The Ontario Secondary School Certificate:

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, provided that they have earned a minimum of 14 credits, distributed as follows:

Compulsory Credits (Total of 7)

• 2 credits in English

• 1 credit in Canadian Geography or Canadian History

• 1 credit in Mathematics

• 1 credit in Science

• 1 credit in Health and Physical Education

• 1 credit in the Arts or Technological Education

Elective Credits (Total of 7) 

Students may choose courses based upon availability and timetable compatibility.

The Certificate of Accomplishment:

Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate, may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment.  This recognizes achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs, or other kinds of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.

PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition):

Prior learning includes the knowledge and skills that students have acquired in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school.  Where such learning has occurred outside Ontario classrooms, students enrolled in Ontario secondary schools and inspected private schools may have their skills and knowledge evaluated against the expectations outlined in provincial curriculum policy documents in order to earn credits towards the secondary school diploma.  This formal evaluation and accreditation process involves two components:  equivalency and challenge.  Equivalency involves the assessment of credentials from other jurisdictions for placement purposes.  The challenge process refers to the process whereby students’ prior learning is assessed for the purpose of granting credit.   Only Grade 10-12 courses that are offered by the Rainbow District School Board may be challenged.  For more information regarding this process, students are advised to refer to the PLAR pamphlet found in the school’s guidance office, and to contact their principal by the end of December, if they are interested.