CHOICES FOR NINE

THE TRANSITION FROM GRADE 8 TO 9

Don Valley JHS

Ms. Lisa Tatum

Grade 8 Guidance Counselor

Lisa.Tatum@tdsb.on.ca

Guidance Program & Services Department

Success for all Learners

2013-14

Toronto District School Board

• To inform students how to make a smooth and successful transition from grade 8 to 9 • To assist parents and students in making informed choices for grade 9

• To raise student and parent awareness of the various program pathways available throughout the TDSB

Our Goals This Evening Are:

TDSB Website

www.tdsb.on.ca > High School > Going to High

School

Going to High School

•Choices Brochure in PDF form

•List of Secondary School Information Nights

Online educational & career planning tool

myBlueprint.ca

www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb

for students and parents

Accessing myBlueprint.ca

Select

Your

School

Join a

Webinar

www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb

Part A: Promotion, Transfer, and Retention Procedures

Part B: Messages for Success

Part C: Ontario Secondary Schools

Part D: Specific School Information Specialized

Programs

Format of Presentation

Promotion, Transfer

& Retention

Part A

Promotion, Transfer & Retention

Criteria

A student is promoted when:

1. The student has successfully completed the curriculum expectations in each of the following grade 8 subjects at a Level 1 (50 – 59%) or higher:

• English

• French

• History

• Geography

• Mathematics

• Science & Technology

AND

2. The student has achieved an average equivalent to Level 1, or higher, across all grade 8 subjects.

Special Education Students

A student who is exceptional and whose IEP is based on current grade Level expectations and for whom the integrity of the curriculum has been maintained is promoted

English Language Learners (ELL)

An EL Learner who requires modification to align grade-level curriculum expectations with the student’s current level of English language proficiency is promoted

A student is transferred when:

The student has not met the criteria as outlined for Promotion

Messages for Success

Part B

Where do students go after

secondary school?

The Importance of Credit

Accumulation

Early School Leaving based on

Grade 9's credit accumulation

38% 33%21%

8% 6%

0%

20%

40%

5 6 7 8 9

Number of Credits Earned by end of Grade 9

Earl

y L

eaver

Rate

Ontario Secondary

Schools

Part C

• Once a course is passed, a credit is granted

• To pass a course one must achieve a level of 50% or higher

• Students are expected to take 8 courses each year

• To graduate from high school a student must earn 30 credits

Credit System

• Total of 30 course credits (110 hours per credit)

– 18 compulsory courses

– 12 elective courses (options)

• 40 hrs. Community Involvement

– Begins in summer after Grade 8 *

• Ontario Literacy Requirement

• Written Test in Grade 10 (OSSLT)

Ontario Secondary School

Diploma (O.S.S.D.)

• Applied • Academic • Locally Developed Compulsory Credit (LDCC) • Open

Course Types in Grade

9 and 10:

Making Your Choices:

Choosing Success!

• Learning expectations are the same for all students • Designed to prepare students for further study and to enrich general education in a subject • Can be counted as compulsory or elective credits Grade 9 Open Courses Include: Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Dance)

Business Guidance (Learning Strategies)

Exploring Technologies Physical Education

What is an Open Course?

Academic Courses Cover the core content and have an emphasis on the theoretical aspects of the content Applied Courses Cover the core content and have an emphasis on practical applications

Academic & Applied

• For students with gaps in knowledge and skills in the specific discipline

• Ideal for students who need support with the curriculum content in grade 9

• Students who require two or more Locally Developed Compulsory Credit Courses or who require significant modification to their program will be assisted in investigating programs/schools that provide a full array of supports and services to meet their unique needs

Locally Developed

Compulsory Credit

• Prepare students for success in English and other courses • ESL/ELD credits count as compulsory English credits (to a maximum of 3 credits) • Students will be placed in Level A, B, C, D or E • Can move to Academic/Applied/LDCC courses when appropriate

English Language Learners ESL/ELD

Grades 9 and 10

Academic Applied Locally Developed Open

Making Your Choice

Grades 11 and 12

College University Workplace

Changing Course Type After

Grade 9:

Gr. 9 Academic

Gr. 9 Applied

Gr. 9 LDCC

Gr. 10 Academic

Gr. 10 Applied

Gr. 10 LDCC

(except Mathematics)

Changing Course Type After

Grade 9:

Gr. 9 Academic

Gr. 9 Applied

Gr. 9 LDCC

Gr. 10 Academic

Gr. 10 Applied

Gr. 10 LDCC

Gr. 9 Applied to Gr. 10 Academic

Mathematics

(Transfer Course worth 0.5 credit)

T

Semestered Schools

• Students take 8 courses in 2 blocks of time: 4 courses from September to January 4 courses from February to June • All 4 courses taken daily

Non-Semestered Schools

• 8 courses taken throughout the school year • Courses taken every other day

Part D

Optional Attendance

Choices for Nine

Timelines

Choices: Planning Guides

Choices for Nine delivered

each fall

&

Choices: Secondary

Schools Course Selection

& Planning Guide

arrives each January with

Course Selection Sheets

The Year Ahead Your Grade 8 Year at a Glance!

Information Nights

At Secondary Schools

• Program and school-specific information is shared • Information evening dates are listed in the Choices for Nine brochure and on the TDSB Website

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/HighSchool/GoingtoHighSchool/

Dates and Times on Website

Home School

Website: www.tdsb.on.ca Click on “Find your School” and

enter your home address

Find Your School

Optional Attendance

• Students are encouraged to attend the secondary school

that serves their residential address

• Must use an “Optional Attendance Application Form”

when applying to a school other than their home

school – remember: this is an application, not a

guarantee of admittance.

• Forms available at Grade 8 school

• Specific information regarding Optional

Attendance Procedures will follow in

early January

What are the Specialized

Programs?

Optional Attendance Things to Consider:

If you choose to apply for optional attendance you should

know:

• You will be responsible for your own transportation

• You may only apply to two regular and two specialized schools or programs

• You may not apply to a school deemed closed

Optional Attendance Things to Consider:

If you choose to apply for optional attendance you should

know:

• A school that is deemed limited will run a lottery to determine who can attend if they receive more applications than they have space available

• Once you accept an offer of admission to a specialized school or program, it becomes your home school and you are expected to remain there until graduation

Important Dates

January 2014

• List of “Closed” and “Limited” schools made available

• Optional Attendance applications available from

elementary schools

• Assembly for Grade 8 students to review course

selection & optional attendance procedures

• Distribution of Course Selection Sheets

Specific Dates

• January 31, 2014 - Optional Attendance applications due to secondary schools – delivered by student/parent/guardian (Please return completed applications to Ms. Tatum by January 22, 2014 for processing – require principal’s signature)

• February 14, 2014 - Secondary schools will inform Optional Attendance applicants by this date

• February 26, 2014 – Course Selection sheets completed and returned to elementary teacher/counselor

• February 28, 2014 - All Course Selection sheets are due to secondary schools – delivered by Elementary Counselor

** Only ONE course selection sheet per student is submitted for ONE secondary school by the elementary school counselor

Information Nights at

Specialized Schools

• If you want to investigate specialized schools or

programs, be certain to attend their information

evenings as they may distribute separate applications

with due dates

• Other requirements may include auditions,

tests, interviews, etc.

• Check DEADLINE DATES for applications

as they vary

Any questions?