Havergal College Course Calendar, 2017-18 Academic Year

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graduation requirement in the following two years by
retaking the test. Students who do not successfully
complete the OSSLT will be required to complete the
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC).
(Canada. Ministry of Education, Ontario. Policy and Program. Ontario
Schools Kindergarten to Grade 12 : Policy and Program Requirements.
Toronto: Ministry of Education, 2016. Print. Section 6.1.3 p 62)
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
(OSSLT) (OS 6.1.3.1)
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy test (OSSLT) is the
usual method for assessing the literacy skills of students
in Ontario for the purpose of determining whether they
meet the provincial secondary school literacy requirement
for graduation. The test thus identifies students who have
demonstrated the required skills in literacy as well as those
who have not demonstrated the required skills and will
need to do further work. The test identifies the specific
areas in which these latter students need remediation.
The test is scheduled by and administered through the
Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) once
each year, usually in the spring.
Students will usually take the OSSLT in the school year
following the school year in which they enter Grade 9,
unless a deferral is granted by the Principal. Deferrals are
intended for students who are working towards an OSSD
and who have not yet acquired a level of proficiency in
English that would allow them to successfully complete
the test.
Deferrals may also be granted to students who are unable
to write the test at the scheduled time owing to illness,
injury or other extenuating circumstances or to students
who are new to the school and cannot be provided with the
appropriate accommodations in time. Documentation must
be submitted to the Principal of the school in such cases.
The writing of the test may be deferred only to the time
of the next scheduled test. If an additional deferral is
required, the Principal must review the request again with
the parent and appropriate school staff.
(Canada. Ministry of Education, Ontario. Policy and Program. Ontario
Schools Kindergarten to Grade 12 : Policy and Program Requirements.
Toronto: Ministry of Education, 2016. Print. Appendix 3 Section 3 pg 104)
Students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT will
have opportunities to retake the test in subsequent years,
on dates scheduled by the EQAO. Once students have
successfully completed the OSSLT, they may not retake it.
Students who are English language learners may be
entitled to special provisions, which are adjustments
to the setting and/or timing for writing the test. These
provisions may be provided if the Principal deems such
provisions to be in the best educational interest of the
student. Decisions about specific provisions must:
• always be made on an individual student basis;
• be made by the Principal in consultation with the
student, parents (if the student is under the age of
18), Head of Guidance and Vice Principal, Teaching
and Learning;
• be made prior to the taking of the OSSLT;
• conform to the permitted special provisions
outlined in the EQAO document entitled, Guide for
Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and
Exemptions;
• be clearly communicated in writing to the parents, or
directly to the adult student, in advance of writing the
test; and
• be recorded, with all pertinent details, on the Student
Data Collection System provided by the EQAO for
students writing the OSSLT.
(Canada. Ministry of Education, Ontario. Policy and Program. Ontario
Schools Kindergarten to Grade 12 : Policy and Program Requirements.
Toronto: Ministry of Education, 2016. Print. Appendix 3 Section 2 pg 103)
For students with special education needs,
accommodations specified in the student’s IEP must be
available on the day of the test. Accommodations change
only the way in which the OSSLT is administered or the
way in which the student responds to the components
of the test. They do not alter the content of the test
or affect the validity or reliability of the test. To qualify
for accommodations, a student must have an IEP that
outlines accommodations to be provided during the test
that are also necessary for and consistent with regular
classroom practices and that are provided for all of her
assessments.
Decisions about accommodations must:
• always be made on an individual student basis;
• be made by the Principal in consultation with the
student, parents (if the student is under the age of
18), Head of Guidance and Vice Principal, Teaching
and Learning;
• be made prior to the taking of the OSSLT;
• take into consideration all accommodations
included in the student’s IEP that are permitted as
outlined in the EQAO document, entitled Guide for
Accommodations, Special Provisions, Deferrals and
Exemptions;
• be clearly communicated in writing to the parents, or
directly to the adult student, in advance of writing the
test; and
• be recorded, with all pertinent details, on the Student
Data Collection System provided by the EQAO for
students writing the OSSLT.
(Canada. Ministry of Education, Ontario. Policy and Program. Ontario
Schools Kindergarten to Grade 12 : Policy and Program Requirements.
Toronto: Ministry of Education, 2016. Print. Appendix 3 Section 1 pg 99)