Almaguin Highlands Secondary School

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Graduation Requirements

ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA (OSSD)
INFORMATION REGARDING SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATION

For students entering grade nine in September:

  • It is a four year high school system, grades 9 to 12;
  • Promotions will be on a course by course pass basis;
  • Courses will be offered in 3 streams-Academic, Applied and Locally Developed;

The three streams in grades nine and ten are intended to prepare students to enter either the university, college or workplace level in grades eleven and twelve.

Graduation Requirements

Thirty credits are required for students to earn a secondary school graduation diploma.

Students must earn the following 18 compulsory credits:

  • 4 credits in English*
  • 3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in grade 11 or 12)
  • 2 credits in science
  • 1 credit in French as a second language
  • 1 credit in Canadian history
  • 1 credit in Canadian geography
  • 1 credit in the arts (fine arts, drama, music, media)
  • 1 credit in health and physical education
  • 0.5 credit in civics
  • 0.5 credit in career studies
  • 1 additional credit in English (including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course – OLC 4OE), French as a second language, Canadian and world studies, social sciences and humanities, guidance and career education, cooperative education** (Group 1)
  • 1 additional credit in French as a second language, art, business studies, health and physical education, cooperative education** (Group 2)
  • 1 additional credit in French as a second language, science (Grade 11 or 12), computer studies, technological education, cooperative education** (Group 3)

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

  • 12 optional credits***
  • 40 hours of community involvement activities –
    • For students graduating in the 2020-21 school year, the community involvement graduation requirement will be reduced to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities
  • the provincial literacy requirement (OSSLT)
    • The literacy graduation requirement will be waived for all students graduating during the 2020-21 school year.

* 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.

** A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits.

*** May include up to four credits achieved through approved Dual Credit courses.

 

 

STUDENTS WHO DO NOT MEET THE OSSD REQUIREMENTS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE (OSSC)

 

1.  Ontario Secondary School Certificate of Achievement (for students who started Grade 9 after September, 1999) 
The Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the 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,
  • 1 credit in mathematics,
  • 1 credit in science,
  • 1 credit in health and physical education,
  • 1 credit in the arts or technology
  • 7 additional elective credits.

 

2.  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. This certificate may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other kinds of further training. Students who return to school to complete additional credit and non-credit courses will have their transcript updated but will not be issued a new Certificate of Accomplishment.