Ministry Approved Programs For Credit Taken Outside The School
While the majority of students earn all of the necessary credits for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through a regular day school program, students may choose to participate in courses from a variety of programs offered outside of the schools. These programs are approved and supported by the Ministry of Education and are listed below:
- PASS – a School College Work Initiative (SCWI) involving local community colleges where secondary school students can earn both high school and college credits.
- Dual Credit - Dual Credit programs are currently being piloted in the province under the School/College/Work Initiative (SCWI). A dual credit enables students to enrol in a course at a local community college as a temporary student while still enrolled as a secondary school student. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will receive credit from the community college and will be awarded a dual credit by the school. There is no college tuition fee for the course taken. See your guidance counsellor for more details.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Prior Learning includes the knowledge and skills that students have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school. Students may have their knowledge and skills evaluated against the expectations outlined in provincial curriculum policy documents in order to earn credits towards the secondary school diploma.
Because young people benefit in many ways from the learning experiences offered in secondary school, PLAR has a specific, limited function in the Ontario secondary school program. For students who are under the age of eighteen or, who are eighteen or over but have never left high school for a year or more, a maximum of four credits may be granted through the challenge process for Grade 10, 11, and 12 courses, with no more than two in one subject area. Equivalency credits are granted to these students for placement only.
Students who are eligible for equivalency credits are those who transfer to Ontario secondary schools from non-inspected private schools or schools outside Ontario. See your guidance counsellor for more details regarding PLAR process and eligibility.
E-Learning
Algonquin and Lakeshore CDSB schools are part of the Ontario Strategic Alliance for E-Learning. As such, students have access to a variety of on-line courses provided by ALCDSB and Alliance member boards. See your guidance counselor for more information about the courses currently being offered and school policy related to this learning option.
Online learning, or eLearning, is the delivery of programs using the Internet. It is a form of learning that is becoming more popular with secondary school students, post-secondary learning institutions and professional learning situations world-wide. Most students will encounter online learning at some point in their academic and/or career future.
Online learning provides a different learning experience for students. Online learning:
- allows students to learn in a more independent environment
- enables students to learn in a mmore flexible learning environment
- supports inquiry and project-based learning
- increases their technology skill set for future learning
- assists students in developing the skills needed for the 21st Century.
Courses offered through other means include:
- Summer school courses are offered each year for the month of July. Improvement courses (55 hours of instruction), new courses (110 hours) and transfer courses are offered. Summer school course information and registration is available in June.
- Loyola Community Learning Centre (Adult Continuing Education) provides adults (over 18 years) with opportunities for lifelong learning in their home community. More information is available at www.learningatloyola.ca
COURSE/MATERIAL FEES
Fees may be charged for some courses for consumable items and/or transportation. No fees will be assessed to a student for texts; however, students are expected to provide all other learning materials.