- Annual education plan (AEP):
- A plan that students in Grades 7–12 will develop every year to identify their goals and their course choices.
- Course codes:
- Each course has a five-character identification code in which the first three characters refer to the subject, the fourth character refers to the grade or level, and the fifth character refers to the type of course. (Some schools may add a sixth character.) Course codes will be given in the school course calendar for all courses offered by the school.
- Credit:
- A credit is granted when a course of at least 110 hours (that is, a regular full-year or full-semester course) is completed successfully. A partial credit may be granted for a shorter course.
- Ontario Student Record (OSR):
- Every Ontario school keeps an official record for each student. The OSR contains achievement results, credits earned and diploma requirements completed, and other information important to the education of the student. Students and their parents (if the student is not an adult) may examine the contents of the OSR. These records are protected by the Education Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
- Ontario Student Transcript (OST):
- The OST is the student’s official
record of credits earned and other graduation requirements completed. It is
part of the Ontario Student Record. Copies of the transcript are available to
students and graduates.
In Grades 9 and 10, only successfully completed courses will be recorded on the student transcript. If a student withdraws from or fails to successfully complete a Grade 9 or 10 course, no entry will be made on the transcript.
In Grades 11 and 12, all courses taken by the student, whether successfully completed or not, will be recorded on the transcript. If a student withdraws from a Grade 11 or 12 course before a specified time, the withdrawal will not be recorded.
A student’s final result on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (to be taken in Grade 10), as well as confirmation that the student has completed the community involvement requirement, will also be included in the student transcript.
- Prerequisite courses:
- These are courses that students are required to take before they can enrol in certain courses in Grades 11 and 12. Prerequisite courses are identified in school course calendars. When choosing courses in Grades 10 and 11, students should be careful to select the prerequisites that will allow them to pursue the courses they want to take in the higher grades.
- School course calendar:
- Every high school in Ontario distributes an annual course calendar, which describes the courses offered by the school in the coming year. The calendar also provides information on school policies; sets out expectations about students’ responsibilities, achievement, and attendance; and outlines the school’s code of student behaviour.
- Semestered and non-semestered schools:
- Semestered schools are schools that offer courses on a half-year basis. Students normally earn four credits in the first semester, from September to January, and another four credits in the second semester, from February to June. Non-semestered schools are schools that offer courses on a full-year basis. Students normally earn eight credits during the school year, from September to June.
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