HomeMy WebLinkAboutP 112 CUR - Prior Learning (Mature Students)POLICY P.112.CUR
TITLE: PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION
FOR MATURE STUDENTS
Date Authorized: 13 April 2004
Last Revised:24 June 2024
Last Reviewed:24 June 2024
COMMITMENT TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND EQUITY
The Board recognizes its responsibility to ensure that OCDSB policies and procedures promote and
protect Indigenous, equity, and human rights and to seek to address and eliminate racism and
structural and systemic barriers for students, staff, and community.
1.0 RATIONALE
To provide guidelines for the implementation of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
for Mature Students (mPLAR) in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in compliance
with Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No. 132, Prior Learning Assessment and
Recognition for Mature Students.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
Please refer to Appendix A for a full list of definitions of terms used in this policy.
3.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
3.1 The Board values formal learning experiences and informal lived and cultural learning
experiences of mature learners and supports their recognition for secondary credit to
minimize duplication of learning and support different pathways goals.
3.2 The Board is committed to a fair and inclusive assessment process including flexible
assessment methods and providing equal opportunity for all Mature Students.
4.0 SPECIFIC DIRECTIVES
1 P.112.CUR
Challenge Credits
4.1 Students may challenge for credit for grade 11 and 12 courses, in provincial curriculum
policy documents.
4.2 Each secondary school course calendar shall contain information regarding Prior
Learning Assessment and Recognition opportunities for Mature Students.
4.3 Schools may not charge students any fee for undergoing the challenge process.
4.4 In grades 11 and 12, Mature Students may earn no more than ten credits through the
challenge and equivalency processes combined.
4.5 Mature students may use certificates or other records of accomplishment earned outside
Ontario classrooms as reasonable evidence of eligibility to challenge for credit for a
related course within the Ontario curriculum if they wish to earn credit for the course
without taking the course.
4.6 Students with music certificates that are accepted for credits in OSS are not required to
challenge for credit for the appropriate music courses but are granted credits in
accordance with Ontario Schools.
4.7 The responsibilities of the student for the challenge include:
a)initiating the PLAR challenge by approaching the school contact for
information regarding the process;
b)collaborating with school teams to complete the application process and
demonstrate learning; and
c)completing assessments as required.
4.8 A record of all attempted challenges for credit for grade 11 and 12 courses shall be
included in the District’s Report to the Ministry the following year.
4.9 PLAR shall be carried out under the direction of the central department responsible for
program and learning.
4.10 The challenge process is an evaluation process and shall not be used as a way for
students to improve their marks in a course for which they have already earned credit.
Equivalency Credits
4.11 At grade 9 and 10 up to sixteen credits may be granted to a Mature Student through the
equivalency process following individual assessment.
4.12 At grades 11 and 12 up to ten credits may be granted based on the evaluation of a
Mature Student's education and/or training credentials and/or other appropriate
documentation of learning.
2 P.112.CUR
4.13 A record of the number of Mature Students who received an individual assessment for
up to sixteen grade 9 and 10 credits during the school year shall be included in the
District's October Report to the Ministry.
4.14 A record of the number of Mature Students who received an equivalency assessment for
up to ten grade 11 and 12 credits during the school year shall be included in the
District's Report to the Ministry the following year.
4.15 The Director of Education is authorized to issue such procedures as may be necessary
to implement this policy.
5.0 APPENDICES
Appendix A: Policy Definitions
6.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9-12: Program and Diploma Requirements (OSS), 1999
Ministry of Education PPM 132: Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition for Mature
Students
Ontario Student Transcript (OST): Manual, 2013
Ontario Schools, Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7–12/OACs): Program and
Diploma Requirements (OSIS), rev. ed., 1989,
OCDSB Policy P.109.CUR: Prior Learning and Recognition in Secondary Schools
OCDSB Procedure PR.634.CUR: Prior Assessment and Recognition in Secondary Schools
OCDSB Procedure PR.631.CUR: Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition for Mature
Students
3 P.112.CUR
APPENDIX A: POLICY DEFINITIONS
In this policy,
Board means the Board of Trustees.
Challenge means the process whereby students' prior learning is assessed for the
purpose of granting credit for a Grade 11, or 12 course developed from a provincial
curriculum policy document published in 2000 or later.
District means the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Equivalency is the process of assessing credentials from other jurisdictions, workplace and
other institutions of learning and may involve individual assessment for the purpose of
granting credits.
Mature Student means a student who is at least 18 years of age on or after January 1st of
the current school year and who is enrolled in a program for the purpose of obtaining an
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is the formal evaluation and
credit-granting process whereby mature students may obtain credits for prior learning. 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.
Reasonable Evidence means documentation presented to the principal that the curriculum
expectations of the course have already been achieved for the purpose of equivalency or
challenge.
4 P.112.CUR