Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

Laureate offers credit courses that lead to the completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).  This diploma is achieved by obtaining 30 credits of which 18 are compulsory credits and 12 are elective credits.  In addition, a student must complete 40 hours of community service and pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).  If the final average of the top 6 grade 12 credits is 80% or higher, a student may also receive an Ontario Scholar Certificate.

The OSSD will provide the opportunity to advance further in the post-secondary education programs in Ontario as well as other provinces in Canada and other countries.

To obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), students must earn the following:

A) 18 compulsory credits of:

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)
• 3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in grade 11 or 12)
• 2 credits in science
• 1 credit in Canadian history
• 1 credit in Canadian geography
• 1 credit in the arts
• 1 credit in health and physical education
• 1 credit in French as a second language
• 0.5 credit in career studies
• 0.5 credit in civics

Plus one credit from each of the following groups:

• New 1 additional credit (group 1): additional credit in English, or French as a second language, or a Native language, or a classical or an international language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education
• New 1 additional credit (group2): additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or French as a second language, or cooperative education
• New 1 additional credit (group 3): additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education, or French as a second language, or computer studies, or cooperative education

B) In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

• 12 optional credits
• 40 hours of community involvement activities
• the provincial literacy requirement

A maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course. In groups 1, 2, and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group1 and one from either group2 or group 3. (Details of each group are available on the Ministry of Education website or discuss with guidance counsellor.) A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits. The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.

Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011

Community Involvement Requirements and Procedures

For students to obtain their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), they must complete 40 hours of volunteer work as one of their requirements to successfully obtain their high school diploma. It is a non-paying job where you have the opportunity to learn skills that help you develop awareness civic responsibility, communication skills, and how individuals can contribute and give back to our society. Students may accumulate community involvement hours from the summer before entering grade 9 level. The criteria for completing these hours are:

• supporting non-profit organizations, agencies, institutions, or foundations
• tutoring, mentoring, or coaching to assist others
• contributing to a club, religious organization, arts or cultural associations, or political organizations
• promoting environmental awareness
• activities that benefit a community
• activities that benefit individuals

To select an appropriate placement, the Laureate staff will assist you in suggesting possible experiences. A record of completion of the 40 hours must be submitted and approved before it will be shown on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript.