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Special Education and Inclusion in the TDSB

Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer a number of “Fact Sheets” that provide information on students with Special Education Needs (SEN) in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). These fact sheets will include insights on:

  • processes and criteria for identifying students as exceptional;
  • the demographics of students with special education needs within the overall TDSB student population;
  • exceptionalities and classroom settings; and
  • the academic achievements and post-secondary trajectories for students with special education needs.

Fact Sheet #1, An Introductory Overview of Students with Special Education Needs, is the first in a series of fact sheets examining a range of topics impacting students with special education needs within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). This fact sheet provides an introductory overview of TDSB students with special education needs in the 2022-23 school year.

Fact Sheet #2: An Intersectional View of TDSB Students with Special Education Needs is the second in a series of four fact sheets examining a range of topics impacting students with special education needs (SEN) within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The first fact sheet provided an introductory overview of TDSB students with SEN in the 2023-24 school year. This fact sheet will explore comparisons between students with SEN in the TDSB, Greater Toronto Area (GTA) school boards and the province of Ontario, as well as the intersections between special education needs and demographic variables such as race, income, and gender.

Fact Sheet #3: Placement of Students in the TDSB with Special Education Needs examines placement in relation to TDSB students with special education needs (SEN) (i.e., whether students are in regular classes or Intensive Support Programs (ISPs)).

Fact Sheet #4: Achievement, Pathways and Post-Secondary Trajectories of Students in the TDSB with Special Education Needs is the final in a series of four fact sheets examining a range of topics impacting students with special education needs (SEN) within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The first fact sheet provided an introductory overview of TDSB students with SEN in the 2022-23 school year, the second and third fact sheets examined the different categories of exceptionalities and settings (self-contained, ISPs or regular classes) through an intersectional lens. Here we examine academic outcomes for students with SEN as they move through the TDSB, as well as access to post-secondary education. This includes comparisons between students with SEN and students without SEN on Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments, as well as an analysis of pathways, graduation and post-secondary confirmations using Grade 9 cohort data.

By offering a detailed snapshot of our current landscape, we hope these documents will serve as a valuable resource for all stakeholders as we work together to support students with special education needs.