Introduction

AISJ is engaged in a continual process of reflection, change, and ongoing development of pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment. Learning programs across the school are in alignment to ensure access and pathways for all students admitted to the school.   

We recognize that diversity enriches our community and improves opportunities for connection and empathy as internationally minded individuals. The school’s intention is for inclusiveness of individuals who are diverse in language, culture, religion, orientation and neurodiversity. 

This Protocol & Practices document was developed in 2021-2022.  This will be reviewed every 2 years by the K12 Student Support Services - S³ Coordinator and the School-wide Leadership Team.

AISJ Guiding statements

PURPOSE

Inspire learning to build our better world.

The purpose of AISJ is to provide exceptional educational experiences in a diverse and nurturing environment in order to inspire learning and build our better world. We cultivate an inclusive community of learners so that we empower global citizens to fulfill their future purpose. 

COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES

The American International School of Johannesburg fosters a positive culture and is committed to Community Principles that include: 

• We are better when we act together. 

• Our differences make us stronger. 

• Every voice counts. Every voice matters. 

• Every team needs individuals. Every individual needs a team.

LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Learning is the development of knowledge, skills and character through experience and reflection that changes who we are.  Learning happens best when:

Relationship: 
Learners engage in positive relationships that enhance their sense of safety, well-being and belonging. 

Challenge:
Learners are challenged with ambitious expectations and appropriate, personalized goals.

Process:
Learners engage in processes of inquiry, investigation, deep thinking, feedback, and reflection to apply and transfer ideas in multiple contexts. 

Ownership:
Learners own their learning and know how to learn, empowering them to be self-directed, creative and explore their curiosities and individual passions. 

Engagement:
Learners are active and collaborative, engaging with diverse viewpoints to develop empathy and character.  

Relevance:
Learners find purpose and meaning as they make authentic connections among concepts and across disciplines.

Responsible Student Support Services - S³ at AISJ

AISJ is committed to a progressive and reflective process concerning Student Support Services - S³. 

The AISJ Student Support Services - S³ is based on the concept that differentiation is achieved by the continual adjustment of an appropriately challenging learning program to match a student’s demonstrated level and pace of learning. This is achieved through the MultiTiered Systems of Support framework, differentiated practices within the classroom, and parent and student involvement. Through these programs and partnerships AISJ works with the resources available to meet the individual needs of our students in a balanced and caring way.  

English Language Learners

AISJ not only recognizes its multicultural and multilingual environment, but commits to honoring its linguistically diverse members. AISJ creates individual language profiles for each ELL student to support English language acquisition for new and developing language learners and encouraging the ongoing development of home languages.  The school provides for home language development through such opportunities as the School Supported Self Study in grades 9-12. Across all grades, home languages are used as a bridge to learn content while English language, both social and academic, is being acquired. 

All educators have a shared responsibility as teachers of English learners and are therefore responsible for teaching the language of their content areas.

We believe that the development of language skills is vital for the acquisition of knowledge, critical thinking, refining values, and for social and emotional development and well being. In addition to promoting cognitive growth, language is an important factor in sustaining a student’s cultural identity and intercultural understanding.  Within this framework, and as an international school, we promote the use of international varieties of English as our primary medium of instruction and communication.

Students with Learning Differences

AISJ embraces the belief that neurodiversity amongst individuals is the norm and that includes diverse learning needs enriches our larger community. We are committed to providing both early intervention, which is responsive to the developing needs of students, and individualized programs of support to students with identified learning needs. We believe equity in education means that students have access to learning environments and experiences that are supportive, challenging, and personalized to their unique learning needs. When AISJ cannot provide the educational interventions and support needed with our resources, we refer families to outside services and/or alternate schools. 

All teachers have a shared responsibility in the development of supportive learning environments. Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) are created to facilitate this. They are written in collaboration with students (if appropriate), parents, counselors, learning support teachers, and/or class/subject teachers.  ILPs are informed by the unique strengths and needs of the individual, often identified by a formal assessment and in conjunction with the student’s goals for learning. It articulates interventions and accommodations required for the student to be successful. 

Responsible Admissions PROCESS

The admission process is guided by AISJ’s  guiding statements and school parameters. During the admissions process, AISJ views students as individuals and considers their ability to succeed in the classroom, maintain social-emotional well-being and AISJ’s capacity to support them to reach their fullest potential. 

A review panel of qualified staff members from each division is responsible for making an admission recommendation; however, final admission decisions are made by the school director. It should be noted that in making a decision the review panel is informed by a set of factors or criteria which address the diverse characteristics and capacity of the particular grade for which a student is applying. 

Students admitted to high school are expected to be able to meet graduation requirements without modification. In cases where a student may need additional support, a review panel will evaluate the student’s needs and AISJ’s capacity to offer accommodations within the guidelines of Student Support Services - S³.

Admission - English Language Learners

When a student is identified as requiring additional English language support at admission, the following process will be followed:

The Admissions Coordinator will share the file with the divisional principal, counselor, and Student Support Services - S³ Coordinator for review.

If the student is in PK-grade 8, the team will review grade level capacity before making a final decision. If the student is applying for grade 9 or above, the following must be considered:

1. Students applying for grades 11 and 12 must have adequate English to access the curriculum without additional English language support. They must have 5.5 or higher on the WIDA. WIDA is the English assessment used at the school to determine an individual’s proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. 

   • Students applying for Grade 10 must have at least a 3.5 on the WIDA in order to be considered. If they are 3.5-5.0 on the WIDA, they will be enrolled in the English acquisition class (a class specific to Academic English Development that replaces the mainstream English class) and the ELL support class (a class that provides language support for the other core classes). If they are 5.0 or above, they are typically enrolled in the ELL support class only. These decisions are made on a case by case basis with other factors also used for consideration. 

   • Students applying for grade 9 must have at least a 2.0 on the WIDA. Depending on their level of English, they will be enrolled in both the English acquisition class and the ELL support class or only the ELL support class. 

   • If required, the English language teacher and/or the Student Support Services - S³ Coordinator might need to complete the WIDA virtual screener to inform the placement decision if the family is not in South Africa. If the family is in South Africa, they can come to the campus to complete the full WIDA assessment.

2. If there is capacity at the given grade level, an ELL file is created, the student is added to the list for a complete WIDA assessment upon arrival and the student is added to the ELL database. 

3. The school monitors a student's transition for eight weeks. This combined with the WIDA assessment will be used to make a final decision regarding the amount of support required.
    

Admission - Learning Support

Full disclosure of any history of support and/or prior evaluation is required at admission. Failure to do so could negatively affect  the student’s continued enrollment at the school. When a student is identified as needing, or possibly needing, additional learning support at the time of admission, the following process will be followed:

1. AISJ can serve students with mild to moderate learning needs within our typical learning support services. If the student will require a modified or alternate curriculum, they can be served through our Learner-Specific Pathways. If there is a question about whether a student might fit within our service delivery model, the Admissions Manager will first review the file with the Student Support Services - S³ Coordinator. All available information will be reviewed, a conversation with the family and/or the current school might occur. If it is determined that the student could be served within our school, then the admission process continues as outlined below.

2. The admission file is shared with the Student Support Services - S³ Coordinator, the divisional principal, and the divisional counselor. In the HS, it is also shared with the Student Support Services - S³ Learning Leader. This file includes general admission information, with the addition of any outside assessments, e.g. psycho-educational assessments, individual learning plans, or other additional information. All evaluations must be up to date for admission to be considered. For a psycho-educational evaluation, this means it has been done in the last 3 years. Should the student enroll in the school, the expectation is that all evaluations will remain current and reevaluations will be done in a timely manner and shared with the school. Any evaluations or documentation completed in a language other than English, must be submitted with an official translation.

3. The Divisional admission team determines if the student's needs could be well served and that there is the capacity to do so. This review process might include contacting the family, the prior school, meeting the student to complete further assessments with them, asking for more information or further assessments, and/or meeting as a team to discuss the application. The decision might include a conditional offer letter if there are specific concerns to address.
    

4. If the student is admitted, a Learning Support file is created and the student is added to the learning support database. Families are then committed to keeping all evaluations current  (e.g. 3 year re-evaluation of Psycho-educational Assessment) and providing any updated information to the school to inform support decisions. 
    

5. If the applicant does not have a history of support services but support needs are suspected because of information in the report card or the confidential recommendation, the admission team may request to meet the student to complete onsite assessments with them or request outside assessments before making a final admissions decision. An admission decision would be based on the additional information and might include a conditional offer letter if there are specific concerns to address.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support is a framework to meet the needs of all students. It uses data from universal screeners, progress monitoring, formative and summative assessment, standardized assessments, and teacher observation to monitor student progress and personalize learning.  MTSS allows us to be responsive to student needs in a timely and equitable way. It allows us to address gaps in instruction, opportunity, and skills quickly and without a label.

Tier 1: High Quality Core Instruction

Tier 1 includes all students and consists of evidence-based instruction and ongoing collection of assessment data that informs differentiation for instruction. Tier 1 is based on the assumption that all teachers understand the needs of our ELL and neurodiverse learners and have the ability to plan for and provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. 

Tier 2: Targeted, short term, individualized support

In Tier 2, targeted interventions are put into place to support areas of need identified during Tier 1 instruction or assessment. These interventions are provided by the class or support teacher and are focused around specific support goals. Tier 2 interventions are implemented for short instructional intervals and student progress is frequently monitored. Tier 2 interventions may be included on an Early Intervention Plan (EIP) or Student Intervention Plan (SIP). This depends on where students fall within the referral process.

Tier 2 interventions are in addition to core instruction and does not replace it  Additional data is used to track student progress and the impact of the intervention is reviewed consistently. If these interventions are part of a referral, the results of the intervention informs the next steps in the referral process. If these interventions are provided by the Learning Support teacher as part of an individualized learning plan (ILP), the progress is noted and adjusted within the ILP. Tier 2 should be fluid and based on student need and response to intervention.

Tier 3: Targeted, long term individualized support

Tier 3 interventions increase in intensity from Tier 2 intervention. These targeted and systematic interventions increase in frequency and duration. It might be part of the referral process, but more likely it is used for students with identified learning support needs. A scientifically based intervention is used to address the identified needs of the student. This is in addition to core instruction and does not replace it. It is typically reserved for students who are performing more than 1 grade level below benchmarks.

Student Centered Processes

At AISJ we keep students at the center of our discussions. The Child StudyTeam is a group of educators (specialist and generalist alike) and may include the parents and/or student. This team meets to have a professional inquiry about a child’s learning and areas of concern that need to be addressed. This team shares responsibility and accountability for the design and implementation of strategic interventions. The Child Study Team meets regularly and is an integral part of the MTSS process at AISJ.

Student Progress Monitoring and Reporting

The Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is meant to address each child’s unique learning profile and includes specific educational goals, services, and assessments. ILPs are developed by the case manager in collaboration with the ILP Team and are monitored by the case manager. The ILP is an opportunity for the parents, the student (if appropriate), and the educators to work together as team members to discuss the student’s needs, to identify services that will be provided to meet those needs, and to set annual goals.  An ILP is an essential communication tool among the family, student, and school and it documents a history of support. 

A Student Intervention Plan (SIP) or Early Intervention Plan (EIP)  is a way of documenting a student's current academic level and interventions designed to increase the student's performance in Elementary and Middle School. The SIP is a plan for students who are receiving specific and targeted intervention(s) but may not have a diagnosed disability. The SIP outlines one or more of the following: specific skills, behaviors, goals, accommodations, progress monitoring timeline and assessments relevant to the students learning and/or behavioral needs. The SIP is a part of the CST process and is a part of the CST documentation. The Early Intervention Plan is used in PK-grade 2 before or during the CST process. It is used to document interventions while providing maximum flexibility to respond quickly to the needs of our youngest learners. 

The Individual Accommodation Plan (IAP) is developed when students have documented needs for accommodations in the classroom and for formal testing situations. It outlines their needs to teachers to ensure they understand and implement them when required.

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is developed for students during the referral process and/or after a need is formally identified. The purpose is to identify accommodations and strategies that all teachers will use to address a behavior concern.  It includes de-escalation strategies, specific goals and interventions for achieving these goals, and a clear process for responding to inappropriate behavior in a consistent and predictable way. BIPs will be developed by the case manager in collaboration with the ILP Team and will be monitored by the case manager. The BIP is an opportunity for the parents, the student (if appropriate), and the educators to work together.

Other Student Support Services - S³ 

In addition to ELL and learning support, AISJ offers a range of services at the school and utilizes many outside services within the larger Johannesburg community.

Counseling

School counselors provide transition planning, career exploration, educational interventions, and social and emotional support for students. AISJ School Counselors can and will be case managers of specific students who may need specific behavioral or emotional support systems. Counselors develop and implement the wellbeing program, child protection lessons and safeguarding protocols across the school. 

OUTSIDE SERVICES

Educational Psychologist Services
Evaluates different areas of a child’s cognitive abilities, levels of achievement, behavioral patterns, language skills and other areas of processing that impact learning. 

Speech and Language Therapy
Evaluates and provides intervention to children presenting with cognitive/ communicative disorders including, but not limited to, disordered articulation, voice, expressive language, receptive language, pragmatic skills, executive function skills, feeding/swallowing and, fluency (stuttering). We work directly with private therapists who come to the school to perform these services.

Occupational Therapy
Evaluates and provides intervention to children struggling with fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing skills, and/or activities instrumental to daily life. We work directly with private therapists who come to the school to perform these services.

In addition AISJ counseling and Student Support Services - S³ teams work with many outside service providers in areas such as play therapy, individual therapy or counseling, and/or Applied Behavioral Analysis when needed.

Re-entry Protocols 

Students attending AISJ at times may need to take a leave of absence and seek significant medical and/or mental health interventions. To ensure success, It is important that entry back into school be appropriately monitored. A re-entry plan is created so that teachers have the necessary information to support the student’s return to school. 

Once a re-entry plan is established, the family will be contacted and informed of the re-entry date. On the first day back at school and prior to entering class, the student will be asked to meet with the divisional counselor, divisional Principal and others if necessary. If the student is enrolled in Learning Support, the case manager will be included on the reentry team and be involved in the re-entry planning. Follow up meetings and progress monitoring of the student is conducted by the school counselor. Follow up meetings and adjustments to plan are based upon the needs of the students. The reentry protocol can be accessed here.

If a student in Learning Support is suspended, their reentry to school will include a meeting of the ILP team to plan for their return. The development of a Behavior Intervention Plan will be required if the suspension is linked to any ongoing concern that needs to be addressed.

POPIa

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) Act of 2013 requires the school to inform parents how we collect, process, disclose and destroy personal information obtained. The School is committed to protecting privacy and ensures that personal information is used appropriately according to this law, its regulations and other relevant data privacy legislation. 

As a School, we are often required to collect, share and process students’ personal information (SPI) in order to support identified learning needs. This information, including Learning Plans, may be collected and processed by our staff and we make every effort to protect and secure this information. Parents/guardians are entitled to request access to the information on the learning plan.

English Language Learners

 

AISJ not only recognizes its multicultural and multilingual environment, but commits to honoring its linguistically diverse members by supporting mother-tongue and heritage/home language (L1) learning and developing effective bilingualism through individual language development profiles for each student. AISJ also commits to support language acquisition for new and developing language learners.   

We believe that the development of language skills is vital for the acquisition of knowledge, critical thinking, refining values and for social and emotional development.  In addition to promoting cognitive growth, language is an important factor in sustaining a student’s cultural identity and intercultural understanding.  Within this framework, and as an American international school, we promote the use of international varieties of English as our primary medium of instruction and communication.

All of our multilingual learners are assessed on their English Skills using the WIDA English Language Assessment to determine if support will be required and how much. This assessment is then used to track their progress over time and to inform support decisions. Unfortunately, we are not able to admit New to English students to our High School so the WIDA is often used to inform admissions decisions at that level. 

In our other levels, PK to grade 8, we are able to take New to English students provided that we have the capacity within our program to meet their needs. The number of students who require English Support are capped based on the number of teachers available to serve those students and to preserve language diversity and to have sufficient English Language Models at each grade level. A WIDA screening may be required before an admission decision can be made at this level as well.

AISJ embraces the belief that neurodiversity is the norm and that inclusion of diverse learning needs enriches the larger community. The school is committed to providing both early intervention, which is responsive to students' developing needs, and individualized support programs for students with identified learning needs.  We believe equity in education means that students have access to learning environments and experiences that are both supportive, challenging, and personalized to their unique learning needs.

All teachers have a shared responsibility in the development of supportive learning environments, and thus Individualized Learning Plans are created in collaboration with students, parents, counselors, Learning Support Teachers, and Class Teachers which are informed by the unique strengths and needs of the student, often identified by a formal assessment, and articulates interventions and accommodations required for the student to be successful. 

At AISJ, we can provide targeted interventions and accommodations to students who can access the general curriculum. We can also provide alternative and modified curricula for students with intellectual and developmental disorders through our Learner-Specific Pathways (More information about the Learner-Specific Pathways can be found here), though additional fees apply. We limit the number of students who receive Learning Support based on the capacity of Learning Support Teachers to meet their needs and to balance the learning needs of classes and grade levels, ensuring a diverse range of learners in our community. 

We work with external Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Play Therapists, and others to meet the needs of students who may require services we do not provide. We are lucky in Johannesburg and Pretoria to have a wide range of outside, English-speaking resources available to our families.

If your child has been identified as having learning differences, their admissions file will be reviewed by the Inclusion Services Coordinator, the Counselor, and the Principal of the division to which they are applying, to ensure we can meet their needs should they enter our community. In order to make that decision, you must provide any of the following relevant documents: a current psycho-educational evaluation, a current Individual Learning Plan, Speech and Language Assessment and progress notes, Occupational Therapy Assessment and Progress notes, previous report cards, and confidential references.  It is also very common during this process for us to ask to speak with a current class or learning support teacher to better understand the student's needs in the classroom.

Students requiring modified and individualized Pathways

AISJ believes that all students have the right to an education that meets their unique needs, and we strive to keep families together. Beginning in August 2024, we are expanding our Student Support Services (S³) by creating personalized pathways to meet the needs of a wider range of learners. This will enable us to more closely live our community principles, our purpose, and our strategic priorities as a school. 

We serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who require a highly personalized and modified curriculum. We will not serve students who would be better served in a care facility or therapeutic environment or whose behaviors present a safety issue to themselves or others. 

We have lead teachers with expertise in working with individuals who are intellectually and developmentally disabled, who will employ a highly personalized, blended, and integrated model. It will include modified AISJ curriculum and coursework, as well as a specifically designed curriculum to meet identified learning goals.

Individuals receiving this level of service will pay additional tuition to cover the operating costs of the services. For further information, please reach out directly to our Advancement Director, Pamela Gutmann, at pgutmann@aisj-jhb.com, or the head of Student Support Services - S³, Laura Cox, at lcox@aisj-jhb.com.

The purpose of AISJ is to provide exceptional educational experiences in a diverse and nurturing environment.  We cultivate an inclusive community of learners and empower global citizens to fulfill their future purpose. At AISJ, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting students' welfare.

We are committed to ensuring that all staff who are responsible for the intimate care of students undertake their duties in a professional manner at all times. We are committed to ensuring that students are treated with sensitivity and respect.

What is ‘intimate care’?

Intimate care is defined as any care that involves medical care or the washing, touching, or carrying out of a procedure that most children carry out for themselves, but which some are too young or otherwise unable to do. Intimate care tasks involve health care, bodily functions, bodily products/fluids, and personal hygiene, and require direct or indirect contact with a child's intimate parts.

Examples include support with:

● medical examination due to injury
● dressing and undressing (including underwear)
● changing incontinence pads, diapers
● using the toilet
● washing intimate parts of the body to clean a child who has soiled themself

It is also associated with other accidents that may require a child to remove their clothes. These include changes required due to water play, messy play, sickness, weather, and swimming. Very young or some students enrolled in the Learner-Specific Pathway (LSP) may, at times, be unable to meet their own care needs for a variety of reasons and may require support. They may also not be able to verbalize their consent for support at all times.

Procedures

It is expected that children will be toilet-trained and out of diapers before they start school. It is inevitable that, from time to time, students will have accidents that require attention and intimate care. Students with disabilities or medical conditions may more frequently require adult assistance with toileting and personal hygiene.

In order to help students become aware of their bodily needs and respond to them in time, at school, they always have access to a toilet and are encouraged to be as independent in these activities as is age and developmentally appropriate. Students in the early years and/or the LSP will be reminded at regular intervals to use the toilet and encouraged to wash their hands afterward.

As soon as a staff member becomes aware of a toileting or other incident, they will make arrangements for the child to be cleaned and changed. No student will experience disciplinary action or unnecessary negative attention for toileting incidents and will only receive positive encouragement and praise for their efforts to become independent in this skill.

In the event that a child experiences frequent accidents during the day, the following steps will be taken:

● Parents will be informed and advised of ways to support their child by being toilet-trained and able to clean and clothe themselves as per AISJ’s admissions procedure.
● Parents may be requested to seek medical guidance to rule out medical conditions.
● In the absence of a defined medical condition, a home-school toilet training action plan will be created in partnership with parents and staff.
● If a child has an identified medical condition with toileting, an action plan will be implemented in partnership with parents and staff. Student bathrooms, equipped with toilets and sinks, are easily accessible throughout the campus. Pre-K and LSP classrooms have a kit with wet wipes (flushable), plastic bags/paper bags, and disposable protective gloves. If a child soils themself during school time, one member of staff (teacher/teaching partner/nurse) will help the child while a second member of staff (teacher/TP/nurse) is present.

When assisting students with toileting activities, staff members follow this protocol:

● Direct the child to the nearest bathroom
● Coach the child to attend to themselves independently
● Call for a second adult.  If the child has defecated, the second adult to assist must be the nurse.  The nurse notifies the family of their involvement.
● Wear disposable gloves
● Assist the child, where requested or necessary, to remove their soiled clothes.
● Coach the child to independently attend to the cleaning of their skin.  The nurse assists with skin cleaning if required.
● Coach the child to dress themselves independently in their own spare clothes (if available)
● Place soiled clothes in bags to take home
● Teacher to communicate the circumstances and response to parents

At all times, the member of staff pays attention to the child's emotional state and is respectful of their feelings and needs. If a child is reluctant and refuses support, the parent/guardian will be contacted immediately. In the event of a significant accident that requires the student to be bathed in order to adequately clean them, or if the parents have not signed the intimate care permission form, the student’s parents will be contacted.

Guidelines for intimate care for students with medical or special needs

The management of students with intimate care needs is carefully planned and communicated with the student and their parents/guardians. Staff are supported in adapting their practices to the needs of individual students. Students are supported to achieve the highest level of independence, according to their condition and abilities. Intimate care arrangements are discussed with the student’s parents/guardians and recorded in an intimate care plan. The needs and wishes of the student and parents/guardians are considered, wherever possible, within the constraints of staffing and school resources.

Child Protection

Careful consideration is given to the number of staff members required for intimate care procedures. A staff member involved in the intimate care of a student must always ensure another staff member is present within the vicinity. It is not appropriate for volunteers, parent helpers, or cleaners to carry out intimate care procedures. The Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Agreement is adhered to at all times. Any concerns should be shared immediately with the Counselor, divisional leadership, or Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The role of parents/caregivers. Parents/guardians acknowledge the Intimate Care Guidelines at enrolment.

Parents/guardians of children in early childhood or those with a disability or medical condition who require toileting assistance, ensure their children have a complete set of spare clothes available to them each day.