Ontario's Education System

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

1. The secondary school program is based on a credit system. In order to graduate, students must:
   
   
   • Successfully complete 30 credits of 110 hours each - 18 credits are compulsory and 12 are optional;
   • Complete 40 hours of community involvement activities;
   • Pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, which is taken in Grade 10.
   • Upon graduation, the student receives an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
2. The Ontario Secondary School courses are offered in four grades: Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
3. In Grades 9 and 10, courses are organized into three types: academic, applied, and open. Academic and applied courses will give students the opportunity to experience two different ways of learning based on their choice: academic courses draw more heavily on theory and abstract examples and problems, while applied courses focus more on practical applications and concrete examples. In disciplines such as the arts, health and physical education, and business studies, all students will take the same type of course, called an open course. Because of the emphasis on core concepts in the Grade 9 and 10 courses, students may move from one type of course to another between Grade 9 and 10.
4. In Grades 11 and 12, there are five types of courses based on students' post-secondary destinations: university preparation, university/college preparation, college preparation, workplace preparation, and open. University preparation courses provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to meet university entrance requirements. Courses emphasize theoretical aspects of the subject and also consider related applications. University/college preparation courses are offered to prepare you to meet the entrance requirements of certain university and college programs. They focus on both theory and practical applications. College preparation courses provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to meet the entrance requirements for most college programs. Courses focus on practical applications and also examine underlying theories. Workplace preparation courses prepare students to move directly into the workplace after the secondary school. Open courses have one set of expectations for all students in the subject selected. Open courses allow students to broaden their skills and knowledge in a subject of interest to them, which may or may not be related to their post-secondary plans.
5. Students in Grade 10 and 11 will be able to change pathways by taking a transfer course. Transfer courses will allow students who are taking one type of course in Grade 10 or 11 to switch to another type in the same subject in the next grade. Transfer courses are more focused and shorter than regular courses, as they are designed to cover only the additional course content that bridges the gap between two course types. Students will receive a partial credit for a successfully completed transfer course. Credits earned through transfer courses will qualify as optional credits towards the diploma requirements.

The Credit System

18 Compulsory Credits:

• 4 credits in English
• 3 credits in mathematics
• 2 credits in science
• 1 credit in Canadian geography
• 1 credit in Canadian history
• 1 credit in the arts (dance, drama, media, music, visual arts)
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in French as a second language
• 0.5 credit in career studies
• 0.5 credit in civics
• 1 additional credit in English, or French as a second language, or a Native language, or a classical or international language, or a social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or co-operative education **
• 1 additional credit in business studies, or health and physical education, or the arts (dance, drama, media, music, visual arts)
• 1 additional credit in science or technological education
  
  ** A maximum of 2 credits in co-operative education may count as compulsory credits

12 Optional Credits:

In addition to their 18 compulsory credits, students have to earn 12 optional credits in courses of their choice, selected from the full list of courses available in the school. Optional credits allow students to build an educational program that suits their individual interests and meets university, college, apprenticeship, or work requirements.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test:

Students will take the provincial Secondary School Literacy Test in Grade 10. Students must pass the test in order to graduate, and their result is recorded on their student transcript. The literacy test requirement is in addition to the 30 credits needed for a secondary school diploma.

The literacy test evaluates students' reading and writing skills based on curriculum expectations in language and communications up to and including Grade 9. ESL students will take the test only when they have reached this level in their language studies. Accommodation will be made for students in special education programs.

Hudson College will offer students - free of charge - a special preparation program to help students successfully pass the test. This assistance is designed to help students improve their skills so that they are better prepared the literacy test.

Community Involvement Activities:

All students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of unpaid community involvement activities before graduating from secondary school. This requirement is in addition to the 30 credits needed for a high school diploma. Students will be able to choose their own community involvement activities, within guidelines that will be provided by the school. Students will be responsible for fulfilling this requirement on their own time, and for keeping a record of their activities on a form supplied by Hudson.

Hudson College staff will discuss appropriate types of community involvement activities and projects with students and offer suggestions.

Credits:

A credit is granted when a course that has been scheduled for a minimum of 110 hours (that is, a full-semester course) is successfully completed. "Scheduled time" is defined as the time during which the students participate in planned learning activities designed to lead to the achievement of the curriculum expectations of the course. Planned learning activities include interaction between the teacher and student as well as assigned individual and/or group work, excluding homework. A partial credit may be granted for a shorter course.

Course Codes:

The codes for each OSS course are always 5 characters long. The first three letters represent the course, the fourth letter refers to the grade or level, and the last refers to the type of course, e.g. (1) ENG4U is English (ENG) in Grade 12 (4), (2) MCB4U is Calculus (MCB) in Grade 12 (4), University Preparation course (U). Course codes will be given for all courses offered by the College.

Substitutions for Compulsory Courses:

Substitutions are permitted for up to three compulsory courses in order that the student can more easily qualify for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The courses used as substitutes must be selected from the list of compulsory courses. For example, an English as a Second Language student may have a substitution made for the French as a Second Language requirement, using any course from the compulsory listing: an additional Arts, Technology, Math or Science, for example. A substitution is made only if the student's educational interests are best served by the substitution. The decision is the responsibility of the Principal.

Prerequisite Courses:

These are courses that students are required to take before they can enrol in certain courses in Grades 11 and 12. When choosing courses in Grades 10 and 11, students should be careful to select the prerequisites that will allow them to pursue the courses they want to take in higher grades. The Guidance staff at Hudson will assist students in making appropriate choices.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR):

Students may receive a credit without taking a course if they can demonstrate that they have the skills and knowledge from prior learning to meet the expectations for the course set out in the provincial curriculum. To receive a credit through the PLAR process, students are assessed through a formal test, along with other methods of evaluation appropriate to the subject. Students may obtain a maximum of 4 credits through the PLAR process, but no more than two in one subject area. The PLAR process applies only to courses in Grades 10-12.

Ontario Student Record (OSR):

The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is the official record for a student. The OSR is created when a student enters the Ontario school system and moves with the student from school to school. Every Ontario school keeps an official record for each student enrolled. The OSR contains achievement results, credits earned and diploma requirements completed, and other information important to the education of the student. The OSR is created under the authority of the Education Act, and the contents of the OSR are protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Students and their parents (if the student is not an adult) may examine the contents of the OSR upon request, with the assistance of the Principal or designated administrator.

Ontario Student Transcript (OST):

The Ontario Student Transcript (OST) is a provincially standardized document which provides the student's official record of credits earned and other graduation requirements completed. It is part of the Ontario Student Record. Copies of the transcript are available to students and graduates upon request.

In Grades 9 and 10, only successfully completed courses will be recorded on the student transcript. If a student withdraws from or fails to successfully complete a Grade 9 or 10 course, no entry will be made on the transcript.

In Grades 11 and 12, all courses taken by the student, whether successfully completed or not, will be recorded on the transcript. If a student withdraws from a Grade 11 or 12 course before a specified time, the withdrawal will not be recorded. Students repeating a course for which they have already received a credit will have all marks recorded, consistent with the Ministry of Education's Full Disclosure policy, but only one credit will be counted towards the diploma.

A student's final result on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (to be taken in Grade 10), as well as confirmation that the student has completed the community involvement requirement, will also be noted on the student transcript.

Any extraordinary circumstances affecting the student's achievement in the senior grades may be noted, if appropriate.

Completion of a program of specialization in a subject area may be noted.