Why this 2024 manual matters for schools
Inclusive education in British Columbia is built on a clear principle: all students are entitled to equitable access to learning, opportunities for achievement, and the pursuit of excellence. The 2024 Inclusive Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines brings together the policy foundation, the required processes (like Individual Education Plans), and the service models districts use to support students with disabilities or diverse abilities.
For school leaders and teams, the manual is more than a reference document. It’s a practical roadmap for how to:
- identify and assess student needs in a timely way
- plan supports through an IEP when required
- deliver services through school-based and district-based structures
- evaluate and report progress in ways aligned with provincial reporting expectations
For organizations like TinyEYE that provide online therapy services to schools, the manual also clarifies where specialized services (like speech-language pathology) fit within inclusive service delivery, and why coordinated planning with school teams is essential.
Inclusion, integration, and placement: the key distinctions
The manual emphasizes that inclusion is not just a placement decision. Inclusion means meaningful participation and interaction within a community of learners. Integration is one strategy used to achieve inclusion—placing students with their peers without disabilities or diverse abilities, with accommodations determined on an individual basis.
Importantly, B.C. policy supports educating students in classroom settings with peers unless the educational needs of the student (or others) indicate the program should be provided otherwise. The manual also recognizes that a continuum of settings can be appropriate, including:
- resource rooms
- self-contained classes
- community-based programs
- specialized settings
The decision to use settings other than the neighbourhood classroom should occur only after reasonable efforts to integrate have been made and evidence shows supplementary supports in the regular setting cannot meet educational or social needs.
Roles and responsibilities: who does what?
Inclusive education works best when responsibilities are clear and collaboration is routine. The manual outlines roles across the system.
Ministry of Education and Child Care
- sets educational standards
- monitors student performance and reports results publicly
- allocates funding
- oversees governance of the system
School districts (boards)
- ensure inclusive education services and programs are delivered to students who require them
- develop local policies and procedures (identification, assessment, placement, IEP tracking, reporting, appeals)
- organize services along a continuum and ensure access to specialized expertise when schools cannot replicate it
- provide staff development so personnel can use evidence-informed practice
- inform employees and communities about available services and how to access them
Schools and principals
- implement educational programs and organize supports
- ensure teachers have the information they need to support assigned students
- ensure a school-based team is operational and collaborative
Teachers and education assistants (EAs)
- teachers design, supervise, and assess the student’s educational program
- EAs assist teachers (from personal care to instructional support) under teacher direction and principal/teacher supervision
- teachers remain responsible for evaluating and reporting student learning
Parents and students
- parents are entitled to be informed about attendance, behaviour, and progress, and to be consulted about placement
- parents must be offered the opportunity to be consulted on IEP preparation
- students should be consulted on IEP development where appropriate and can contribute meaningfully to planning
IEPs in B.C.: what they are, when they’re required, and what they must include
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a documented plan for a student with disabilities or diverse abilities that describes individualized goals, adaptations, modifications, services to be provided, and measures for tracking achievement.
When an IEP may not be required
The manual notes limited exceptions. An IEP is not required only when all of the following apply:
- the student requires little or no adaptations
- expected learning outcomes have not been modified
- the student requires 25 or fewer hours of remedial instruction by someone other than the classroom teacher in a school year
What an IEP must contain (at minimum)
An IEP must include one or more of the following:
- goals/outcomes that differ from the educational program guide outcomes
- a list of support services required
- a list of adaptations to materials, instruction, or assessment methods
What an IEP should also include (best practice)
- present levels of educational performance
- setting where the program is provided
- names of personnel providing services
- review period and process
- evidence of evaluation/review (including revisions and tracking)
- transition plans (including beyond school completion when relevant)
Adaptations vs. modifications: a practical way to explain it to teams
These two terms are often confused, but the manual is clear.
- Adaptations are teaching and assessment strategies that help a student access the same learning outcomes. They are “best practice” and do not create unfair advantage. Examples include alternate formats (audio, braille), visual cues, interpreters, oral exams, extra time, or assistive technologies.
- Modifications change the learning outcomes—goals become substantially different from the regular curriculum. Modifications are intended for students who cannot access the curriculum due to significant needs (for example, fragile health, limited awareness, or multiple challenges).
In day-to-day school planning, this distinction matters because it affects instruction, assessment, and how progress is communicated.
The IEP process: a continuous cycle, not a one-time event
The manual describes five phases that flow together:
- identification and assessment
- planning
- program support and implementation
- evaluation
- reporting
Strong implementation depends on collaboration, timely information sharing, and clear procedures for transitions, documentation, and resolving differences.
School-based teams: the hub for problem-solving
A school-based team is an ongoing team of school personnel that supports classroom teachers through problem-solving, consultation, and coordination of resources. Core membership commonly includes:
- principal (or designate)
- learning assistance/resource teacher
- classroom teacher
- counsellor
Depending on the student, the team should also involve parents, the student (where appropriate), district specialists, and community partners.
Special considerations: key services that support inclusion
The manual outlines several “generic” services districts should have available. Here are a few that commonly intersect with school operations and student success.
Learning assistance services
Learning assistance is school-based, non-categorical support for mild to moderate learning and behaviour difficulties. It includes consultation, collaborative planning, instruction, and assessment (to Level B). Many districts use a “resource teacher” model that flexibly supports a wide range of learners.
Counselling in schools
School counselling supports educational, personal, social/emotional, and career development. Counsellors provide individual and group supports, consult with teams, coordinate referrals, and help with transitions. The manual also highlights the importance of agreements and protocols when counselling services are provided by community agencies.
School psychology services
School psychology services are district-based and support assessment, consultation, and planning. The manual notes that as of May 1, 2024, school psychologists must be registrants of the College of Psychologists of B.C. (CPBC), and emphasizes informed consent and confidentiality practices.
Speech-language pathology (SLP)
Speech-language pathology services support students whose education is adversely affected by communication difficulties. Services can include prevention, identification, assessment, direct intervention, consultation, collaboration, and family information sharing. The manual is also clear that supporting English Language Learners is not the primary responsibility of SLPs, though ELL students may also have communication disorders that warrant intervention.
This is a key area where online therapy models can help schools expand access—especially when districts face shortages, travel constraints, or scheduling barriers. The strongest outcomes typically occur when online clinicians are integrated into the school’s collaborative structures (school-based teams, IEP cycles, and classroom strategies), rather than operating in isolation.
Evaluation and reporting: aligning progress updates with provincial expectations
B.C.’s K-12 reporting expectations apply to all learners, including students with disabilities or diverse abilities (with or without an IEP) and students in online learning programs.
Most students will be evaluated in relation to the Learning Standards with adaptations as needed. In rare cases—typically involving significant cognitive disabilities—students may be evaluated only on individualized IEP goals. In those instances, written feedback must clearly describe progress toward IEP goals and areas for growth, and grading indicators may be omitted (or clearly noted as IEP-goal-based if included).
Online learning: a reminder about supports
The manual recognizes online learning as an alternative to classroom-based instruction and notes that districts must have policies and procedures that reflect the Act and Ministerial Orders. For students with disabilities or diverse abilities, supports must still align with identified needs and IEP requirements.
In practice, this means schools should consider how related services (including therapy) will be coordinated, documented, and delivered so that online learning does not reduce access to supports.
What school teams can do next: a simple implementation checklist
- Confirm your school-based team process is clear, scheduled, and documented.
- Use consistent language: distinguish adaptations from modifications in plans and conversations.
- Ensure IEPs (when required) include goals, services, adaptations/modifications, and tracking measures.
- Build reliable collaboration routines between teachers, specialists, and families.
- Plan transitions early (school entry, grade changes, school-to-school moves, and post-secondary/work transitions).
- Align reporting language with whether the student is assessed on Learning Standards or individualized IEP goals.
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