What are the SpecializedPrograms?
To the Speaker: (You may want to personalize first page with
your name, title and school name )Please note that included in
these notes are references to the areas of learning and student
competencies that are addressed through the Orientation and Exit
programs in your schools. Every effort should be made to mention
these competencies and the expectations for students to achieve
them. Parents and students need to know that they are being given
an opportunity to learn them through your schools Guidance and
Career Education Program .
****This is just an opportunity to remind parents/families that
all of the information that we will be reviewing is also available
on the website under the Building Career section of Guidance
Program and Services.
Choices for Secondary (Brochure onlineTransitions 8-9 (This
powerpoint will be posted there)High School Information Nights (all
are encouraged to go to these ..cool quick video clip showing
Secondary School in Action) Requires Media Player ***Further
information about diploma requirements (more details are there for
those who wish to see them blown out)Other information regarding
Secondary School
You might mention myBlueprint.ca/tdsb as a tool for educaitonal
planning Helpful and encouraged for their students that may already
be in highschool*Three Step Approach:My Profile - record goals,
extra-curricular activities, co-op/work activities, build plans,
discover post-secondary opportunities High School Planner -
interactive plan that checks for prerequisites, tracks graduation
progress and identifies post-secondary opportunities based on
courses selected nation wide. Post-Secondary Planner - find and
compare the number opportunities available to students across
CanadaNEW: Students in Grade 8 will complete their course
selections (with input from teachers) online in preparation for
secondary school Parents will have an opportunity to review and
sign off on course selections when they are being completed early
in the New YearStudents will receive more information and direct
teaching as the year progresses.MessagesCan be accessed from home
or schoolParents and students are encouraged to go in and play with
itIt is a good tool to refer to as you begin to envision your
futureOutlines a good deal of opportunities for students across all
pathways (World of Work, College, Apprenticeships, University)Goal
SettingProfile space is an area for students to keep a log of
accomplishments (eg. Student awards, work they are particularly
proud of, extra curricular involvement, leadership stuff,
experiences, volunteer work, school trips, teams, clubs, etc.) will
assist with resume building down the line and remind them of things
that they have had passion for over the years
*Parents will select a school and then follow the prompts for
accessing the site
Once in, they will continue to access the site via their email
account and password
The reason for selecting the desired school is that the courses
offered (including compulsory and elective courses) may vary so it
is customized for each setting
There are resources for parents and they are invited to go
through and online webinar/tutorial about all that the site offers
and ways to navigate it***Key MessagesThe majority of students will
be moving on to Grade 9 ~They will do this one of 3 ways:Promotion,
Transfer, Retention
When discussing TRANSFER, it is a good place to plant the seed
about Locally Developed Compulsory Credit Courses. Where a student
continues to need remediation to be best prepared for Secondary
Success a locally developed compulsory course may set them up for
continued success along the path
Retention happens in very rare cases (ex. Long term illness, out
of the country) and if retention is being considered, it would
require intensive dialogue between the family, the administration
and the superintendent of education
French exemptions may apply to some Spec. Ed. and English
Language Learners (ELL) students. For more information contact your
MART or ESL teacher.
Geography included in grade 8 because Geography is compulsory
for grade 9 students
Level 1 grade equivalent is 50 - 59
Grade 8 school promotion committee consists of principal (or
designate), grade 8 classroom teacher, teacher advisor, special ed
teacher (if appropriate) and ESL teacher (if appropriate)
NEWER amendments to the PTR ProceduresSpecial Education Students
and English Language Learners working on grade level expectations
and is being accomodated and meets the stated criteria is promoted.
Where expectations are being modified those students not meeting
criteria could be considered for transfer
*History is now part of the compulsory subjects (English,
French, Geography, Math, Science, HISTORY) that stand alone.
Students must now achieve level one or higher in all of the
mentioned subjects including history (This is in line with the
promotion criteria for grade 7-8
Resources/HandoutsPTR Fact Sheet 8-9 (Can be found in GRM or
under Fact Sheets in Public Folders on Outlook*The key message of
the Pathways initiative is to increase graduation rates. All
Pathways are valued and one is no more important than the
other.
A wider vision of success for all students. Value ALL
destinations: work, apprenticeship, college, and university
*Of the 100% of students who enter our system in Grade Nine
They will leave us in one of 6 ways.ones we are most familiar
with and others that we must also honour
The goal of educational planning is to :provide students with
information and knowledge to make informed decisions regarding
their futureHelp them to see the options available to themSet goals
that are reasonableHelp them see possibilitiesProvide learning
opportunities and experiences so that they understand themselves
and others by:Looking in (understanding themselves..strengths,
stretches, styles)Looking out (making connections to the outside
world and how these things fit with what they know about
themselves)Looking forward (looking toward the future and
opportunities available to them)
We strive to honour all learners and their destinations and
provide the best support we can for them to be successful in
whatever their endeavours
*This is a significant slide to show parents on the importance
of starting off well in secondary school
We need to address what these statistics show us, most students
have the opportunity to earn 8 credits in a school year. A student
who earns all 8 credits in Grade 9 92% of the time will complete
secondary school. 79% of Grade 9 students who earn 7 credits
graduate from high school and so on
Students leave school for many reasons
We need to ensure that students choose schools and/or programs
where they can be most successful.
Main message: The importance of choosing the school and or
program at the grade 9 level (can talk about Academic, Applied, and
Locally Developed Compulsory Credit courses) where they will find
success.
Avoid referring to LDCC as essential
*The key message of the Pathways initiative is to increase
graduation rates. All Pathways are valued and one is no more
important than the other.
A wider vision of success for all students. Value ALL
destinations: work, apprenticeship, college, and university
**CreditsFor grade 9 and 10 students will have 6 compulsory
credits prescribed to themIn grade 8 and 10 they will have an
opportunity to choose 2 elective credits each yearAs the move into
Grade 11 and 12, they will have an opportunity to choose a balance
of compulsory and elective credits
Community Involvement Students cannot begin community
involvement activities as part of graduation requirements until the
summer following grade 8 Community involvement activities for
graduation requirement must not be part of any other program for
which students receive credit: i.e. pay, badges, certification,
etc. Must be completed outside of regular classroom time - before,
after school, during lunch period, or on week-ends
Parents/guardians encouraged to be involved in monitoring
appropriate volunteer activities for their childrenStudents receive
Community Involvement Passport in grade 9 in which to record
volunteer experiences and track hours
Literacy TestStudents will write the Literacy Test in the Grade
10 year. Students who are unsuccessful on the first attempt at the
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) may:Attempt test
following year OREnroll in the Literacy Course (credit course)**Key
MessagesCritical to make choices that will allow students the
greatest chance for success.All pathways are available to students
from their starting point. The most critical thing is to have
students placed where they have the greatest opportunity for
success. Review previous reports, speak with your childs teacher
for recommendations, ask questions at the secondary information
evenings.
Here is an exampleI may have a destination in mind. If I take
the 401 it may be the most direct route , however if I take Highway
7 because I would like the scenery it might take me more time but
it is more my style. Decisions made in Grade 9 will not preclude
students from reaching their destination but the pathway may look a
little different each individual. LDCC courses are specifically
designed to fill in the gaps of learning that will assist in
helping students meet goals which might not be otherwise met if
they do not meet with success and are discouraged*Open courses- no
choice of levels as they are only offered at the Open level.
A mixture of students are in classes, much as they are in the
grade 7 and 8
*
Both academic and applied courses cover essential concepts
Academic courses focus on theoretical and conceptual
learning
Applied courses focus on, concrete application, students learn
by doing
*
*Just a guide to help with choices. Not all students will fit
this criteria.These are simply sample behaviours and we are aware
that students may show differing skills in different subject
areasStudents may take a combination of applied, academic and
locally developed compulsory credit courses depending on their
learning needs in each subject *The action words give a sense of
the kinds of skills that will be largely required in a particular
course type*English ... using the contents of one unit of the
course profile
Applied - pay attention to words like "listening, speaking,
checklists, oral reports, more small group dynamics"; they write a
scene and role play, use of a picture analysis chart looking at
visual clues; looks at personal narrative describe, explain,
summarize
Academic looks at research, debates, writing script, role,
place, story; writes an essay, opinions more higher level third
party perspective ... looking from the outside -- evaluate,
analyze
*Often there are increased supports at the secondary level for
English Language Learners who have been in the country for 3
years.
Representatives from our English Language Learner Centres (good
words for parents as they are actually Newcomer Reception Centres
but parents dont often see themselves as new after a period of
time) will offer assistance in making sure that students are in the
appropriate sections for their language acquistion and learning
needs*
Both academic and applied courses cover essential concepts
Academic courses focus on theoretical and conceptual
learning
Applied courses focus on, concrete application, students learn
by doing
You may want to be explicit about the focus of the evening to be
about this transition to Grade 9. Further details about destination
courses may be covered at the secondary evenings and they may wish
to ask future questions at those evenings
If it comes up.below are things to consider
Notes and Reflection:This is always a tricky slide that often
gets a lot of interest and creates a lot of bus in the room.
Heres the thingyou may get asked about the most direct route for
a student to get into University
That would be academic in grade 9 and 10 and University in Grade
12 with 4U.
The big caution is this.the most direct path is not always the
best pathway.
Recommendations from the school are based on the most consistent
and most recent achievement and learning skills. The most direct
path doesnt guarantee entrance into University (marks, experience,
etc.) and so it is important to parents/guardians recognize that
they need to consider interests, strengths, extra-currciular,
learning styles and preferences that are part of the whole
secondary school experience.
Student readiness is KEY for choosing course types. The place
that will see them be successful is a good thing to factor into the
equationrelating back to the Early Leavers slide is important
There are many pathways that will lead to post secondary
education and it is critical that the best pathway is the one that
will see the student achieve and accumulate credits.
*Key Message: No door is closed to you in grade 9 by what you
choose.Example: two people in the same occupation took different
paths to get thereWhen a student plans to switch pathways after
grade 9 there are lots of possibilities. This move would be made in
consultation with the secondary guidance counsellor, student, and
parents.
Students may move from applied to academic and academic to
applied (grade 9 to grade 10) depending on success and preparedness
for changing course types except in Math.
The move from LDCC to either applied or academic can occur but
may involve one or two more steps.
These moves are looked at individually to ensure student
success. *The math transfer course enables students to achieve the
expectations not covered in grade 9 applied math but required for
entry into grade 10 academic math.
There is only one transfer course grade 9 applied math to grade
10 academic math.
The math transfer courses counts as a 0.5 credit and is usually
achieved through summer school
Transfer courses count as a 0.5 credit.
*Semestered SchoolsStudents can earn 4 credits per semester,
total of 8 credits per year if all courses are successfully
completed Students concentrate on only 4 subjects at a time Typical
Day Most periods are 75-80 minutes long Lunch is 40-60 minutes
depending on the school
*Non-Semestered Schools8 courses are taken throughout the entire
year and are in three terms4 courses one day and the other 4 the
next.alternating daystypicallyDay 1 and 3 same subjects and Day 2
and 4 the other 4 subjects
Typical Day Most periods are 75-80 minutes long Lunch is 40-60
minutes depending on the school
**Every year, grade 9 students will be given a Choices for Nine
pamphlet. These pamphlets should be available in late October/early
November and are to be used as a resource for both students and
parents. Students and parents will be able to see which secondary
schools offer special programs, secondary school information
evening dates, and descriptions of academic, applied, open, and
LDCC course types.
**Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the homeschool
information evening along with others they are considering under
optional attendance. While we understand that schedules are very
busy, this is potentially the place where your child will be
spending the next 4 yearsIt is important that they get into the
physical plant of the building and ask questions relating to
academics and extra curricular programs and supportsPlease caution
them about what they may have seen or heard from others or what
they perceive to be the reality of that schoolBy being in the
building and listening to the speakers and talking with teachers,
it will allow them to get their personal take on what is happening
thereAll TDSB schools strive for excellence and often there are
misconceptions about schools (one way or the other)Visiting will be
one piece that helps them make an informed decision about their
childs secondary school careerParents and students should be
informed and reminded on the secondary school info nightsNights
will be listed in the Choices For Nine booklet
**Key Messages
In the TDSB our first entry point is to encourage families to
send their students to their home Secondary School. There are a
myriad of ways in which academic and extra-curricular interests can
be met at their homeschools.
Optional Attendance to Specialized Schools or Programs is for
students who have a passion in an area of specialty.
All TDSB schools strive for excellence and offer a wide array of
programming to meet student interests and needs*Parents can type in
the home address to find the home school orScroll down the left
hand side to All Secondary and a list of all schools will pop up in
alphabetical order*All students should complete a Course Selection
Form for their designated home secondary school and are encouraged
to attend their home school
Program should be the main focus when applying for optional
attendance. Specialized school programs are really designed for
those who are passionate about the specialization
The complete high school program - grades 9 to 12 should be the
focus
Students who are accepted in a school under optional attendance
are expected to remain in that school until high school
graduation
Other considerations should be: distance, travel time, and
travel expense when making application to an optional attendance
school
Parents/guardians are encouraged to follow timelines for
optional attendance application
Some schools, because they are enrolled over capacity, do not
accept students for optional attendance and are deemed closed
schools
Students and their families are strongly encouraged to attend
the secondary school information sessions to which they have an
interest, aptitude, etc.
In mid January updated fact sheets (Open/Closed Schools,
Optional Attendance) will be provided for parents
Finally, where students choose to apply for Optional Attendance
in more than one secondary school, they are encouraged as a
courtesy to the school and other students, to decline acceptance to
those programs that they arent choosing by placing a phone call to
the school. This will allow them to go to the students on their
waiting list. Important that this occurs as soon as the student
knows that they are not interested in the school.
(Example: Gurpreet applies to XYZ Secondary School Art Program
and also to the ABC Secondary School Art Program. She finds out on
Feb. 7th that she has been accepted to both programs. She has
decided that Wexford is her first choice. As a courtesy, Gurpreet
phones Cedarbrae to thank them for their offer of admission
however, she has accepted an offer at another school. The school
rep. thanks them and then is free to go to the next student on
their list to ensure they have full enrollment in their
program)
*
*JanuaryList of Closed and Limited schools made available (this
late as facilities has to do projections and we must wait until
they are firm)Optional Attendance applications available from
elementary schoolsDistribution of Course Selection Sheets
Parents/guardians encourage to consult Choices Tabloid and Choices
for Nine with attention to anticipated destinations for courses
beyond grade 9
Parents/guardians encouraged to be involved in their childs
educational planning through ongoing consultation with teachers and
counsellors. Also, reviewing myBlueprint will also be helpful
NB for Teacher/CounsellorsFeel free to make the date for
students to return completed course selection sheets to you. As you
are in a number of schools, you will need to make it manageable so
that you may have the course selection sheets submitted
electronically to the secondary schools.**myBlueprint process will
be further explained at the October EIC Cadre Training*Parents are
to go to the specific schools info nights for further
informationParents and students should be informed and reminded on
the secondary school info nightsNights will be listed in the
Choices For Nine bookletSpecialized programs and schools may have
different due dates re application; consult with guidance
counsellor and/or website
**This comes directly from the CHOICES brochure which they will
have received or will be receiving via their children
The symbols represent programs across the system
Specific questions regarding applications, auditions, exams or
tests should be directed at the secondary schools as they know
their programs and specifications the best.
Many questions can be answered by going to the parent
information evening listed in the brochure
