Provincial Schools and Demonstration Schools are part of the Provincial Schools Authority (PSA), which was established under the Provincial School Negotiation Act. These schools are operated by the Ministry of Education and provide education for elementary and secondary school students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, who are Blind or have low vision, who are Deafblind, and/or who have severe learning disabilities. The schools also provide outreach services and opportunities for professional development for staff working for school boards.
Provincial Schools and Provincial Demonstration Schools:
- are operated by the Ministry of Education;
- provide education for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, who are Blind or have Low Vision, who are Deafblind, or who have severe learning disabilities;
- provide an alternative education option;
- serve as regional resource centres for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, who are Blind or have Low Vision, who are Deafblind, or who have severe learning disabilities;
- provide outreach and home–visiting services to parents of preschool children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, are Blind or have low vision, or are Deafblind;
- develop and provide learning materials and media for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, are Blind or have Low Vision, or are Deafblind;
- provide school board teachers with resource services; and
- provide professional development for teachers.
Admittance to a Provincial School is determined by the Provincial Schools Admission Committee in accordance with the requirements set out in Regulation 296, “Ontario Schools for the Blind and the Deaf.” Application for admission to a Demonstration School is made on behalf of students by the school board, with parental consent. The Provincial Committee on Learning Disabilities (PCLD) determines whether a student is eligible for admission.
W. Ross Macdonald School is located in Brantford and provides education for students who are Blind, visually impaired or Deafblind. The school provides:
- a provincial resource centre for the visually impaired and Deafblind;
- support to local school boards through consultation and the provision of special learning materials, such as Braille materials, audiotapes and large-print text-books; and
- professional services and guidance to ministries of education on an inter-provincial, cooperative basis.
Programs are tailored to the needs of the individual student and:
- are designed to help these students learn to live independently in a non-sheltered environment;
- are delivered by specially trained teachers;
- follow the Ontario curriculum developed for all students in the province;
- offer a full range of courses at the secondary level;
- offer courses in broad-based technology and mobility training;
- are individualized to offer a comprehensive “life skills” program; and
- provide home visiting for parents and families of preschool Deafblind children to assist in preparing these children for their future education.
From Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12 Policy and Resource Guide, 2017 - Ministry of Education pages F6-F8.
The following Provincial Schools offer services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students:
- Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf in Milton (serving central and northern Ontario);
- Centre Jules-Leger in Ottawa (serving francophone students and families throughout Ontario).
These schools provide elementary and secondary school programs for deaf students from preschool level to high school graduation. The curriculum follows the Ontario curriculum and parallels courses and programs provided in school boards. Each student has his or her special needs met as set out in his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP). Schools for the Deaf:
- provide rich and supportive bilingual/bicultural educational environments which facilitate students' language acquisition, learning and social development through American Sign Language (ASL) and English;
- operate primarily as day schools; and
- provide residential facilities five days per week for those students who do not live within reasonable commuting distance from the school.
Each Provincial School has a resource services department that provides:
- consultation and educational advice to parents of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and to school board personnel;
- information brochures;
- a wide variety of workshops for parents, school boards, and other agencies;
- an extensive home-visiting program delivered to parents of preschool children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing by teachers trained in preschool and Deaf education.
From Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12 Policy and Resource Guide, 2017 - Ministry of Education page F9.
Demonstration Schools
Each provincial Demonstration School has an enrollment of 40 students. The language of instruction at the Amethyst, Sagonaska, and Trillium schools is English; at Centre Jules-Leger, instruction is in French.
Application for admission to a provincial Demonstration School is made on behalf of students by the school board, with parental consent. The Provincial Committee on Learning Disabilities (PCLD) determines whether a student is eligible for admission.
Although the primary responsibility to provide appropriate educational programs for students with learning disabilities remains with school boards, the Ministry recognizes that some students require a residential school setting for a period of time.
The Demonstration Schools were established to:
- provide special residential education programs for students between the ages of 5 and 21 years;
- enhance the development of each student's academic and social skills; and
- develop the abilities of the students enrolled to a level that will enable them to return to programs operated by a local school board within two years.
For more information on Provincial and Demonstration Schools, please visit The Ministry of Ontario Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch website.
In addition to providing residential schooling for students with severe learning disabilities, the provincial Demonstration Schools have special programs for students with severe learning disabilities in association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). These are highly intensive, one-year programs.
The Trillium Demonstration School also operates Learning for Emotional and Academic Development (LEAD), a special program for students with severe learning disabilities who require an additional level of social/emotional support.
Further information about the academic, residential, LEAD and LD/ADHD, programs is available from the Demonstration Schools through the Special Needs Opportunity Window (SNOW) website.
An in-service teacher education program is provided at each Demonstration School. This program is designed to share methodologies and materials with teachers of Ontario school boards. Information about the programs offered should be obtained from the schools themselves.
From Special Education in Ontario: Kindergarten to Grade 12 Policy and Resource Guide, 2017 - Ministry of Education pages F6-F8.
Current statistics by program, on the number of students who are qualified to be resident students in the Board who are currently attending Provincial and Demonstration Schools:
|
School |
Number of YRDSB Students Attending |
|
Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf |
4 |
|
Trillium Demonstration School |
2 |
|
W. Ross Macdonald School |
4 |
Transportation for students enrolled in Provincial Schools is arranged by York Region District School Board or Provincial Schools. Transportation for students enrolled in Demonstration Schools is arranged by Provincial Schools. When necessary, an attendant will be provided.