Graduation Requirements

Requirements for Ontario Secondary School Diploma

The following requirements must be successfully completed in order to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD):

Successful completion of Literacy requirement (the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test)
40 hours of community involvement
30 credits (18 compulsory and 12 optional)

Credits required – 18 compulsory credits

4 credits English (1 credit per grade)*

3 credits Mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)

2 credits Science

1 credit The Arts

1 credit Canadian Geography

1 credit Canadian History

1 credit French as a Second Language

1 credit Health & Physical Education

½ credit Civics

½ credit Career Studies

1 credit - In one of: (Group 1)

English
French as a Second Language**
Native Language
Classical or International Language
Social Sciences and the Humanities
Canadian & World Studies
Guidance and Career Education
Co-operative Education***

1 credit - In one of: (Group 2)

Health & Physical Education
The Arts
Business Studies
French as a Second Language**
Co-operative Education***

1 credit - In one of: (Group 3)

Science (Grade 11 or 12)
Technological Education
French as a Second Language**
Computer Studies
Co-operative Education***

* A maximum of 3 credits in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Literacy Development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.

**In Groups 1, 2, and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a Second Language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.

***A maximum of 2 credits in Co-operative Education can count as compulsory credits.

Substitutions for compulsory courses

To meet individual student needs, the principal may replace up to three compulsory courses. The decision to make a substitution will be made only if the student’s educational interests are best served by such a substitution. Each substitution will be noted on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript.

Additional information about graduation requirements are available through the Ministry of Education and Training.

12 optional credits

In addition to the 18 compulsory credits, students must earn 12 optional credits selected from the courses listed as available in the course calendar.

The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Challenge process

Final Evaluation Evening: April 2, 2020

The PLAR Challenge process exists to provide students with an opportunity to challenge for a credit in a curricular area for which they may have extensive experience outside of school.

The annual deadline will be February 1 each year. If February 1 falls on a weekend, the due date is the following Monday.

For more information view theBrochure PLAR 2019 or download the PLAR PowerPoint 2019. Download the PLAR application here.

40-hour community involvement

In order to graduate, each student is responsible for finding and completing 40 hours of volunteer work.Students are responsible for completing their 40 hours and submitting their completed form prior to the end of classes of their graduating year to ensure that their transcript is updated prior to the end of the school year.

The school will not be directly involved in finding volunteer placements for students or monitoring students while they are completing their volunteer work. Parents/guardians should review potential placements before their teen begins volunteering.

For more information, contact your school guidance office or view our 40 Hours site.

Note: Students entering a Peel secondary school from outside of the province or country must complete the full 40 hours regardless of their grade of entry.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

Conducted once each year, the OSSLT measures whether students can successfully demonstrate reading and writing skills that apply in all subject areas in the provincial curriculum, up to the end of grade 9. The test is designed and marked by the Education Quality & Accountability Office (EQAO).

Students will receive either a "complete" or "incomplete." Students who receive an incomplete will be sent detailed feedback.

Students may re-take the test. No limits have been established regarding the number of re-takes allowed.

Sample test materials are available at www.eqao.com.
Accommodations, deferral and exemption information are outlined in the Ministry of Education’s Programs/ Policy memorandum 127; Accommodations, Deferrals and Exemptions for the grade 10 Literacy Test.
- Any accommodations recommended by the school will be acceptable to EQAO, in accordance with Programs/Policy memorandum 127, and must be outlined in the individual student’s Individual Education Plan. Accommodation recommendations will be communicated by letter to parents/guardians in advance of the test.
- Deferrals will be considered in individual circumstances. The consideration for a deferral may be initiated by a parent or by the principal. The principal will make a decision in consultation with the student’s parents/guardians and appropriate school staff. A letter outlining the reason for the deferral will be sent home with the student for parent/guardian signature in advance of the test. A student who is deferred must still successfully complete the test in order to earn an OSSD.
- A student will only be exempted from the test if she is not working towards an OSSD.
A student who has been eligible twice to write the OSSLT, and who has failed at least once, is eligible to take the grade 12 literacy course (OSSLC). If passed, this will count in lieu of the literacy test (OSSLT). A principal may decide, based on individual needs, to allow a student to take the OSSLC before he has had his second opportunity to write the OSSLT

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning an Ontario Secondary School Diploma provided they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:

2 credits in English

1 credit in Canadian Geography or Canadian History

1 credit in Mathematics

1 credit in Science

1 credit in Health & Physical Education

1 credit in The Arts or Technological Education or Computer Studies

7 optional credits

7 credits selected by the student from available courses

Certificate of Accomplishment

Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. The Certificate of Accomplishment may be used to recognize achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other types of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.

Ontario Student Record (OSR)

This is the official record for a student. The OSR contains achievement results, credits earned, diploma requirements completed and other information important to the education of the student.

Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

The OST is an official and consistent summary of a student’s achievement in Ontario secondary school credit courses. A current, accurate and complete copy of the OST will be included in the Ontario Student Record.

The credit system

A credit is granted in recognition of the successful completion of a course that has been scheduled for a minimum of 110 hours. For the purpose of granting a credit, “scheduled time” is defined as the time during which students participate in planned learning activities (other than homework) designed to lead to the achievement of the curriculum expectations of a course. A credit is granted to a student by the principal of a secondary school on behalf of the minister of education.