THE ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACY COURSE
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the literacy skills that are evaluated by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Students who complete the course successfully achieving a final mark of 50% or higher, will meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Eligibility
Students who have been eligible to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) at least twice, and have been unsuccessful at least once, are eligible to take this course to achieve both a Grade 12 credit and their literacy credential for graduation.
Mature Students
As of September 1, 2008, mature students may enroll directly in the OSSLC without first attempting the OSSLT. Successful completion of the OSSLC provides mature students an alternative means of demonstrating the required reading and writing competencies measured by the OSSLT. A mature student may still elect to meet the literacy graduation requirement by successfully completing the OSSLT.
A "mature student" is a student who meets all of the below criteria:
- is at least eighteen years of age on or before December 31 of the school year in which he or she registers in an Ontario secondary school program;
- was not enrolled as a regular Ontario day school student for a period of at least one school year immediately preceding his or her registration in a secondary program;
Adjudication Process
The adjudication process is designed for students who, through no fault of their own, have not been able to take advantage of the normal opportunities to write the OSSLT and/or have not been able to enrol in or complete the OSSLC, owing to unforeseen circumstances.
Students who are otherwise eligible to graduate in June of a given school year are eligible for adjudication to obtain their graduation literacy requirement if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The student was never able to write the test because of illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances.
- The student was eligible to enrol in the OSSLC, but the student's school did not offer the OSSLC or make arrangements for the student to take the OSSLC in another school.
- The student was enrolled in the OSSLC, but owing to illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances, was not able to complete the OSSLC.
Students With Special Education Needs
Students with special education needs who are otherwise eligible to graduate in June of a given school year are eligible for adjudication to obtain their graduation literacy requirement if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The student was receiving special education programs or services, and had an IEP documenting required accommodations when taking the OSSLT. (The accommodations must be in accordance with those outlined under "Permitted Accommodations" on pages 7–8 of this memorandum.)
- In that school year or in a previous school year, the student was present to take the test, but owing to unforeseen circumstances, the required accommodations, or a reasonable alternative to them, were not available to the student on the day the OSSLT was administered during the whole test or part of the test.
- The student was eligible to enrol in the OSSLC, but the student's school did not offer the OSSLC or make arrangements for the student to take the OSSLC in another school.
- The student was enrolled in the OSSLC, but owing to illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances, was not able to complete the OSSLC.
