The Cognition Institute mission is to inform and influence discussion, discourse and policy in education, based on high quality research and evidence. It also strives to connect educational practice, policy and research to improve educational outcomes in New Zealand and internationally.

Associated with the Ministry of Education led opportunity for public submissions relating to a review of Special Education in New Zealand, the Cognition Institute has encouraged the team within Cognition Education Limited to bring together its experience, evidence, knowledge and understanding to offer a contribution to the Ministry of Education thinking.

Led by Therese Ireland-Smith, with support from and Dr Barbara Disley and Dr John Langley, Cognition Education submission includes a possible model for delivering improved education outcomes for those students with the greatest needs for support to learn.

Strategically, Cognition Education argues in the submission that:

• A continuum of provision and funding should be developed that is based on need.

• Service provision is required that promotes the intent of the New Zealand Disability Strategy and provides for inclusive educational provision for all children in a way that maximises and enhances their participation and all aspects of life.

• Dis-establishment of current organisational structures and providers is required in order to develop and implement a model that brings the expertise, funding and services closer to the child, whanau and those providing learning opportunities for the child. The model must utilise and build on national best practice leadership, the professional knowledge and skills already located within the current regular school community, existing special school networks and GSE.

• The development of a national student support workforce and training agency to grow best and better practice amongst all stakeholders.

• Local decision making is needed to ensure decisions on the delivery of services are made locally by the people who know the child best.

• On-going national specialist guidance and support is also needed so that the people making the decisions and providing the day to day education of children have access to the wider range of knowledge and skills to do this well.

• A model which supports increased local internal capacity, capability and support for teachers, teacher aides and all other personnel working with students who require additional support is paramount.

• Provision for students with behaviour needs must be included in the model.

• A clear set of national policies, guidelines and timeframes for decisions must be developed and promulgated.

• Placement and assessment of children must be based on clear, well-defined rationale, appropriate timelines and sets of protocols and guidelines that are directed by national policies.

• On-going tracking and assessment of students’ needs is critical in order to create a climate of evidence based practice, greater accountability and co-operation between all stakeholders.

• Access and funding parameters are clear, equitable and meet New Zealand’s obligations under international and national agreements.

• Removal of the inequities in funding between special schools and local school provision must happen.

Cognition’s Model

Cognition’s proposed model of provision has been developed using evidence synthesised from a significant number of national evaluations and international research on best practice provision. It takes into consideration successful models currently operating in New Zealand and the teacher education, para-professional training and school support programmes that will be required to support implementation. It also includes behaviour services in order to ensure the needs of the whole child can be integrated.

In brief the Cognition Education team is proposing:

• Devolution of current national special education resources and personnel (GSE and specialists) to local networks or ‘Hubs’.

• ‘Special education’ is integrated with “student support” so that special education does not exist as a separate entity but rather as part of a total student support service.

• Resources currently allocated for “student support” and “special education” within the Ministry of Education are amalgamated and used to support local student support networks/hubs. In some cases local network /hubs would need to have their own board (BOT) and appoint a manager/principal.

• The development of other national support/provision networks. To support this suggestion Cognition Education notes that Blind and Low Vision and Hearing Impaired networks have shown that the Network/Hub model can operate very successfully in New Zealand.

• Locating GSE specialist staff in the network/hubs.

• The development of district networks (virtual schools) or hubs (the specialist services at the centre) as the model of provision to enable expertise to be provided to students in regular school settings that are managed and governed locally.

• A system of provision that promotes:

 A cohesive, collaborative and evidence based approach to the education of children with additional support needs.

 Recognition and inclusion of parents and students as key stakeholders in the decision making processes around educational needs.

 Opportunities for skill enhancement, professional development and ongoing professional learning about specialist education for all teachers and teacher support personnel.

Figure 1: Student Support Network/Hub (please refer to page 8 of the attached document for a detailed image)

Please take the time to let us know what your views are on the Cognition Education response. Your responses will be collated and fed in to our thinking, and then conveyed to the Ministry of Education.

Please download the attached document below for an in depth description of the Cognition model and how it would work.

Mary Sinclair

Executive Trustee, Cognition Institute