Last week, an associate superintendent and a group of school administrators from the Westwind School Division in Southern Alberta went to Chinook's Edge School Division to find out more about the division's strategy for helping students with complex needs.
The educators were particularly eager to see the Chinook's Edge Collaborative Support Model for Educational Assistants (EAs) in action at Carstairs Elementary School.
“We were happy to welcome our colleagues and talk together about supporting students,” says Marcie Perdue, Associate Superintendent of Chinook’s Edge School Division. “Discussions and observations like this help us all grow in our understanding and commitment to meeting the needs of our students.”
“We have had a long-standing relationship with Chinook's Edge for a few years now,” says Austin Nunn, Assistant Superintendent, Westwind School Division. “We heard about some of the work the team is doing with the EA Collaborative Model, and we wanted to learn more.” Nunn says he and his colleagues left feeling “excited about the EA Collaborative Support Model.”
Two knowledgeable and self-assured Educational Assistants, Krista Clague and Theresa Kaczmarski, are part of the EA Collaborative Support Model. According to Chinook's Edge, they work with students who have complex behavioural needs and are currently being used throughout Chinook's Edge School Division after having previously worked as educational assistants at Horizon School.
The two EAs spend time at schools with staff who benefit from their modelling and support. The visiting EAs work elbow to elbow with the EAs at the school level, as well as with teachers and administrators, to find practical solutions in a wide variety of contexts, explained Chinook's Edge.
“What is working about this model is it is just-in-time support, focusing on developing skills that are required in specific situations. Also, it allows EAs to work beside a colleague who understands their work and their role,” says Perdue. “We are finding this support to be incredibly powerful.”
Following a successful trial in the fall of 2023 with two schools where there was a demand, the model was created. Bringing the Horizon EAs to those schools to impart their knowledge and expertise was something Perdue and her team considered as a potential benefit. Carstairs Elementary School was one of the schools taking part in the pilot.
“Our school has benefited greatly from the EA Collaboration Model,” says Traci Upshaw, Carstairs Elementary School Principal. “The intensive observation and support in the classroom to build skills and confidence with staff in their environment has been invaluable. Teachers and EAs feel prepared with the right tools and planned responses to challenging behaviours.”
According to Chinook's Edge, rearranging the EA timetable at Carstairs Elementary so that several EAs supported different students in turn was one of the recommendations. Additionally, to ensure a uniform approach, the staff as a whole was informed of the assistance plan for a specific student.
“The flexibility and responsiveness of the model is a key component of its success. Having the support when and where it is needed and seeing immediate improvements helps our staff feel supported and builds their capacity as they work with all students. We appreciate that this support is available and that we can continue to access it when needed throughout the year,” says Upshaw.
One of the three main ways Chinook's Edge assists staff members who work with kids who have complex needs is through the EA Collaborative Support Model. The Collaborative Problem Solving Model is another area of emphasis, in which school-based personnel meet to talk about particular problems and collaborate to develop answers.
Chinook's Edge has a total of 12 schools in neighbouring communities, including Olds, Mountain View County, Didsbury, Crossfield and Carstairs.
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