Getting the mix of services and support right and ensuring value for money

In practice this means:

• balancing the funding for specialist support with that for teachers’ aides
• ensuring that specialist services are as efficient as they can be
• ensuring that the balance of services and support between different programmes is right and responds to the needs of students.

Students who are eligible for specialist services and teachers’ aide time will get the best from these resources when the skills of each are used to best effect. This means focusing specialists on the areas that require their specialist knowledge and teachers’ aides on the daily learning support and personal care needs of students.

At present, for ORRS-funded students, the Ministry of Education requires that at least 25 percent of funding is spent on specialist services. Funding is allocated to specialists to work directly with students, modify programmes and guide teachers, parents, caregivers and teachers’ aides on putting programmes in place. The bulk of the remaining funding is spent on teachers’ aides for day-to-day support in the classroom and at school.

Specialist support is expensive to provide and we need to be sure that it is being provided for the right students and at the right price.

Specialist services are funded for students with higher-level needs who are in the ORRS, Supplementary Learning Support, Behaviour Initiative and Communication Initiative programmes and for students with moderate hearing and physical support needs. The cost of specialist services is driven by the time that is spent working with students, teachers and teachers’ aides in the classroom. It is also driven by the time spent planning programmes, working with families and whānau, working with other agencies, travelling to see students, and keeping up to date with best practices.

The employment arrangements for specialists are an important aspect of the cost and quality of services. At the moment, most specialists are employed by the Ministry of Education, some are employed by special schools or fundholding schools, and there are some private providers.

This arrangement reflects the Ministry’s large role as a provider of services. If that arrangement were to change, the Government would need to be sure that specialist services would be available in all parts of the country, including remote areas where there are no special schools or private providers. It would also be important to ensure that specialists had professional colleagues for supervision, guidance and review as these impact the quality of services.

Another element to consider is how we weigh up the investments made in the different types of programmes. For example, how do we balance the investment in early intervention programmes with that for services for school students, assistive technology or specialist services? How much should be invested in new and innovative services compared to those that have a well-established evidence base? Also, what is the balance of investment in students with the greatest potential versus all students with special education needs?

Question 5b

Is the current mix of services and support right and does it provide value for money? What changes would you suggest?