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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 634 CUR - PLAR Secondary Schools - 1 - PR.634.CUR PROCEDURE PR.634.CUR TITLE: PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS Date issued: 26 February 2002 Last revised: Authorization: Senior Staff: 31 October 2001 1.0 OBJECTIVE To outline the requirements for implementing Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) in Secondary Schools in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. 2.0 DEFINITIONS In this procedure, 2.1 Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is the formal evaluation and credit-granting process whereby students, excluding 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 schools. 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. The PLAR process involves two components: “challenge” and “equivalency”. 2.2 Challenge means the process whereby students' prior learning is assessed for the purpose of granting credit for a Grade 10, 11, or 12 course developed from a provincial curriculum policy document published in 1999 or later. 2.3 Credits: Challenge for credit for courses based on provincial curriculum policy documents will be available to students only in courses that are actually taught in schools operated by the Board. All credits granted through the PLAR process – that is, through either the challenge process or the equivalency process – must represent the same standards of achievement as credits granted to students who have taken the courses. 2.4 Equivalency is the process of assessing credentials from other jurisdictions. 2.5 Mature student means a student who is 18 years of age or older and out of day school for a minimum of one year. This procedure does not apply to mature students. Mature - 2 - PR.634.CUR students who return to secondary school before the beginning of the 2003 –2004 school year will continue to have their placement determined according to the requirements set out in Ontario Schools, Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7–12/OACs): Program and Diploma Requirements (OSIS), rev. ed., 1989, section 6.14: Equivalent Standing for Mature Students. 2.6 Reasonable Evidence means documentation that the curriculum expectations of the course have already been achieved and that the student would likely be successful in the challenge process. 3.0 RESPONSIBILITY The school principal and student applicants for a PLAR 4.0 PROCEDURES 4.1 It is the principal's responsibility to: a) ensure that students are informed that they are responsible for initiating the challenge process and for satisfying all of the requirements, and ensure that students who are not adults (i.e., students who are under the age of eighteen) are informed that they need parental approval before applying to challenge for credit for a course; b) ensure that every prospective applicant and his or her parents, if he or she is not an adult, are informed about policies and procedures related to challenging for credit, including policies on and procedures for recording results in the Ontario Student Record (OSR) and on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST); c) ensure that every prospective applicant is provided with an application form as well as materials that indicate what is expected in the course (i.e., the curriculum expectations) for which the student wishes to challenge for credit (See Attachment 1); d) evaluate each application in consultation with the student’s parents (or with the student if the student is an adult) and appropriate school staff (i.e., guidance counsellor, teacher-adviser, and subject teacher) to determine whether reasonable evidence for success exists and whether the challenge should occur. 4.2 The principal will use as a guide the table entitled "Requirements for the OSSD Under OSS" in OSS, Appendix 8: Equivalent Diploma Requirements, to determine the number of credits, including compulsory credits, that the student must earn, as well as other diploma requirements that the student must satisfy, in order to qualify for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 4.3 The principal will: a) ensure the attached Application to Challenge for Credit for a Course (Attachment 1), and Record of Assessment of Challenge for Credit for a Course (Attachment 2), are used in secondary schools; - 3 - PR.634.CUR b) ensure that the student request to challenge for credit will be entered in the students’ Annual Education Plan. A student must challenge for credit for an entire course, whether it is a full-credit or a partial-credit course. Credit will be granted only for the specific course for which the student has successfully challenged for credit; c) develop formal tests and other assessment strategies; d) conduct the testing (i.e., the use of formal tests worth 70% of the final mark, and of other appropriate assessment strategies worth 30% of the final mark); e) evaluate and report on the student's performance; f) ensure that no more than four credits may be earned by one student in the PLAR challenge process with no more than 2 credits granted in any one discipline; g) use and maintain the forms entitled: (i) PLAR Challenge for Credit: Cumulative Tracking Record (Attachment 3); (ii) PLAR Challenge for Credit: Interim Tracking Record (Attachment 4). No changes of any kind will be made to these forms. These forms must be included in the student's OSR; h) ensure that students who do not have suitable documentation, owing to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., students who are refugees), will receive counselling concerning the gathering of evidence. 4.4 Record Keeping The principal of the student's regular school will ensure that a "PLAR Challenge for Credit: Cumulative Tracking Record" form (Attachment 3) is maintained and included in the student's OSR (the regular school is the school that maintains the student's OSR). This form is intended to track the number of credits earned and the disciplines in which credits have been earned through the challenge process, as well as failures and withdrawals. 4.5 A "PLAR Challenge for Credit: Interim Tracking Record" form (Attachment 4) will be maintained for credits earned through the challenge process in a school outside the student's regular school. The principal of the school outside the student's regular school will use the "Interim Tracking Record" form to communicate the results of the student's challenges for credit to the school that maintains the OSR. 4.6 The following entries must be made on the student's "Cumulative Tracking Record" form and the "Interim Tracking Record" form, as applicable: a) for challenges for credit for Grade 10, 11, or 12 courses, the student's passing percentage grade, failing percentage grade, or withdrawal from the challenge process must be entered on the appropriate tracking record form(s); b) for challenges for credit for Grade 10 courses, only passing percentage grades will be entered on the student's Ontario Student Transcript (OST). If the student - 4 - PR.634.CUR subsequently takes the Grade 10 course, only the higher percentage grade will be recorded on the OST. No notation will be entered on the student's OST if the student withdraws from or receives a failing grade in the challenge process; c) for challenges for credit for Grade 11 and 12 courses, passing and failing percentage grades will be entered on the student's OST. No notation will be entered on the OST if the student withdraws from the challenge process. 4.7 The principal will ensure that only teachers certified by the Ontario College of Teachers conduct the PLAR challenge process. Teachers with expertise in the subject area will implement the PLAR challenge for credit and equivalency. 4.8 Student Responsibilities a) Students must apply for a PLAR at the school which they are registered. PLAR applications and challenges will be restricted to certain scheduled periods during the school academic year as outlined in the school student planners (e.g., in a semestered school applications would be due in the last week of September and February, with challenges occurring during the scheduled exam periods). b) Students cannot be granted credits through the challenge process for any of the following courses: (i) a course in any subject if a credit has already been granted for a course in that subject in a later grade either as a single credit or as part of a block equivalency; (ii) a course for which credit has already been granted or for which there is significant overlap with a course for which credit has been granted (e.g., a student cannot challenge for credit for an academic course if he or she has already earned a credit for the applied course at the same grade level, and vice versa); (iii) a transfer course; (iv) a locally developed course; (v) a cooperative education course; (vi) a course in English as a second language (ESL), English literacy development (ELD), or Anglais pour débutants (APD), if the student has one or more credits in English from the curriculum policy documents for English for Grades 9 to 12 under OSS (i.e., the documents for English- language or The documents for French-language schools) or from the curriculum guidelines for English or Anglais/English for Grades 9 to 12/OACs under OSIS; (vii) a course in French as a second language (FSL), Actualisation linguistique en français (ALF), or Perfectionnement du français (PDF), if the student has one or more credits in Français from the curriculum policy documents for Français for Grades 9 to 12 under OSS or the curriculum guideline for Français for Grades 9 to 12/OACs under OSIS. c) A student will be permitted to challenge for credit for a specific course a second time after a reasonable interval, if the student can provide reasonable evidence to the principal that he or she is likely to be successful after having benefitted from additional study and experience during the i nterval. - 5 - PR.634.CUR 5.0 APPENDICES Attachment 1: OCDSB Application to Challenge for Credit for a Course Attachment 2: OCDSB Record of Assessment of Challenge for Credit for a Course Attachment 3: OCDSB PLAR Challenge for Credit: Cumulative Tracking Record Attachment 4: OCDSB PLAR Challenge for Credit: Interim Tracking Record 6.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS Ontario Secondary Schools Grades 9-12: Program and Diploma Requirements (OSS), 1999 Ontario Schools, Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7 -12/OACs): Program and Diploma Requirements (OSIS), rev. ed., 1989 Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 129 , Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): Implementation in Ontario Secondary Schools Ontario Student Transcript (OST): Manual, 1999 Board Policy P.109.CUR: Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition in Secondary Schools - 6 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 1 PR.634.CUR Page 1 Application to Challenge for Credit for a Course Student Name: Please complete this application form and submit it to your school principal. Surname: Given names: MIN/OEN: Grade: Gender: Male Female Date of Birth: year month day Name of Parent/Guardian: School: I wish to challenge for credit for the following course: Course Title Course Type Course Grade/Level Course Code I am aware that a passing or failing mark resulting from a challenge for credit for a Grade 11 or 12 course will be entered on my Ontario Student Transcript and that a passing or failing mark or a withdrawal resulting from a challenge for credit for any Grade 10, 11, or 12 course will be entered on my PLAR tracking record and maintained in my Ontario Student Record. I am aware that the PLAR challenge process will include formal tests (balanced between written work and demonstration, as appropriate for the subject) worth 70 per cent of the final mark, and other types of assessment worth 30 per cent of the final mark. I am aware that my skills and knowledge will be evaluated against the expectations outlined in the appropriate provincial curriculum policy document. I am aware that a maximum of four credits may be granted through the challenge process for courses in Grades 10 to 12, with no more than two in any one discipline. I am submitting the following as evidence that I am qualified to challenge for credit for this course: letter(s) of recommendation from teacher(s) familiar with the course expectations letter(s) of recommendation from member(s) of the community a portfolio of relevant work proof of successful relevant experience in a supervised setting - 7 - PR.634.CUR proof of independent learning in a relevant area a videotape, audiotape, or CD-ROM with samples of relevant work proof of relevant prior learning from another educational jurisdiction proof of successful completion of courses identified as prerequisites for this course - 8 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 1 PR.634.CUR Page 2 Application to Challenge for Credit for a Course Student Name: Student Paragraph Write a paragraph of 100-200 words stating why you want to challenge for credit for this course. Be sure to include the following:  ways in which the course credit will help you to fulfil your educational goals  your special interests and skills related to this course - 9 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 1 PR.634.CUR Page 3 Application to Challenge for Credit for a Course Student Name: I have reviewed the curriculum expectations and the descriptions of the levels of achievement for this course with a designated subject teacher. I understand that a school committee will review my application. Signature of Student: Date: Signature of Parent/Guardian: Date: Signature of Teacher- Adviser/Guidance Counsellor: Date: FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date application received: Date challenge process completed: Attachment 2 PR.634.CUR Page 1 - 10 - PR.634.CUR Record of Assessment of Challenge for Credit for a Course Student’s Surname: Given Names: MIN/OEN: Grade: Gender: Male Female Date of Birth: year month day Name of Parent/Guardian: Course Title: Course Type: Course grade/level: Course Code: Teacher: School: - 11 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 2 PR.634.CUR Page 2 Student Assessment Strategies Used Student Name: Student Assessment Strategies Used a) Formal Tests – 70% of final percentage grade Overall Expectations Covered Type of Test Date Completed Level of Achievement Percentage Grade (out of 70%) __________ - 12 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 2 PR.634.CUR Page 3 b) Other Assessment Strategies – 30% of final percentage grade Student Name: b) Other Assessment Strategies – 30% of final percentage grade Overall Expectations Covered Type of Test Date Completed Level of Achievement Percentage Grade (out of 30%) __________ Final Percentage Grade __________ Signatures Subject Teacher: Date: Student: Date: Principal: Date: Teacher-Adviser/ Guidance Counsellor: Date: Parent/Guardian: Date: - 13 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 3 PR.634.CUR Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: Challenge for Credit Cumulative Tracking Record Surname Given Names MIN/OEN Student Number Gender Date of Birth School Board/School Authority/Inspected Private School1 Number Name of School Date of Entry - 14 - PR.634.CUR Date (Year/ Month) School Board/Inspected Private School2 Course Grade/ Level Course Title Course Code Discipline Percentage Grade Credit Compulsor y Withdra wal Authorizati on3 1 Name of school board/school authority/inspected private school that maintains the student’s OSR 2 Name of school board or inspected private school through which the student earned the credit(s) 3 Signature of person authorized to maintain the student’s OSR Note: For policy on the use of this form, see Policy/Program Memorandum No. 129, “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): Implementation in Ontario Secondary Schools”. - 15 - PR.634.CUR Attachment 4 PR.634.CUR Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: Challenge for Credit Interim Tracking Record Surname Given Names MIN/OEN Student Number Gender Date of Birth School Board/School Authority/Inspected Private School1 Number Name of School Date of Entry - 16 - PR.634.CUR Date (Year / Mont h) School Board/Inspected Private School2 Cours e Grad e/Lev el Course Title Course Code Discipline Percenta ge Grade Credi t Compulso ry Withdraw al Authorizatio n3 1 Name of school board/school authority/inspected private school that maintains the student’s OSR 2 Name of school board or inspected private school through which the student earned the credit(s) 3 Signature of person authorized to maintain the student’s OSR Note: For policy on the use of this form, see Policy/Program Memorandum No. 129, “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): Implementation in Ontario Secondary Schools”.