The interconnectedness of assessment and teaching has been well documented. To that end, conventional psychological assessments are often used as a key piece of information that guides the academic program development of individual students.

INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN

To formalize and document a student’s need for remedial programming, or a modified or alternate curriculum, or accommodations, an Individual Education Plan needs to be developed, based on the findings and recommendations of the psychological and other assessments.

Ontario schools may also refer students to the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), which is a small quorum formed by school administrators, teaching staff, and special services staff. The committee is responsible for identifying a category of exceptionality that best describes a student’s pattern of learning strengths and weaknesses. The “Identification” is decided on the basis of psychological and other (medical, speech and language) information available. Some categories of exceptionality include Learning Disability, Developmental Disability, or Physical Disability For more information see:
http://www.tcdsb.org/curriculum/guidetospecialeducation.htm and http://www.acposb.on.ca/definitions.html.

The Psychology Department supports the proactive interdisciplinary approach to assessment and intervention that involves ongoing classroom-based assessment and consultation with teachers, leading to early interventions for struggling students before they “fail”.

This model of service delivery is incorporated in a pilot project sponsored by the Ministry of Education/Ontario Psychological Association “Student Assessment Project”, entitled STARSS (School Team Assessment Support for Students), which is being piloted in four elementary schools of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.