Policy/Program Memorandum No. 139

INTRODUCTION

Secondary school students in Ontario deserve an educational advantage. The government is transforming and modernizing secondary schools to provide students with increased flexibility and more opportunities for high-quality, relevant learning experiences that build on their personal strengths and interests. Cooperative education credit courses serve as the education system’s best and most successful example to date of a way of recognizing student learning outside the traditional classroom as a meaningful part of students’ secondary education. The changes outlined in this memorandum support an expansion of cooperative education opportunities that will be recognized as meeting compulsory diploma requirements for those students who pursue such learning experiences as part of their secondary school program.

In December 2005, the government launched the third phase of its $1.3 billion multi-year Student Success Strategy to help increase the educational success of all Ontario secondary school students. The strategy includes expanded cooperative education programs and other experiential learning opportunities to help students gain the relevant skills and knowledge they need to prepare themselves for their destination of choice after graduation. Cooperative education programs include strong links to classroom subject expectations. They require close monitoring by teachers and workplace supervisors and alignment with assessment and evaluation policy. Students’ readiness for workplace learning and an appropriate placement that matches their goals and interests will continue to be fundamental program requirements.

The expansion of eligible courses that are recognized for meeting the compulsory requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) will increase flexibility and options for students, in keeping with the government’s goals for phase three of its Student Success Strategy. Details of the expanded range of courses and of revisions to sections 3.1.1 and 3.2 and to Appendix 5 of OSS are provided for school boards¹ and schools in this memorandum. These changes are effective, retroactively, as of September 1, 2005.

REVISED REQUIREMENTS

Compulsory Credit Requirements

Section 3.1.1 ("Compulsory Credits (total of 18)") and Appendix 5 ("Compulsory Credits") of OSS are expanded by this memorandum to extend the range of courses that may be used to meet the "additional compulsory credit requirements" for the OSSD, as follows:

• Group 1. The additional compulsory credit requirement for group 1 may also be met with one credit earned through successful completion of one of the following courses:
  • Learning Strategies 1: Skills for Success in Secondary School, Grade 9, Open (GLS1O, GLE1O, GLE2O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Guidance and Career Education, 1999
  • Discovering the Workplace, Grade 10, Open (GLD2O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 10 and 12: Guidance and Career Education – Open Courses (Draft), 2004
  • Designing Your Future, Grade 11, Open (GWL3O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Guidance and Career Education, 2000
  • Leadership and Peer Support, Grade 11, Open (GPP3O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Guidance and Career Education, 2000
  • Advanced Learning Strategies: Skills for Success After Secondary School, Grade 12, Open (GLS4O, GLE4O, GLE3O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Guidance and Career Education, 2000
  • Navigating the Workplace, Grade 12, Open (GLN4O), described in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 10 and 12: Guidance and Career Education – Open Courses (Draft), 2004
  • a cooperative education course, as described in Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000
  
  
  
• Group 2. The additional compulsory credit requirement for group 2 may also be met with one credit earned through successful completion of a cooperative education course.
  
  
• Group 3. The additional compulsory credit requirement for group 3 may also be met with one credit earned through successful completion of a cooperative education course.

A maximum of two of the three additional compulsory credit requirements for groups 1, 2, and 3 may be met with credits earned through cooperative education.

Substitutions for Compulsory Credit Requirements

Section 3.2 ("Substitutions for Compulsory Courses") and Appendix 5 ("Compulsory Credits") of OSS are expanded by this memorandum to extend the range of courses that may be used through substitution to meet a compulsory credit requirement. The extended range of courses will include the following courses:

• Learning Strategies 1: Skills for Success in Secondary School, Grade 9, Open (GLS1O, GLE1O, GLE2O)
• Discovering the Workplace, Grade 10, Open (GLD2O)
• Designing Your Future, Grade 11, Open (GWL3O)
• Leadership and Peer Support, Grade 11, Open (GPP3O)
• Advanced Learning Strategies: Skills for Success After Secondary School, Grade 12, Open (GLS4O, GLE4O, GLE3O)
• Navigating the Workplace, Grade 12, Open (GLN4O)

A maximum of one credit earned for a learning strategies course may be used through substitution to meet a compulsory credit requirement.

The limit of three substitutions remains in effect.

Credits earned for cooperative education courses may not be used through substitution to meet compulsory credit requirements.

1. In this document, school board(s) and board(s) refer to district school boards and school authorities.