Special Education Needs codes
Who should receive a SEN code?
Assign a SEN code
only to students who have been assessed by a qualified staff person. SEN codes are purely informational and will not exempt students from PCAP.
Guidelines and examples
Student numbers in the examples below correspond to the lines in the sample, completed Student Tracking Form.
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Code 1: Functional disability
The student has a moderate to severe permanent physical disability.
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Student should participate in the assessment
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Student should not participate as a result of a lack of appropriate accommodations
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The student can understand the instructions and respond to the assessment, with or without an accommodation.
If a student uses an accommodation, assign participation code 2A, along with the appropriate accommodation code, on the Student Tracking Form.
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The student can understand the instructions; however, their moderate to severe permanent physical disability is such that they should not participate in the PCAP.
As the student is not participating, they should be assigned a participation code 1B on the Student Tracking Form.
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View Examples
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Example:
- Student 10 is deaf. However, PCAP does not contain any audio components, and, thus, this student’s physical disability does not affect their ability to participate in the assessment. This student should participate in the assessment. They should be assigned a SEN code 1.
Example:
- Student 6 has multiple sclerosis. This condition does not affect the student’s ability to understand the instructions and to respond to the assessment questions. However, it is understood that longer periods of work are not recommended for this student. Therefore, the student can participate in the assessment with the use of a scribe and/or additional breaks. They should be assigned a SEN code 1.
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Example:
- Student 7 has a severe visual impairment and cannot read Braille. Therefore, the student is unable to participate in the assessment. This student should be assigned a SEN code 1.
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Code 2: Intellectual disability and/or socio-emotional condition
The student has a cognitive or behavioural disability, and/or socio-emotional condition.
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Student should participate in the assessment
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Student should not participate as a result of a lack of appropriate accommodations
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The student can understand the instructions and respond to the assessment, with or without an accommodation. A student should NOT be exempted solely due to poor academic performance or disciplinary/behavioural issues.
If a student uses an accommodation, assign participation code 2A, along with the appropriate accommodation code, on the Student Tracking Form.
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The student has a cognitive or behavioural disability, or socio-emotional condition such that, in the opinion of qualified staff, they cannot understand the instructions and respond to the assessment appropriately.
As the student is not participating, they should be assigned a participation code 1B on the Student Tracking Form.
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View Examples
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Example:
- Student 3 has mild developmental delays. However, the student is able to understand the assessment instructions and respond to questions. This student can write the assessment with accommodations and should be assigned a SEN code 2.
Example:
- Student 11 has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The student understands instructions and can answer assessment questions. However, the student would not be able to focus for the full length of the assessment. This student should be provided with additional breaks. This student can write the assessment with an accommodation and should be assigned a SEN code 2.
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Example:
- Student 15 has been professionally assessed as severely cognitively delayed, such that this student is not able to understand the instructions and meaningfully respond to assessment questions. Therefore, this student should not participate in the assessment. The student should be assigned a SEN code 2.
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Code 3: Limited assessment-language experience
The student meets at least one of the following criteria:
- is not a native speaker in the assessment language (English or French); and/or
- has limited proficiency in the assessment language (English or French); and/or
- has been in Canada for less than two years.
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Student should participate in the assessment |
Student should not participate as a result of a lack of appropriate accommodations |
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The student should participate in the assessment if they meet any one or two of the listed criteria.
If a student uses an accommodation, assign participation code 2A, along with the appropriate accommodation code, on the Student Tracking Form.
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The student meets ALL three criteria.
As the student is not participating, they should be assigned a participation code 1B on the Student Tracking Form.
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View Examples
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Example:
- Student 9 is not a native English speaker. While their experience with English is limited, the student has been in Canada for more than two years and therefore does not meet all three criteria for exemption. This student should participate in the assessment and will be assigned a SEN code 3.
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Example:
- Student 17 is not a native English speaker, has limited proficiency in English, and they have been in Canada for less than one year. Therefore, this student meets all three criteria for exemption on the basis of limited assessment-language experience. This student should not participate in the assessment and should be assigned a SEN code 3.
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