Academic Policies
Semester System
Hudson operates on a semester system, with three semesters in each year. Students must begin credit courses at the beginning of each semester (Fall: September, Winter: January, Spring: May).
Credits
A credit is granted in recognition of the successful completion (that is, completion with a final percentage mark of 50 per cent or higher) of a course that has been scheduled for a minimum of 110 hours. Credits are granted by a principal on behalf of the Minister of Education for courses that have been developed or authorized by the ministry. A half-credit may be granted for each 55-hour part of a 110-hour ministry-developed course in accordance with the policy outlined in the curriculum policy documents.
For the purpose of granting a credit, “scheduled time” is defined as the time during which students participate in planned learning activities designed to lead to the achievement of the curriculum expectations of a course. Planned learning activities include interaction between the teacher and the student and assigned individual or group work (other than homework) related to the achievement of the learning expectations in the course. Planned learning and activities will be delivered through classroom instruction and activities and/or through community placements related to work experience and cooperative education.
Course Codes
Each course is worth one credit which requires a minimum of 110 hours of study. At Hudson, students may choose from four types of courses: University Preparation, University/College Preparation, College Preparation, and Open. The codes for each course are always 5 characters long. The first letter represents the department, the next 2 the course, and the last 2 the grade and destination, e.g. (1) ENG4U is English, in the English Department (ENG) Grade 12 (4U); (2) MHF4U is Advanced Functions, in the Mathematics Department (MHF), Grade 12 (4U).
Substitutions for Compulsory Courses
In order to provide the flexibility to tailor an individual student’s program to the student’s needs and to support her or his progress through secondary school, the principal may substitute up to three compulsory credits with courses from other subject areas specified in the list of compulsory credit requirements (including Groups 1, 2 and 3) outlined in section 6.1.1 of OS. Substitutions are made to promote and enhance student learning or to respond to special needs and interests. Each substitution is noted on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript.
The decision to substitute one course for another for a student is made only if the student’s educational interests are best served by such a substitution. If a parent requests a substitution, the principal will determine whether the substitution should be made. A principal may also initiate consideration of whether a substitution should be made. The principal will make her or his decision in consultation with the parent and appropriate school staff.
English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) courses may not be used to substitute for a compulsory credit. (They may be used, however, to meet the compulsory credit requirements for three English credits in accordance with section 6.1.1 of the OS.) No more than one learning strategies course, from the guidance and career education curriculum policy document, may be used through substitution to meet a compulsory credit requirement.
Ontario Student Record
The Ontario Student Record folder (OSR) is the official record for a student. The OSR is created when a student enters the Ontario school system and moves with the student from school-to-school. Every Ontario school keeps an OSR for each student enrolled. The OSR is created under the authority of the Education Act, and the contents of the OSR are protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Parents and students may examine the contents of the OSR on request, with the assistance of the principal or designated administrator. The OSR folder contains achievement results, credits earned, and other information important to the education of the student.
Ontario Student Transcript
The results of all successfully completed courses in Ontario will be issued as “The Ontario Student Transcript”. The OST is a provincially standardized document which provides a comprehensive record of a student’s achievement in secondary school. It lists all the courses obtained in Ontario, with their final mark, credit information, course title and code. As well, foreign credits, compulsory credits, and the date when the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) is achieved, will be listed. This document is required when applying for university or college. Copies are available to students on request.
The credits that a student has earned towards fulfillment of the requirements for the graduation diploma will be recorded on the OST, regardless of how or where the credits were earned.
The OST will be consistent with the Ministry of Education’s Full Disclosure policy: In Grades 9 and 10, the student’s achievement, with percentage grades earned and credits gained, for successfully completed courses, are recorded. In Grades 11 and 12, the student’s achievement for all courses taken or attempted is recorded, showing percentage grades earned, credits granted (if successful), or “W” for withdrawn before completion. Students repeating a course for which they have already received a credit will have all marks recorded, but only one for credit granted.
Identification of any course that has been substituted for a compulsory course will be made.
Confirmation that the student has completed the Community Involvement requirement will be noted.
Confirmation that the student has successfully completed the Literacy Test will be noted.
Any extraordinary circumstances affecting the student’s achievement in the senior grades may be noted, if appropriate.
Completion of a program of specialization in a subject area may be noted.
Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement
The main purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information gathered helps teachers identify students’ strengths and those areas needing improvement, as well as program areas of strength and those needing improvement. It is important that teachers adapt their instructional methods to the needs of their students.
Assessment: The process of gathering, from a variety of sources, information that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject or course.
Evaluation: The process of judging the quality of student learning is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, established criteria, evidence of learning, and assigning a value to represent that quality. Evaluation is the collection of evidence over time from 3 sources: observations, conversations, and student products. Evaluation is based on assessments of learning that provide data on student achievement at strategic times throughout the grade/subject/course, often at the end of a cycle of learning.
Assessment as Learning: The process of developing and supporting student engagement in the assessment process by monitoring their own learning using assessment feedback from teacher (and peers and self) to determine next steps, and setting individual learning goals. Students learn how to learn more effectively and how to self-assess their way to future success.
Assessment for Learning: The ongoing process of gathering and interpreting evidence about student learning for the purpose of determining where students are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. The information gathered is used by teachers to provide feedback and to differentiate instruction appropriately. Teachers and students use assessment information during the learning process to adjust what they are currently doing in order to improve the quality of learning taking place. The information gathered is used by teachers to provide feedback and adjust instruction and by students to focus their learning.
Assessment of Learning: The process of collecting and interpreting evidence for the purpose of summarizing learning at a given point in time, to make judgments about the quality of student learning on the basis of established criteria, and to assign a value to represent that quality. Evaluation of learning comes at or near the end of a learning sequence, unit or progression and provides an accurate summary of what has been learned according to clear learning goals or standards. Learning is summarized in the form of a level, grade, and/or percentage mark to be communicated to parents in a formal way (i.e. on the report card). In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of student learning, teachers will use a variety of assessment and evaluation strategies.
Summative Evaluation
The 70% term summative evaluation reflects the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement. Students are evaluated for overall expectations outlined in the curriculum policy document for each subject. Students will be provided with opportunities to practice and receive feedback before being evaluated for achievement of the overall expectations. Evidence from all four Achievement Chart categories is considered in the determination of the student’s mark. To ensure consistency, teachers of the same course develop at least one or two common evaluations throughout the course and check that student results are comparable.
Self and peer assessments provide constructive feedback; however, they are not included as part of the evaluation in the student’s 70% grade. Only evaluations are included in the student’s reported grade. The 30% final evaluation provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate their learning of the overall expectations of the course. Teachers provide students with evaluation tasks and opportunities that fairly represent the overall course expectations (key understandings and skills), and set the conditions whereby students can demonstrate their best work. During the time taken for the final evaluation in the course, no new content and/or skills is introduced; rather, in the evaluation task, students demonstrate the knowledge and skills already learned.
Categories of Knowledge and Skills
The achievement chart identifies four categories of knowledge and skills that are common to both the elementary and secondary panels and to all subject areas and disciplines. The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent four broad areas of knowledge and skills within which the expectations for any given subject/course can be organized. The four categories should be considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning. communication, and application.
The categories of knowledge and skills are as follows:
Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in each grade/course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)
Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
Communication: The conveying of meaning through various forms
Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts
In all subjects and courses, students should be given numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the curriculum expectations (content standards) across all four categories of knowledge and skills.
Student Achievement and Parent Communication
Hudson uses the following range of methods to report student achievement to parents:
Report Cards and Marks: During the semester, each student will receive a mid-term report and a final report. The midterm report will include a percentage mark based on the work done. At the end of the semester, the final report includes the final percentage mark for the student in each course, and indicates the number of credits gained in the semester. Each student has an Ontario Student Record folder in which copies of report cards are kept. Parents, and students over the age of 18, may see the folders upon a request to the Principal.
Parent Night: During the semester/school year, two special parent nights are arranged to talk directly with teachers about the progress of their child.
Ongoing communication: Parents and teachers are able to communicate mutual interests and concerns via email at any point during the semester. Given families’ busy schedules, this has proven to be a popular and effective means to keep the lines of communication between parents and Hudson open and regular. Parents may also initiate a meeting with teacher(s) to discuss areas of interest/concern. Hudson teachers may also initiate a request for such a meeting.
Course Transfer, Failure to Complete or Withdrawal
Students wishing to transfer to Hudson from another school in Ontario during the semester may do so, only if the courses selected at Hudson have been started at the previous school. The transfer must be approved by the Principal after consultation with the previous school’s Principal and will be allowed only if we believe that the student will be able to successfully complete the course at Hudson.
Prerequisite Courses
Courses in Grades 11 and 12 may have prerequisites as a requirement for enrollment. If a student would like to take a course for which they lack the prerequisite, the student’s parent/guardian must submit an official request through the Guidance Office. The Principal will determine whether or not the prerequisite should be waived.
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence must be requested at least two weeks prior to the intended departure date.
If a student has completed a course, but has failed to achieve the curriculum expectations at a passing level, no credit will be granted. At this time, staff will determine the best way to enable the student to earn a credit for the course, in consultation with the student and parents/guardians. This may be done at summer school, through an individualized remediation program, or by repeating the entire course.
Course Withdrawal
If a student in a Grade 11 or 12 course withdraws after five instructional days following the issue of the mid-semester report card, the withdrawal is recorded on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST). The percentage grade at the time of the withdrawal is recorded. If a student withdraws before the five instructional days following the issue of the midsemester report card, the withdrawal is not recorded on the OST.
Course Selection
During the month of March, students at all grade levels make course selections for the following school year using MyBlueprint. Due to the wide variety of courses offered, and because long-range educational planning is necessary to meet the prerequisite requirements for the programmes and universities to which students plan to apply, students entering Grades 11 and 12 are offered additional assistance in course selection. Students in Grades 9 and 10 also meet with the Guidance Counsellor to develop long-term plans for high school course progression.
Elective courses are offered subject to enrollment requests. Some courses may be offered in alternate semesters if there are insufficient requests.
Course Load
A regular course load each school year specified for their grade is as follows:
Grade 9 - 8 courses
Grade 10 - 8 courses
Grade 11 - 8 courses
Grade 12 - 6 courses
When program accommodations or modifications occur, or when the Principal has granted prior permission, the course load may vary.
Repetition of a Course
Students who repeat a Grade 11 or 12 course that they have previously completed successfully earn only one credit for the course. However, each attempt and the percentage grade obtained is recorded on the OST, and an "R" is entered in the “Credit” column for the course(s) with the lower percentage grade.
Course Changes
Requests to change, add, or drop courses will only be considered if there is a sound educational reason for the change to occur and if space availability allows. There are only certain times during the semester when course changes may occur. Students must meet with the Principal to discuss their educational goals, related course choices, academic consequences, etc., when requesting a course change. Parental permission is required for all course changes.
Online Learning Exemption
A premise behind students using online learning as one mode of study is to better enable them to employ technology in different formats. Hudson College supports this endeavor and it is already part of our learning culture. All Grade 9 students at Hudson are provided with laptops and software that assists them in integrating technology into their studies on an ongoing basis across the breadth of their courses. Students gain skill in the interactive use of this technology in guided learning situations as between themselves and their peers, and their teachers. While technology is important, a key learning feature of Hudson is our ability to operate in a direct student-to-teacher, peer-to-peer environment. Direct, in-person instruction, where individual student learning needs can be nurtured, accommodated and supported, as appropriate, through technology, is key to student success at Hudson.
The range of skills Hudson seeks to provide its students, while focussed, is nevertheless broad. Society increasingly expects students to have an increased skill set. To that end, Hudson has determined that it can best serve and meet students’ future needs by maximizing opportunities for in-person learning: direct person-to-person experience, to strengthen the development of academic and social/personal skills. Technology is one tool to assist in this process. As we have done in the past, Hudson will continue to employ it in an integrated, rather than strictly standalone, mode.