Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

18 Compulsory Credits
12 Optional Credits

30 Credits

1

One OSSLT

40

Hours of Community Involvement

18 Compulsory Credits + 12 Optional Credits

Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma:

4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)*
3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
2 credits in science
1 credit in Canadian history
1 credit in Canadian geography
1 credit in the 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

Plus one credit from each of the following groups:

Group 1

English or French as a second language**
A Native language
A classical or an international language
Social sciences and the humanities
Canadian and world studies
Guidance and career education
Cooperative education***

Group 2

Health and physical education
The arts
Business studies
French as a second language**
Cooperative education***

Group 3

Science (Grade 11 or 12)
Technological education
French as a second language**
Computer studies
Cooperative education***

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete 12 optional credits†

OSSLT

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. Successful completion of the literacy test is one of the requirements to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. All students across the province write this test on the same date, usually in late March each year.

40 Hours of Community Involvement

The community involvement requirement is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop awareness and understanding about civic responsibility. They can actively participate in supporting and strengthening their communities. It also provides an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves and possible career opportunities.

Students can start accumulating hours in the summer before entering Grade 9.

*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 cooperative education can count as compulsory credits.

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

For more information please see: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/graduate.html

Student Documents

The OEN and the OSR

The OEN stands for the Ontario Student Number. Every single student taking our courses will be registered with their unique OEN with the Ontario Ministry of Education. This is true confirmation that the student is indeed considered and Ontario student.

The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is the record of a student’s educational progress through schools in Ontario. Each student fully registered with OSC will receive one and have access to it. Each student and the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult (that is, a student who is under the age of eighteen) has have access to, all the information contained in the OSR.

Ontario Student Report Card

OSC issues an Ontario Ministry of Education report card for each student twice per term. The report card includes the student’s Ontario Education Number (OEN), the student’s percentage grades, and the teachers’ report on the student’s learning skills and overall progress comments. It is then stored in the student’s OSR.

When students have completed the first half (50%) of the course, Midterm report cards are issued.
5 business days after the teachers receive students’ final exams, final report cards are issued.

Report cards are issued via email. A physical copy of the report cards can be mailed to the student’s home, on request. OSC uses the Secondary provincial report card for semestered schools, as per the Ministry of Education.

Ontario Student Transcript

The OST includes all Grade 9 and 10 courses successfully completed by the student, with percentage grades obtained and credits earned and all Grade 11 and 12 courses completed successfully or attempted unsuccessfully by the student, with percentage grades obtained and credits earned. It also includes granted equivalent credits done through Prior Learning Assessment in the student’s home school(s). It also identifies the compulsory credits, including credits that are substitutions for compulsory credits identified by the ministry as diploma requirements, the confirmation that the student has completed the forty hours of community involvement, and, finally the confirmation that the student has successfully completed the provincial secondary school literacy requirement. Students can request a transcript to be sent to the home schools or a university/college. Multiple hard copies are also available to be sent to post-secondary institutions, for a small fee.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma

OSC grants the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) to all students who successfully complete the requirements laid out in the Ontario Schools document, Kindergarten to Grade 12, Policy and Program Requirements, 2016.

Courses at OSC are based on the Secondary School Diploma system designed and managed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Upon successful completion of the OSSD, our students graduate and attend post-secondary programs of their choice.

Those students whose 6 highest Grade 12 courses have an average above 80% receive the Ontario Scholar Certificates. These are useful in attaining various scholarships and bursaries.