Students With Disabilities: Information for Parents

The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) Students with Disabilities (SWD) Program aimed to improve the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students, especially in reading and writing ability and numeracy. Each year, schools could submit SWD applications in either Round 1 (October) or Round 2 (February). Eligibility for the program was then decided by the CECV SWD Committee.

There were seven disability categories: physical disability, chronic health impairment, severe language disorder (including severe developmental verbal dyspraxia), intellectual disability (including global developmental delay), hearing impairment, vision impairment and social– emotional disorders (including autism spectrum disorder). Each disability category had criteria and documentation requirements that had to be met.

Disability funding for Victorian Catholic schools from Federal and State government sources was based on eligible SWD students flagged on the census.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is a process that all schools must do every year. It counts the number of students who receive extra adjustments or ‘help’ at school because of a disability, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA).

To count a student in the NCCD, schools must think through some key questions:

1. Is the student getting help at school so that they can take part in education on the same basis as other students?
2. Is the help given because of a disability? The word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and it can include many students.
3. Has the school talked to you or your child about the help that they provide?
4. Has the school kept records about the help they provide, the student needs and the reasons that the student needs this help? The school will need to keep copies of tests, student work, assessments, records of meetings, medical reports or other paperwork and information about how the student’s learning is moving along over time.

Once the school decides that the student should be counted in the NCCD, they then choose a disability group and one of four levels of help that has been given to the student.

There are four disability categories: physical, cognitive, sensory and social–emotional. There are four levels of adjustments: quality differentiated teaching practice (QDTP), supplementary, substantial and extensive adjustments.

Changes to Funding

Both Federal and State governments have indicated that the NCCD will now be used to inform funding. From 2019 onwards, schools will receive funding based on students counted in the NCCD at supplementary, substantial and extensive adjustments levels. Therefore, the CECV SWD Program will transition to the NCCD for the 2019 program year.

What does this mean for students currently on the CECV SWD Program?

NCCD Eligibility

Specialist documentation (e.g. paediatrician, speech pathology, psychology, GP) that was used for the CECV SWD Program can be used as ‘evidence’ for NCCD. The NCCD does not currently have specific documentation requirements (e.g. documentation from specific specialists or date requirements). Where available, information and advice from specialists combined with school- based evidence will continue to provide rich information to inform educational programming (i.e. adjustments).

Evidence of the help given can be seen in documents such as teacher work plans, monitoring sheets, specialist support timetables, Program Support Group (PSG) minutes and Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs). It is highly likely that students on the CECV SWD Program have already been, and will continue to be counted in the school’s NCCD.

Review Assessments

NCCD does not currently have specific documentation requirements. Where students may have needed updated review assessments for the CECV SWD Program, they are now not necessary for NCCD. Where available, information and advice from specialists combined with school-based evidence will continue to provide rich information to inform educational programming (i.e. adjustments).

NCCD Submissions

Schools must submit their NCCD in August every year and cannot change their NCCD after the due date. The Australian Government will apply post enumeration processes (census audit) to a random sample of the school’s NCCD submission.

Parental Consent

Changes were made to the law (Australian Education Act 2013 and Australian Education Regulation 2013). Schools do not need you to agree to let them count a child in the NCCD. You cannot ask the school not to count your child.

Where can I access more information?

Please contact your child’s school if you have further questions about the NCCD. You may also find these links helpful:

• CECV NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians
• NCCD national website
• Disability Standards for Education 2005
• Australian Government Department of Education and Training–NCCD.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on School Students with Disability

What is the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data?

Schools must now complete the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments or ‘help’ at school because of a disability. The NCCD helps governments plan for the needs of students with disability.

Who is counted in the data collection?
To count a student in the NCCD, schools must think through some key questions:

1. Is the student getting help at school so that they can take part in education on the same basis as other students?
2. Is the help given because of a disability? The word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and it can include many students.
3. Has the school talked to you or your child about the help that they provide?
4. Has the school kept records about the help they provide, the student needs and the reasons
   that the student needs this help? The school will need to keep copies of tests, student work, assessments, records of meetings, medical reports or other paperwork and information about how the student’s learning is moving along over time.

Once the school decides that the student should be counted in the NCCD, they then choose a disability group and one of four levels of help that has been given to the student.

What does word ‘disability’ mean in the NCCD?

In the NCCD the word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). There are four types of disability that the school can choose from: sensory, cognitive, social–emotional and physical.

Many students who need help at school can be counted in the NCCD. For example, students with learning problems, e.g. specific learning disability or reading difficulty (sometimes called dyslexia), health problems (e.g. epilepsy or diabetes), physical disability (e.g. cerebral palsy), vision/hearing loss and social–emotional problems (e.g. selective mutism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety).

Letters from doctors or specialists can be very helpful for schools as they plan how to support students with their learning. Schools do not need to have these letters before they can count a student in NCCD. Teachers can use all that they know about the child’s learning and the records that they have collected over time to decide if a student can be counted in the NCCD.

What sort of help does the school give students?

Students need different types of help at school. Some students need a little help sometimes while other students need a lot of help nearly all the time. The type of help given depends on the needs of the student. The help can include changes to the school buildings or grounds (e.g. ramps or things like special desks or chairs), extra teacher help in classes, special learning programs, changes to the work they give the student or extra adult help.

How will the NCCD be different in 2018?

All schools have been counting students in the NCCD since 2015. The government will use the NCCD data as part of the funding to schools.

What will the school need to know about my child for the NCCD?

Schools work together with families to understand the needs of each student. It is helpful if families give their child’s teacher a copy of any letters or reports they have. The letters or reports will help the school understand the student and the help that they might need. Letters from doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists etc. can be very helpful for schools. These reports, along with information that the teacher has (i.e. school based tests, your child’s work and learning plans), helps the school to understand and meet the student’s needs.

What happens to the NCCD data? Who will have the NCCD information?

Each school principal must check the NCCD data in August of each year. The school will give the information to the Catholic Education Office. The school will work with the Catholic Education Office to make sure that the NCCD data is OK before they give the data to the government. The government will not be given the names of any students or any letters or records. Please ask your school for their privacy policy if you need to know more.

Does the school need me to agree with them about counting my child in the NCCD?

Changes were made to the law (Australian Education Act 2013 and Australian Education Regulation 2013). Schools do not need you to agree to let them count a child in the NCCD. You cannot ask the school not to count your child.

Where can I find out more?

If you have questions, you can ask your child’s school for help. You can find out more by looking at these links:

• NCCD national website
• Disability Standards for Education 2005
• Australian Government Department of Education and Training–NCCD
• 2019 Students with Disabilities (SWD) Information Sheet for Schools, Parents, Carers and
  Guardians.