“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
Kootenay Christian Academy’s Student Services Department oversees the Special Education and Learning Assistance programs in the school.
Our team provides specialized support to students with diverse learning needs. We prayerfully design programs and learning sessions to meet the needs of each individual student. Every student is uniquely created by God and we are blessed to be able to help them in their learning. KCA students are surrounded by caring staff who will assist them in overcoming learning challenges and help them develop skills to their full potential.
Students with special learning needs and abilities encompass two main groups:
1. Those needing tailored services or programming due to cognitive/intellectual, social/emotional, behavioural, sensory, physical, communication, academic, or special health-care needs that impede their capacity to meet standard curricular learning outcomes.
2. Those excelling significantly beyond subject- or course-specific provincial curricular learning outcomes in one or multiple subjects.
Individual Education Plans
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Support Plans are put in place for each special needs student and parents are invited to attend team-based meetings to participate in the planning sessions. Technology is utilized to assist learners fulfil their educational goals. At the beginning of the year, Level B assessments are administered, school-wide, to aid teachers in pinpointing where student needs should be addressed and shaping instructional strategies accordingly. If a student is identified as performing below grade level, they are afforded the chance to engage with grade-level material while receiving support to address any lagging skills.
Literacy
At KCA we use a literacy program which incorporates the most effective techniques from Orton-Gillingham methodologies, speech therapy, phonics instruction, and whole-language approaches. It allows students to apply newly acquired reading skills within a narrative context. Each lesson encompasses activities focusing on sounds, syllables, vocabulary, reading, comprehension, and writing, tailored to the individual needs of each learner.
Math
For students struggling in math, we use the Nelson Leaps and Bounds series, where we tailor instruction based on various sources of school data, such as Weschler (Pearson) pre-testing scores, classroom observations, diagnostic tasks, and individualized education plan (IEP) accommodations/modifications. This targeted approach focuses on refining and implementing best practices in math concepts, strategies, teaching methods, tools, manipulatives, and high-yield strategies to promote student learning and success. Toward the end of the academic year, post-testing is conducted to assess the effectiveness of the plan.
Government funding may be available for certain designations and special programs are then implemented.
