Administrative Procedure 250: Home and Hospital Instruction

R.R.O. Reg. 298 Operation of Schools: Section 11(11) Duties of Principals: Home Instruction

 

Administrative Procedure (AP) 204 Program Planning; AP 401 Criminal Background Checks; AP 515 Travel and Expense Reimbursement; Form 250A Recommendation for Home or Hospital Instruction; Form 250B Home or Hospital Instruction Payment for Teacher

 

1.1 The Director of Education has developed these administrative procedures for administering educational instruction to students who are confined to home under the care of a physician.

1.2 R.R.O. 298 Operation of Schools, Section 11 (11) states:
“A principal, subject to the approval of the appropriate supervisory officer, may arrange for home instruction to be provided for a pupil where,

2.1 Home instruction will be provided under the following circumstances:

2.1.1 The student must be enrolled in a school under the jurisdiction of the board.
2.1.2 The student is absent from school because of illness, injury or other medical reason.
2.1.3 Medical evidence is supplied to the principal that the student cannot attend school.
2.1.4 The principal is satisfied that home or hospital instruction is in the best interest of the student.
2.1.5 A plan for transition/re-entry to the school is included in the original 250A Recommendation for Home Instruction for any request exceeding three months.

2.2 Periods of Instruction

2.2.1 Home Instruction is approved for a maximum of one term/semester only with provision for the continuation of the instruction pending review and further recommendation by the principal.
2.2.2 Every student given home instruction shall receive a minimum of 180 minutes of instruction per week.
2.2.3 The maximum provided by the board shall be 300 minutes of instruction per week for each elementary student, or 600 minutes for each secondary school student.
2.2.4 Under special circumstances, part-time attendance will be considered in consultation with the Superintendent of Education (Leading Learning). The maximum minutes of instruction per week would be adjusted accordingly.
2.2.5 Under normal circumstances, periods of instruction should not be greater than one hour each in length for elementary and two hours for secondary students. The duration and frequency of periods may vary under special circumstances agreed to by the principal, parents and teacher.
2.2.6 Home instruction shall not be given on school holidays.

3.1 Principal Responsibilities

3.1.1 The principal will recommend the provision of home instruction to the Superintendent of Education (Leading Learning) by completing and submitting Form 250A Recommendation for Home Instruction, including the estimated duration of the instruction and the length and frequency of recommended periods.

3.1.2 The required medical evidence in the form of a statement from a qualified physician shall be attached to the principal’s recommendation.

3.1.3 A re-entry plan or transition/return to school must be created for students who are on Home Instruction for longer than three months. This plan should be developed by the principal in collaboration with the home instruction teacher, classroom teacher, parent(s), physician(s), support workers/counsellors, and the student (depending on the age and stage of maturity).

3.1.4 Upon receipt of approval for home instruction, the principal will follow the process outlined by the department of Human Resource Services to hire a teacher with the appropriate qualifications.

3.1.5 The principal of the student’s home school, shall supervise the work of the home instruction teacher and shall establish a time for periodic conferences between the home instruction teacher and the regular classroom teacher(s), in order that continuity between the home program and the school program be maintained. If release time is required to support conferencing, this request will be made by the principal to the Superintendent of Education (Leading Learning).

3.1.6 Every month, the principal will verify, sign and provide the Superintendent of Education (Leading Learning) with a completed Form 250B Home Instruction Payment for Teacher. This monthly statement will inform the superintendent of student progress and ongoing level of support.

3.2 Superintendent Responsibilities

3.2.1 The Superintendent of Education (Leading Learning) will ensure that the requirements of the regulations have been met and send a letter of approval to the principal to be filed in the OSR.
3.2.2 If, in consultation with the principal, home instruction services that have been arranged through another board, the Superintendent of Education (Leading
Learning) will make the necessary arrangements and verify the submitted accounts.

3.3 Classroom Teacher Responsibilities

3.3.1 The classroom teacher will attend periodic conferences with the home instruction teacher as arranged by the principal, in order that continuity between the home program and the school program be maintained.

3.3.2 The classroom teacher will provide lessons/instructional materials to the home instruction teacher to support home instruction.

3.3.3 The home instruction teacher will provide assessment of the student learning and the classroom teacher will ensure reporting of the student progress. Students on home instruction should be maintained on the school register and included in class size reporting.

3.4 Home Instruction Teacher Responsibilities

3.4.1 Where possible, prior to the commencement of home instruction, the teacher shall visit the student and explain the expectations of the program to the parent and student.
3.4.2 Each month, the home instruction teacher shall provide the hours of instruction and assessment to support the student’s program on the Form 250B Home Instruction Payment for Teacher.
3.4.3 The home instruction teacher will attend periodic conferences with the classroom teacher as arranged by the principal, in order that continuity between the home program and the school program be maintained. The home instruction teacher shall regularly report on student progress and achievement to the classroom teacher and principal.

3.5 Secretary Responsibilities

3.5.1 As the student is medically unable to attend and has supporting medical documentation, the secretary will ensure that student attendance is coded General Absence Day for the dates of the absences outlined in the medical note. Once Home Instruction is approved, the student will appear as Present on the register.

4.1 Rate of Pay for Teachers

4.1.1 The hourly rate to be paid to teachers engaged by the board to provide home instruction shall be as determined in accordance with the collective agreements in place at the time of the assignment.
4.1.2 The billable hourly rate shall apply to hours of instruction and assessment, exclusive of travel time.

4.2 Mileage Reimbursement for Teachers
Teachers providing home instruction will be reimbursed for mileage driven, in accordance with AP 515 Travel and Expense Reimbursement.

 

Revised December 2022