Information and links covering; Individual Education Plans, Student Support Groups & Koorie Education Support Officers.
Individual Education Plans
Victorian government schools are required to work with Aboriginal students and families to develop Individual Education Plans or IEPs. The development of the IEP is one of the key responsibilities of the Student Support Group (SSG). The plan incorporates information provided by the educational needs assessment and strategies to address the needs of the child or young person in the five key areas of; enrolment, attendance, achievement, case planning and school retention. The plan must clearly explain the responsibilities of the SSG.
IEPs must be reviewed twice a year at a minimum.
Student Support Groups
The Student Support Group (SSG) is the school lead forum in which schools, case managers, carers, parents (as appropriate), families and support services come together to plan and support the education of a child or young person in out-of-home care. The aim of an SSG is to ensure that those who know the child well and have responsibility for their care and wellbeing, work collaboratively to maximise the child’s engagement, attendance and achievement at school. This group also monitors and evaluates the child or young person’s educational progress.
When a principal receives the letter from the case manager informing them that the child has been placed in out of home care, the principal will arrange for;
- an educational needs assessment for a child who has been in out of home care longer than 3 months
- an SSG to be established for the child within a week of the child commencing school
Koorie Education Support Officers
A Koorie Education Support Officer (KESO) is a community member with an understanding of the local community, their history and culture. KESOs work with the schools they are assigned to as well as the families of students and the local community.
Their role includes providing advice and support to ensure that the schools are culturally safe and inclusive and they also assist in the coordination of services that ‘support engagement and improved outcomes for Koorie children and young people’.
KESOs support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to participate fully in education. They support students and families through transitions across all learning stages where appropriate: from early years ,into primary and secondary and then onto further education.
More information and contact details are available at Contact a Koorie education coordinator.