Centennial High School Learning Supports 

Welcome to Centennial High School, home of the Coyotes!  At Centennial, we pride ourselves on meeting the learning needs of our students. The staff at Centennial High School make every effort, with the resources available, to accommodate the learning needs of students.

Supporting Students with Special Education Coding 

Students who have an Individual Program Plan (IPP) resulting from an assessment (psychological, psycho-educational) or a diagnosis (medical) are identified with a special education code. The educational code is assigned once an official diagnosis is given from an educational assessment or medical assessment which precedes the creation of an IPP. With an IPP, students learning needs are reviewed and students access services and accommodations to support their learning needs. Accommodations may be applied daily, in some or all of their course or some students may prefer to use their accommodations only during assessments.  

Many students who have an Individual Program Plan (IPP) have an “invisible disability”, meaning that their struggles are not immediately observable or apparent to others. Being able to communicate learning differences, challenges and needs to others is a valuable skill for students to acquire.  The ability to self advocate and inform others of what accommodations they need for their academic success is a goal for high school students. Many parents are surprised to learn that when their child turns 18, Alberta Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) laws prevent schools from disclosing information about the newly turned adult to anyone without the student’s consent – even students who are on an IPP. This means that adult students are responsible for requesting their own accommodations whether they are in high school or post-secondary. It is important that students practice at self-advocating for their learning needs before they turn 18. 

When and how is an IPP created? 

The following is the process for an Individual Program Plan (IPP):

• An assessment or medical diagnosis is provided to the school and forwarded to the Learning Leader (LL) of Inclusive Learning/Resource. The assessment is reviewed in consultation with your child’s Guidance Counsellor.  
• The educational code is determined based on the assessment and Alberta Education guidelines.  The code is then inputted into the Student Information System to access the IPP program, Iris. To see a full listing of all Educational Codes and their descriptions please follow the link to the Alberta Learning Website 
• The LL of Inclusive Learning/IPP Coordinator then creates the IPP taking information from the assessment, conferring with the student and parent(s) for any additional information that may be required.

• Teachers are notified about your child’s diagnosis, coding and recommended accommodations in the new IPP. Teachers will work with your child to explore and utilize what accommodations may be needed in the course. From there, they will work with you child to develop a course specific goal. 
• The IPP is provided to the parents to review and sign with their consent during the first and second semester of the school year.

What Types of Parental Involvement is there in the IPP Process? 

Parents are encouraged to participate in the IPP process by meeting with school staff as we work towards creating an IPP goal that reflects the findings indicated in the child’s Psycho-Educational Assessment.  

This can be achieved by:

• Booking an appointment during regular school hours with school staff.  

• Teachers are the primary writer of course specific goals in the IPP.   
• The LL Inclusive learning/Resource ensures that all information in the IPP is correct and up to-date. 

• The IPP are printed for parents and are handed out to students to bring home in October of first semester and March or second semester. An electronic version is available when requested by the parent/guardian (this request must be made yearly)

• At the end of the school year IPPs are available to students/parents upon request as all IPPs are printed for the students file (Official Student Record) 
• The best place to start when encountering difficulty in school is with the subject teacher. The subject teacher is the most qualified to answer your questions about assignments and test expectations.
• Communication through emails usually work best. Please give teachers a little time to get back to you as many have extra-curricular responsibilities and if you do not hear from them please try to make contact again. 

What are Accommodations? 

Most students on an IPP require accommodations to advance their learning. Accommodations preserve the learning outcomes of the Program of Studies while addressing the student’s special education learning needs to reduce the impact of the learning difficulties. Accommodations are based on the suggestions from the student’s diagnosis report. 
Alberta Education lists three types of accommodations, they are: 

• Classroom/physical accommodations; such as, preferential seating, etc. 
• Instructional accommodations; such as, providing copies of notes, etc.
• Evaluation/testing accommodations; such as, extra time, assistive technology such as text to speech and speech to text, audio of text, etc. 

What Supports and Services are available to Students at Centennial? 

Centennial High School has a variety of supports and services that we offer to promote and facilitate student learning. These supports include but are not limited to: 

• Student Success Centre (SSC) is a break out space where we offer targeted one-on-one support for students in all grades and subject areas to ensure our students reach their full potential in their academic and complimentary courses.  The SSC is also a space where students who have IPPs are supported with targeted accommodations such as the use of assistive technology.  The SSC can be accessed through teacher referral or student self-referral.  
• A variety of assistive technologies are available, such as: digital textbooks; audio textbooks; Text to speech software (reader); Speech to text Software (scribe); Desire to Learn (D2L) support for classroom and homework management. 
• Student Services, Guidance Counsellors are available to discuss programming needs, scholarship opportunities, learning concerns, post-secondary entrance requirements, etc. 

• Learning Leader of Inclusive learning/Resource oversees the implementation of Individual Program Plans (IPP) and facilitate supports needed to advance learning. 
• Off Campus Coordinator is available to support and assist with: work experience credits, RAP program and unique opportunities.  
• The school administration team support learning by: monitoring students’ academic progress; meeting with student and parents to discuss strategies that encourage academic success; mentoring students in making appropriate decision that support learning. 
• Education Assistants are available in specific classes to provide opportunities for small group or one-to-one support. 
• English Language Learners (ELL) coordinator offers specialized classroom instruction and support. 

What can students and parents expect in the IPP process? 

High School 

• Self-advocacy goal in the IPP encourages you child to increasingly take responsibility for securing accommodations and requesting support.  Only accommodations that are used regularly are provided on final or diploma exams. 
• Technology is used in the classroom and on assessments for text to speech (reader) and speech to text (scribe) Students can access material in the form of an audio file (CD, MP3, etc.) 
• If Student is under 18 years, student information is accessible by parent and student. If Student is 18 years or older, the student controls who can access their information. 

• Students must demonstrate that they have mastered the learning outcomes from the Program of Studies as evident by a mark of 50% or higher in order to compete the course, earn the Alberta Education credits to be allowed to move to the next level. Course outcomes are set by Alberta Education and can be found in the Program of Studies for the course.  These outcomes must be met in order to successfully complete the course. 
• In high school, course modifications are done by placing students in the appropriate level such as 10-1, 10-2 or 10-4.  Accommodations are used to support the students to meet the outcomes of the level they are in. 

Post-Secondary 

• Students must self-advocate by registering with the school’s Accessibility Services and requesting accommodations in advance. Student may be responsible for any financial costs associated with accommodations. 
• Student information is accessible by student. 

• Course requirements will be set by institutions and may vary. 

Centennial Learning Team 

Our Learning Team consists of classroom teachers, guidance counsellors, LL Inclusive learning/resource and school administrators who collaborate to identify the causes of student academic, social or behavioural struggles, as well as strategize possible interventions and supports. 

How to Contact Us? 

Guidance Counsellors 

Every student is assigned to a Counsellor by Surname. Counselors are available during tutorials and at lunch to see students on a drop-in basis 

Inclusive Learning/Resource 

• Ms. Lesley Ruault, Learning Leader 

• laruault@cbe.ab.ca 

Booking an Appointment & Hours 

Appointments call Ms. Harrison, Student Services Secretary 403-256-8140 ext. 2777.