Graduation Requirements

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA (OSSD)

In order to earn an OSSD a student must:

• earn 30 credits (18 compulsory and 12 optional credits)
• complete 40 hours of community involvement activities;
• complete the provincial literacy graduation requirement (OSSLT)


Compulsory Credits

Students must earn the following 18 compulsory credits in order to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
• four credits in English (one credit per grade);
• one credit in French as a second language;
• three credits in mathematics (at least one credit in Grade 11 or 12);
• two credits in science;
• one credit in Canadian history;
• one credit in Canadian geography;
• one credit in the arts;
• one credit in health and physical education;
• one half (.5) credit in civics;
• one half (.5) credit in career studies;


Plus
• One additional credit in English, or French as a second language, or a Native language, or a classical or an international language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education; (Group 1)
• One additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies or cooperative education; (Group 2)
• One additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12) or technological education (Grade 9-12) or computer studies, or cooperative education. (Group 3)

 

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


Optional Credits

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


Community Involvement
In order to graduate, students must complete 40 hours of community involvement. This requirement is to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and the role they can play in their communities.

 

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
The OSSLT is based on the expectations for reading and writing across subjects in the Ontario Curriculum up to the end of Grade 9. The test will determine who has attained the provincial expectations for literacy. It will identify areas for remediation for students who are unsuccessful in completing the test. School boards are required to provide remedial assistance following the test for students who require it. The literacy test may not be retaken once it has been successfully completed.


Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC)
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course has been developed to provide students who have been unsuccessful on the OSSLT with intensive support and an alternative means of demonstrating the required reading and writing competencies. Successful completion of this course at either the Grade 11 level (OLC 3O) or Grade 12 level (OLC 4O) will enable students to satisfy the literacy requirement for graduation and may be used to meet the compulsory requirement for English at that grade level (as well as the Group 1 requirement). Course expectations cannot be modified but accommodations may be made for students who have an IEP to strengthen a student's reading and writing skills.  


ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE (OSSC)
The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and who have earned a minimum of 14 credits, seven of which satisfy the compulsory credit requirements.

Compulsory Credits Optional Credits
Two credits in English 
Seven credits selected by the student from available courses
One credit in Canadian geography OR history 
One credit in mathematics 
One credit in science 
One credit in health and physical education 
One credit in the arts or technological education 

Note: Students are not required to complete Community Involvement Hours or pass the OSSLT.


ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL 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.