS Mental Health Therapist.

Services may include Individual therapeutic support, or therapeutic targeted groups as well as collaboration with Inclusive Programming and the Multi-Disciplinary Team. 

All members of the Edmonton Catholic Schools Psychology Team are either Registered Psychologists, or Registered Provisional Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists. Psychologists are charged with upholding the highest standards when it comes to supporting children, adolescents, families, adults, and school staff. Psychologists deliver ethical, competent, evidence-based services across the Edmonton Catholic School Division from health promotion through to treatment and follow up. Psychologists work collaboratively with parents, teachers and school teams to create positive school environments, assess for mental health and learning challenges, and provide individual or group psychotherapy using evidence based models.

A Speech-Language Pathologist works to help children/students learn to communicate effectively and efficiently. We are professional registered communication specialists that are trained to understand, assess and support many facets of language development, language disorders and overall communication. Speech-Language Pathologists nurture the complex language learning process by supporting and engaging the child, their teachers, and families through meaningful observations, functional assessments and reflective intervention practices. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge of language and communication development and focus on building capacity with strategies that enable language learning so that ultimately all children can develop an optimal foundation in language.

Our focus is on successful and functional communication skills in the classroom and at home. We provide a broad range of services and supports including clinical assessment, screening, identification, diagnosis, treatment/intervention and planning programming for diverse learners.

“Occupational Therapists (OT’s) consider occupation to be everything people do to occupy themselves meaningfully, including taking care of themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure/play), and contributing to the social and economic fabric of their communities (school, work/productivity).”

Occupational Therapist’s can support students whose performance is impeded by challenges due to physical injuries or disease, developmental or learning challenges and self and emotional regulation and sensory processing difficulties. They do this by addressing both the physical effects on function as well as psycho-social, community and environmental factors. They work in close collaboration with other professionals, the school team, and families.

OT’s believe that all students should be given the opportunity to participate to their full potential and can assist with adaptations and/or recommendations to promote academic achievement and social emotional wellness.

A Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Specialist supports individuals with hearing loss, often students, by providing direct instruction in sign language/communication, adapting curricula, using assistive technology (like hearing aids/FM systems), consulting with teachers/parents, advocating for needs, and facilitating inclusion in mainstream settings, focusing on developing academic, social, and life skills to maximize potential in educational and daily life. 

An Educational Audiologist Specialist job involves assessing hearing/balance, managing devices (hearing aids, FM systems), consulting with IEP teams (teachers, parents) to ensure classroom access, providing support for learning/communication, advocating for students, and promoting self-advocacy in educational settings, focusing on preventing hearing loss impact on academics and social-emotional well-being. 

Teacher of the Visually Impaired - TVI, assesses students with vision loss, designs individualized programs plans (IPPs), teaches compensatory skills (like Braille, assistive tech, O&M), consults with teachers/parents on accommodations, and provides training, focusing on functional vision to ensure students access learning and develop independence in school and life. 

The Registered Nursing (RN) designation is a protected designation and can only be used with the approval of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA). 

In the school setting the goal of the RN is to maintain or improve the health and well-being of the child or student by building relationships with them, the school team as well as, other health and social service providers such as Occupational Therapists(OT), Speech-Language Pathologists and Family School Liaison Workers to ensure that the student is able to participate fully in academic programming. A consent form will be signed between the parent and RN prior to the provision of services. The service is coordinated through the OT team in collaboration with consultants and school teams. 

What is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)? 

• A professional whose work is grounded in the science of behaviour 
• Has completed at least a master’s degree 
• Is governed by a professional and ethical code
• Has passed a certification examination and maintains certification by completing continuing education requirements 
• Works in a variety of settings/specialties and across the lifespan to help with socially important goals

What does a BCBA do at ECSD? 

• Works as part of the multi-disciplinary team in schools to support staff in working towards targeted goals for the student
• Assists in the implementation of preventative approaches and environmental changes to address barriers to learning and participation
• Skill Assessments – assesses the student’s current skill levels to help with individualized interventions to increase learning and independence
• Functional Behaviour Assessments – assesses reason(s) why challenging behaviour(s) are occurring and recommends individualized supports to reduce these behaviours and teach desirable skills
• Function-based interventions – develops, implements, and monitors strategies specific to the student
• Trains other staff; evaluates progress; modifies, and revises plans as needed; fades interventions
• Motivation – identifies motivators and/or develops motivational systems to encourage the student to participate and learn
• Evaluates current strategies – when current goals and plans do not have expected results or student needs further goal(s), the BCBA, implements and monitors different recommendations
• Collaborates with other individuals supporting the student

In consultation with a Vision Consultant, the Braille Interpreter (Translator) is a critical team member working under the teacher’s direction to make learning accessible to students with visual impairments.

Braille Interpreters transcribe academic and other content into braille (handouts, worksheets, novels) as well as re-create diagrams in tactile format. This requires the Braille Interpreter to work closely with teachers to understand the purpose of lesson activities, then skillfully re-create resources for the student’s use. 

Braille Interpreters also assist teachers by back translating the student’s writing from Braille to written English, so the teacher can read and evaluate their work. As part of their role, Braille Interpreters are encouraged to commit to increasing their knowledge of the latest Braille technology to be able to support their students.

Although not a formal part of their role, Braille Interpreters also coach the student on important daily skills such as social communication, environmental navigation and more.

In addition to supporting written work, under the direction of a Vision Consultant and other  Therapeutic Specialists, the Braille Interpreter: 

• Uses strategies and environmental adaptations to help the student navigate the school independently
• Adapts classroom tasks/assignments such that the student receives the best learning experience (e.g. adapt visually-based science experiments, physical education activities)
• Encourages appropriate methods of student self-advocacy
• Educates students and staff on ways to include peers with low vision in learning and activities
• Supports the student, teacher and other teaching staff with using assistive technology, such as computer tablets with refreshable Braille displays