Nccd information pack for schools 2015 notes by Janine Macky

This PowerPoint presentation has been prepared to support principals and their schools participating in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on students with disability (NCCD) in 2015. It incorporates feedback from NSW public schools that participated in the NCCD in 2013 and 2014. Please note that this package includes amendments to the titles and descriptors for the data categories in NCCD 2015. There is also updated information for NSW public schools about notification for parents and carers. The Department’s intranet site holds additional information to support schools with the NCCD at: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data Updated information is published on the above intranet site as it becomes available. The intranet site also has links to relevant information on Australian Government websites: • Educational Services Australia national training website for the NCCD: www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au • The Australian Department of Education: http://education.gov.au/nationally‐consistent‐collection‐data‐school‐students‐disability A note about the hyperlinks: • Hyperlinks on the slide are only active in “slide show” mode where the identified site is able to be accessed by clicking on the link. • Hyperlinks in the PowerPoint notes are only active in “note view”. To access the identified site you need to highlight the hyperlink right click and select open the hyperlink.

This PowerPoint package for principals provides information about: • the context and rationale for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on students with disability (NCCD). • implementation of the national data collection which uses a model underpinned by existing obligations of all Australian schools under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) • where to source additional information and assistance. Principals can use this PowerPoint flexibly to support implementation of the national data collection in their school.

Improving education outcomes is at the core of substantial national reform of education and training systems. The commitment to provide a quality learning experience for all children and young people is central to their long‐term social and economic prosperity. Australian governments and sectors are working together on a number of reform agendas aimed at improving the lives of people with disability. The national reforms around education and disability are interrelated and are driven by concepts of capability, diversity and accountability. This includes broad disability reforms such as the National Disability Strategy 2010‐2020 and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as well as specific school education reforms to improve outcomes for students with disability. How these reforms intersect will progressively impact on and support the work of teachers and schools in meeting the educational needs of their students. Educational leaders have an important role in delivering these reforms. The National Professional Standard for Principals makes explicit the role of quality leadership in improving learning outcomes for every student and promoting excellence in the profession of teaching. A key area of reform to highlight in this slide that is particularly relevant to the NCCD is the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) which set out the legal obligations of all schools to students with disability. These Standards were reviewed in 2012 by the Australian Government. The review found that the Standards provide a good framework for promoting requirements for students with disability to be able to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students, although there is need to significantly improve knowledge and understanding of the Standards across all Australian schools. The national data collection will promote this understanding as it is modelled directly on the obligations under the DDA and the Standards.

In May 2013, the Australian and all state and territory Education Ministers endorsed the NCCD model. Recognising the significant shift in understanding and practice that the NCCD model represents for all schools nationally, Ministers also agreed that the NCCD would be phased in over three years from 2013. This has allowed schools and schooling systems time to prepare for full implementation in all Australian schools annually from 2015. It has also allowed the model to be tested and reviewed based on feedback from schools. Currently, the available data about school students with disability is based on the numbers of students in receipt of targeted program support which is a complex mix of historical programs from the Australian Government and state governments. This data is not comparable between jurisdictions and sectors because each state and territory organises its targeted programs for students with disability differently. The NCCD will ensure that information about students with disability across Australia and the level of adjustment provided to them will be identified and captured in a consistent, reliable and systematic way. This will increase our collective understanding about how many school students with disability there are in our schools; where they are; and the level of adjustment they are receiving to participate in schooling on the same basis as other students. The NCCD represents an evolution in the way schools and schooling systems report the adjustments and support provided to students with disability. It recognises the work of schools in providing ongoing adjustments to support students’ equitable participation in school education, in consultation with students and/or their parents and carers.

All education providers are required to comply with the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) by making reasonable adjustments for students with disability where needed to enable their access and participation on the same basis as all other students. The NCCD is promoting a shift in the way that schools understand and support students with disability under these obligations. It draws on documented evidence based on observation, information provided by and in consultation with parents/carers, diagnostic and other data and judgements made by teachers and appropriate school staff. This evidence supports the school team to determine the levels of adjustment that are provided for each student with disability by the school. In time, the processes around the collection of the data under the NCCD model will help reinforce the actions required of schools under the DDA and the Standards. As the NCCD relies on the professional judgements of teachers and educators it is supported by extensive professional learning. Links to professional learning about the Disability Standards for Education and the NCCD model can be found on the Department’s intranet site at the following link: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data

The evidences that support the inclusion of a student in the count for the national data collection are the process elements of personalised learning and support: • consultation and collaboration, including with parents and carers as well as collaboration between teachers and other professionals. • assessed individual need of the students • adjustments or support provided to the student • impact of the adjustment or support The NCCD acknowledges the work already undertaken in your school to support students with disability. To include a student in the NCCD, schools will draw on wide range of evidence available in the school. Effective management of data to maintain evidence of the process of personalised learning and support for students forms part of the school’s accountability for students with disability and additional learning needs.

During the phased transition in 2013 and 2014, data was not made publicly available as it was important to ensure that the data was being captured accurately and consistently by the model. This includes validation of the data against robust quality assurance protocols being developed nationally. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is a key priority. All data collected will be de‐identified beyond the NSW Department of Education and Communities. More information about privacy in relation to the national data collection is provided later in this presentation. It is intended that from 2016, the de‐identified data collected as part of the NCCD will be published by the Australian Government, pending the quality of the data. Decisions about the format for publication have not yet been made. Once validated, data may be used in other national reports on schooling from 2016.

The NCCD has been implemented in a phased way to allow schools and schooling systems time to prepare for full implementation in 2015. The data collection will take place in August each year, aligned with the national schools census. From 2015, every school across every sector and in every jurisdiction in Australia will take part in the collection of data each year. The phased implementation has provided an important and valuable opportunity for NSW public schools to become familiar with the requirements of the NCCD and to strengthen the systems and processes that will support students and each school’s participation in the annual national data collection.

Step 1 requires that all school staff understand their obligations to students with disability under the DDA and the Standards. A strong focus on professional learning about the DDA and Standards will benefit students and teachers and will also support schools to implement the national data collection. Information about the levels of adjustment in Step 2 and the four categories of disability in Step 3 can be found on the national training website at: http://www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au/. This information is also available on the Department’s intranet site at: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data . Underpinning the four steps in the national data collection is evidence in the school of the actions that teachers and school staff have taken as part of their professional practice. This includes evidence of the assessed identified educational needs of the student with disability and provision of personalised adjustments to meet the student's identified educational needs in consultation with the student or their parents. Step 4 requires school principals to verify or confirm that there is evidence at the school to support counting a student in the national data collection.

The DDA provides protection against discrimination based on disability. The DDA seeks to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against people with disability in a range of areas, including education. The DDA makes it unlawful for an education authority to discriminate against a person on the basis of the person's disability. The DDA defines disability broadly to ensure that the rights of all people with disability are protected. This definition includes the full range of students who need adjustments to support their access and participation in learning because of disability, not just those students who have a medical diagnosis or are receiving individually targeted support. The NCCD model requires school staff to understand the definition of disability under the DDA when making judgements about students to be counted in the national data collection. Examples of impairments • Impaired cognitive ability, impaired physical ability • Significant illness‐causing conditions eg cancer, HIV, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis • Autism, intellectual disability, brain injury

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 clarify and elaborate the legal obligations of education providers to students with disability under the DDA and set out how education is to be made accessible to students with disability. It is unlawful under the DDA to contravene a Standard. The Standards recognise that not all students with disability are alike. Students with disability have specific needs, including the type and level of adjustment or support they need to access and participate in all aspects of education on the same basis as students without disability. The data collection process requires school staff to understand their obligations under the Disability Standards for Education when making judgements about students to be counted in the national data collection.

NSW public schools have been proactive in accessing a range of courses designed to increase knowledge and understanding of obligations to students with disability. This includes: • accredited online professional learning on the Disability Standards for Education, • tutor‐supported online learning courses in areas of special education needs and • utilising Every Student, Every School induction and support modules. More information about professional learning on the Disability Standards for Education is provided later in this package.

The NCCD captures the full range of students who need adjustments to support their access and participation in learning because of disability, not just those students who have a medical diagnosis or are receiving individually targeted support. Students with disability as defined under the DDA and the Standards are in mainstream or regular schools as well as special schools and specialist support classes and include: • students who have formally diagnosed disability by a health or allied health practitioner • students who may not have a formal disability diagnosis but have impairment that requires an adjustment or can be supported through quality differentiated teaching • students with intellectual, physical, sensory and social/emotional disability as well as students with difficulties in learning or behaviour due to disability • students who are gifted and talented and who are impacted by disability. It is not the intention of this data collection to count every student who is protected from discrimination under the DDA, or every student who has a health or other condition that does not impact on the student’s ability to participate in schooling on the same basis as their peers. Where the students’ condition does not have a functional impact on their schooling or require monitoring for individual adjustments, the student is not included in the NCCD. For example, a student who wears glasses to correct mild vision impairment and needs no further educational assessment, monitoring or support in relation to their eyesight, is not included in the NCCD.

The level of adjustment category ‘Support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice’ replaces the former category ‘no adjustment’ that was used in 2013 and 2014. School staff should refer to the descriptors for each level of adjustment category provided by the Australian Government. When making decisions about the level of adjustment that a student receives, schools should refer to the information sheet on the Australian Government website at: http://www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au/#step2whatisthelevelofadjustment_2 This information sheet is also available on the Department’s intranet: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data This information sheet provides advice and examples about each of the levels of adjustment and works as an ideal starting point for professional discussions with staff about quality teaching and the provision of support for students with disability. Where schools are having difficulty deciding between the levels of adjustment, it may also be helpful to consider the frequency, intensity and range of adjustments or support being provided. Schools already determine the level and type of support needed for an individual student, this is not a new activity. The approach of making judgements and recording data is a collaborative one that may be strengthened by effective learning and support team practices.

Adjustments are changes or modifications made to help the student or a group of students participate on the same basis as students without a disability. Adjustments reflect the assessed individual needs of the student and can be made in both the classroom and whole‐school settings as well as at the individual student level. Some students with disability may not require an ongoing adjustment beyond the usual practice of teachers and schools to accommodate the diverse needs of their students. Adjustments may include one or more of the following: • Curriculum adjustments: modify the curriculum in order for a student to access learning. The integrity of the learning area content must be retained • Teaching learning and instructional adjustments: are made to the teaching and/or instruction for a student or the learning for a student e.g. use of braille and illustrated texts, use of assistive technology • Environmental adjustments: modify the environment to support a student’s personalised learning e.g. alternative equipment and furnishings, use of support personnel and mobility assistance. • Assessing and reporting adjustments: support a student to access assessment tasks e.g. separate supervision or extra time to complete assessment tasks. • Professional learning adjustments: are specific to an adjustment being required for a student and are over and beyond the typical requirements for teachers. • Personal care adjustments: relate to the students medical requirements while at school, their eating and drinking requirements and their personal hygiene requirements • Therapy adjustments: therapy from an occupational therapist, speech pathologist, physiotherapists or therapy assistant as part of a therapy provision that occurs at school. • Planning adjustments: the development and ongoing monitoring of educational plans as well as the ongoing revision of adjustments as necessary.

• Other

Examples of adjustments include but are not limited to those on this slide. In providing an adjustment, schools generally assess the impact of the student's disability in relation to education. This includes the impact on: • communication • mobility • curriculum access • personal care • social participation. Other areas that might be considered for some students are: • safety • motor development • emotional wellbeing • sensory needs • transitions.

Evidences that schools may draw on that reflect their provision of adjustments to meet the learning and support needs of students with disability are reflected in a range of activities, records and documents in schools. The following slides provides examples of sources of evidence that underpin each of the elements of personalised learning and support. Principals will be required to verify or confirm that the school holds evidence to support the inclusion of students in the NCCD. Schools have flexibility to determine locally how they maintain the evidence that they will draw on.

Only those students who meet the definition of disability under the DDA are eligible for inclusion in the national data collection on students with disability. If a student is provided with an adjustment but does not meet this definition, they should not be included. The four broad categories of disability that schools are asked to consider as part of the national data collection are described in detail in a table available on the Australian Government website at: http://www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au/#step3whatisthecategoryofdisability_2 . When making decisions about which broad category of disability the student best fits, schools are advised to refer the table on this website. The table aligns the four broad categories of disability with the definitions of disability from the DDA. This table is also available on the Department’s intranet at: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data The data collection does not require teachers to deeply diagnose a disability but rather to broadly identify the category of disability that is driving the adjustments. For example, a student who requires the use of a wheelchair may also have a cognitive impairment. It may be the cognitive impairment that drives the need for the majority of their adjustment needs rather than the physical disability. The school/teacher has the best knowledge of the student in the educational environment and needs to make this call.

Well established learning and support processes implemented by an effective learning and support team, will support the principal to verify the data to be submitted for the NCCD. Effective data management systems to maintain evidence of the process of personalised learning and support for students forms part of the school’s accountability for students with disability and additional learning needs.

Data for the 2015 NCCD will be harvested from ERN. ERN allows schools to identify students that fit the criteria for consideration for inclusion in the NCCD. Once these students have been identified the school is able to access a series of questions in ERN for each student. The responses to these questions will determine whether the student will be included in the NCCD. Schools will need to ensure that their information on students with disability is up to date and in ERN prior to 24 July. Key dates for the NCCD data collection are available on the DEC intranet, Online Data Collections for Schools at http://detreporting.det.nsw.edu.au/datacollection/index.cfm#content_12 The use of ERN to record and capture data for the data collection did not present any issues for the 229 schools that participated in the 2014 data collection.

Schools must enter adjustment data on ERN for each student with disability. This should be done by 24 July. The national Census day is Friday 7 August 2015. Only students enrolled in your school on that day should be included in this collection. All schools will need to visit the website twice: first to complete the validation to ensure ERN records are up to date; and second to review final data and sign off on the census. Key dates 2015

Up to Friday 24 July 2015

Schools must enter data into ERN. Data harvested from ERN for the validation phase on 24 July.

Monday 27 July 2015

Collection website opens for validation phase.

Monday 27 July ‐ Friday 7 August 2015

Schools check their data and make any changes in ERN, and complete the validation phase by 5pm on the Friday.

Friday 7 August 2015 Census date.

Data harvested from the ERN system 5pm.

Monday 10 August ‐ Friday 21 August 2015

Schools review their data and correct any errors online, then sign off the census by 5pm on the Friday.

Friday 21 August 2015

Collection website closes.

An optional worksheet is available to assist schools to compile student data ready for entry into the Disability Adjustment function in ERN. It may be used to support recording of data by individual teachers or school teams. Use of this tool is optional and many schools may choose to work directly in ERN as an alternative to the spreadsheet. Schools who participated in 2014 can download an excel spreadsheet from ERN to use as a starting point. The categories in the worksheet are aligned with the Disability Adjustment function in ERN. Important: compiling student data in the optional worksheet does not record the information in ERN. Data must be entered directly in ERN to be available for harvesting as outlined in the previous slide and notes. The optional worksheet can be downloaded from the Department's intranet at: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data

The NSW Department of Education and Communities follows the requirements of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 in the collection, storage, use, and disclosure of personal information including when handling any data in connection with this national data collection. The Australian Government Department of Education follows the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) when handling any data collected from the NSW Department of Education and Communities in connection with this national data collection.

NSW privacy laws require that parents and carers are notified of the national data collection. This notification can be through whatever form the school uses to communicate with its community. Standard text for this notification is available on the intranet site for schools’ use. This can be found at https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐national‐data In previous years, a template letter was provided for use by schools to inform parents and carers about the national data collection and to give them the opportunity to “opt‐ out” of their child being counted in the national data collection. This letter is no longer necessary following changes to Commonwealth legislation related to the data collection . The changes mean that individual consent is not required for the provision of the data to the Commonwealth. The data reflects information already available to the school and is provided to the Commonwealth in a way that means individual students cannot be identified.

Positive feedback from schools who were involved in the 2013 and 2014 NCCD reflect that the implementation of the NCCD model is about more than simply the collection of data. Schools viewed it as an opportunity to: • formally and consistently recognise the support and adjustments provided to students who may not currently qualify for targeted funding • adopt a more proactive and collaborative approach to identifying support provided to students with disability • shift the focus towards the professional judgements of school teams rather than relying on medical/clinical diagnosis alone and promotes the role of classroom teachers in adjusting curriculum and teaching strategies to meet the needs of their students with disability. To capitalise on the work that they are already doing, many schools plan to align learning and support processes with the NCCD. In addition to supporting the NCCD, professional learning about the Standards has helped teachers to better understand their obligations to students with disability in their classes. Schools found that the information collected for the NCCD is useful when allocating learning and support resources. Many schools were surprised by the number of students they identified as receiving an adjustment. Some schools found that they did not have sufficient evidence to include all relevant students in the count. This has provided a focus for strengthening their learning and support processes. The NCCD model will assist schools to reflect on how their current processes and practices support the inclusion of all students with disability in the data collection.

All schools are encouraged to access the updated national online training materials and information about the data collection model and processes developed by Educational Services Australia at: www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au The Australian Government Department of Education has case studies and other background information on the national data collection available on its website http://education.gov.au/nationally‐consistent‐collection‐data‐school‐students‐disability An optional worksheet to support school teams and/or individual teachers in gathering the data required for the NCCD has been made available at : https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/disability‐ national‐data

All NSW public schools have access to a package of online training in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 through MyPL@det. Information about this training can be found at: https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/lists/directoratesaz/disability/dse/index.htm

Educational Services Australia has developed a website resource about the nationally consistent collection of data on students with disability, available to all Australian schools to support implementation. The materials on this site will support schools to understand and implement the national data collection and can be worked through in one session or over a number of sessions. The website will be progressively enhanced over time with additional support materials. The Department maintained a log of questions received from principals, schools and student services teams during the 2014 NCCD. These questions have informed feedback to the Australian Government to populate additional FAQs and other material on the Educational Services Australia website.

A professional learning package of e‐learning lessons has been developed to support schools to gain a better knowledge and understanding of education’s mandatory obligations under the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. Professional learning about the DDA and the Standards will support teachers and school staff in making adjustments. Sound knowledge and understanding of obligations under the DDA and the Standards will assist schools in understanding and implementing the national data collection on students with disability. It is strongly recommended that teachers and principals complete professional learning in this area prior to completing the data collection. Release of new courses for teachers and educational leaders There are now two courses available for teachers and educational leaders in all NSW public schools, both registered with BOSTES as QTC registered professional development. The first course contains modules for Lesson 1‐3 (Part One). This course was released in term 3, 2013 and continues to be available for all school/career stages (Early Childhood, Primary, Junior Secondary, Senior Secondary, Educational Leaders). A second course is now available containing modules for Lessons 4‐8 (Part Two). This second course provides further opportunity to understand each of the five Disability Standards for Education and their implications for schools. In this second course, the different phases of schooling each have a tailored module for staff to choose from, as in Part One (Early Childhood, Primary, Junior Secondary, Senior Secondary, Educational Leaders). A two part course for specifically tailored for school learning support officers is also now available. All schools will received a one‐off funding allocation in 2015 to contribute to further professional learning on the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education. Advice about this funding allocation will be provided to schools during Term 2, 2015.

The Every Student, Every School Directors located with Educational Services teams as at April 2015: Macquarie Park • Jason Baldwin jason.baldwin@det.nsw.edu.au • Neale Waddy neale.waddy@det.nsw.edu.au Tamworth • Lyn Gardon lyn.gardon@det.nsw.edu.au • Kerry Tulloch Kerry.Tulloch@det.nsw.edu.au Ultimo • Craig Cleaver craig.cleaver@det.nsw.edu.au • Anne Reddie Anne.A.Reddie@det.nsw.edu.au Wagga Wagga • Melanie Meers melanie.meers@det.nsw.edu.au The state office Helpdesk is maintaining a log of frequently asked questions received from principals, schools and student services teams. These will inform updates to information on the Department’s intranet page. Helpdesk enquiries will also inform feedback to the Australian Government to populate additional FAQs and other material on the Educational Services Australia website. It will also help to inform support for principals and school teams implementing the national data collection from 2015.