5. School and board information for admissions, publishing and sharing

5.1 Admission to an English-language school board

School boards must admit students who are qualified to be resident pupils of the board as defined in the Education Act.

To be admitted to an elementary school of an English-language public school board, a student and at least one parent must live in the board’s area of jurisdiction. The parent(s) must also not be supporters of a Roman Catholic Separate school board or a French-language school board.

To be admitted to an elementary school of an English language Roman Catholic Separate school board, a student and at least one parent must live in the board’s area of jurisdiction. In addition, at least one parent must be Roman Catholic and support the English-language Roman Catholic Separate school board. Note, however, that Roman Catholic Separate school boards may choose to accept students whose parent(s) are not Roman Catholic.

Secondary students may attend a school of either the public or Roman Catholic Separate school board in the jurisdiction in which they are living. The school board the parent(s)/guardian(s) support is irrelevant to the right to attend secondary school.

For more detailed information about school admissions, see Part II of the Education Act.

Read more:

• Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter E.2, “Resident pupil qualification, elementary”
• Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter E.2, “Resident pupil qualification, secondary”

5.1.1 Admission to a French-language school board

PPM 148: Policies governing admission to French-language schools in Ontario outlines for French-language school boards, a process for reviewing their policies, guidelines and administrative directives relating to admission of students to their schools. This is to ensure that admission to French-language schools is inclusive and that the admission process is transparent.

To be admitted to a school of a French language school board from kindergarten to grade 12, a student and at least one parent must live in the board’s area of jurisdiction and at least one parent must hold rights under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

A parent holds section 23 rights if they are a Canadian citizen and meet at least one of the following conditions:

• the first language they learned and still understand is French
• they received elementary school instruction in French in Canada
• any of their children have received or are receiving elementary or secondary school instruction in French in Canada

Parent(s)/guardian(s) who do not hold section 23 rights may request admission for their child to a school in a French-language school board. An admission committee of the board will review the request and make a decision.

In addition to the above criteria, to be admitted to a school of a French-language Roman Catholic Separate school board, at least one parent of the student must be Roman Catholic and support the French-language Roman Catholic Separate school board.

French-language Roman Catholic Separate school boards may choose to accept students whose parent(s) are not Roman Catholic.

Read more:

• PPM 148: Policies governing admission to French-Language Schools in Ontario
• section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

5.1.1.1 Information to be provided by English-language school boards

English-language school boards must inform French-speaking parent(s)/guardian(s) of their right to enrol their children in a French-language school if they qualify under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Boards must also inform parent(s)/guardian(s) who do not meet section 23 criteria but who come from countries where the language of public administration or schooling is French that their children may also be eligible for Ontario’s French-language schools.

5.2 Elementary schools: Information for selecting a secondary school

School boards must ensure Grade 8 students and their families have access to information about secondary school program offerings in order to make informed selections for a secondary program or school. Students and families must also be given information about how to access guidance personnel and other appropriate secondary school staff who can help them with secondary educational planning.

5.3 Secondary schools

5.3.1 School program and course calendar

Every year, each secondary school will publish a school program and course calendar providing students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) with detailed, up-to-date information on diploma requirements and the programs and courses available to them. A board may choose to publish individual calendars for each secondary school or one board-wide calendar that provides specific information for each secondary school.

The school program and course calendar must provide information about the following:

The school

General information about the school, including:

• the importance and value of completing a secondary education and the school’s commitment to help every student achieve a successful outcome
• the requirement to remain in secondary school until the student has reached age 18 or obtained an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
• the school’s overall goals and philosophy
• the school’s organization, including terms, reporting periods and timetables
• the school’s expectations regarding students’ responsibilities, achievement and attendance
• the school’s code of conduct and the board’s safe schools policy

Diplomas and certificates

A list of requirements for earning each available diploma and certificate, including:

• requirements for the OSSD, including:
  • compulsory credit requirements^{footnote 1[1]}
  • optional credit requirements
  • provincial secondary school literacy requirement, including:

• Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
• Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course
• adjudication process
• accommodations, special provisions, deferrals and exemptions

• the 40 hours of community involvement activities
• a minimum of two online learning credits
• substitution policy for compulsory credit requirements
• requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Certificate, including:
  • compulsory and optional credit requirements
  • substitution policy for the compulsory credit requirements
• the Certificate of Accomplishment

Curriculum

A list of all courses offered by the school (in-person or online) and related information, including:

• definition of a credit
• definitions of the types of courses available in the Ontario Curriculum
• explanation of the course coding system
• descriptions of all courses offered by the school, including those not part of the Ontario Curriculum, such as locally developed courses (compulsory and optional)
• information on how to gain access to outlines of the courses of study
• location of the Ontario Curriculum online
• descriptions of specialized programs, such as specialist high-skills major programs, dual credit programs and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
• descriptions of experiential learning programs, such as cooperative education, job twinning and job shadowing
• policy regarding student withdrawal from courses in Grades 11 and 12
• procedures related to changing course types
• prior learning assessment and recognition processes for equivalency and challenge
• information about other ways of earning credit, such as the Independent Learning Centre and continuing education courses
• information on evaluation and examination policies
• information on reporting procedures, including the provincial report card and the Ontario Student Transcript

Supports and resources

Types of school supports and resources that are available, including:

• supports related to guidance and education and career/life planning, including the Individual Pathways Plan
• strategies and resources for students and families to support education planning and course selection
• intervention strategies, supports and programs, such as credit recovery opportunities, student success teacher support and Grade 8 to 9 transition programs for students facing barriers to success
• supports for English language learners
• computer labs and resource centre/library
• community resources

Special education

Information on the provision of special education, including:

• explanation of accommodations provided
• explanation of modifications of curriculum expectations
• availability of alternative (non-credit) courses
• role of the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee process and the Individual Education Plan
• role of the board’s Special Education Advisory Committee
• information on how to obtain the board’s Special Education Guide for Parent(s)/guardian(s) and to learn about special education policies and procedures

Board-wide programs

Information on board-wide programs, including their location and how to gain admission to:

• all alternative schools and programs available in the board, including schools with alternative organizational structures (for example, year-round schools)
• specialized programs and schools (such as French immersion programs and specialist high-skills major programs)
• continuing education programs (such as summer school and night school)

5.3.2 Outlines of courses of study

Secondary school principals must retain up-to-date copies of the course outlines of all courses offered at the school. These outlines must be available for parent(s)/guardian(s) and students to examine.

Secondary school course outlines must include:

• name of the curriculum policy used to develop the outline
• name of the board, school and department, as well as the names of the department head, the classroom program developers or teachers, and the dates of development and revision of the outline
• course title, course type, grade, course code and credit value
• prerequisite(s), if any
• overall curriculum expectations
• outline of the course content, including unit titles in the sequence in which the material will be studied
• teaching strategies appropriate to the course type (that is, strategies reflecting an appropriate balance of theoretical components and practical applications) and to the range of students’ learning needs
• strategies for the assessment and evaluation of student performance appropriate to the course type and to the range of students’ learning needs
• description of how the course incorporates, as appropriate, program planning considerations that align with ministry and board policy and initiatives such as:
  • students with special education needs
  • English language learners
  • environmental education
  • equity and inclusive education
  • financial literacy education
  • Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit education policy framework
  • role of information and communications technology
  • education and career/life planning
  • cooperative education
  • health and safety

• names of the textbooks and resource materials essential to the course